Barton S. Alexander

Biography

Barton S. Alexander was a career United States Army officer whose work as an engineer and planner helped guide a nation reshaping its borders during the mid-19th century. He advanced the development of coastal defenses and public works while serving in the West, bringing rigorous discipline and a steady hand to the Corps of Topographical Engineers.

In the years after the Civil War, Alexander remained committed to the Army’s mission of protecting the growing communities along the Pacific Coast until his death in 1878. His service is remembered by those who rest beside him at San Francisco National Cemetery, where his grave stands as a quiet tribute to a lifetime spent building the country’s infrastructure.