DeLancey Floyd-Jones

DeLancey Floyd-Jones (January 20, 1826 – January 19, 1902) was a career officer in the United States Army, serving in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War, as well as on frontier duty in the Old West. Early career DeLancey Floyd-Jones was born in South Oyster Bay, New York. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, 45th in the Class of 1846. With the outbreak of the Mexican–American War, he was assigned to Company D, 7th U.S. Infantry as second lieutenant. In November 1846, he was transferred to Company E, 4th U.S. Infantry. He participated in several major battles, including the Siege of Veracruz, the Battle of Molino del Rey, and the Battle for Mexico City. For gallant and meritorious conduct at Molino del Rey, he was brevetted to first lieutenant on September 8, 1847, receiving a promotion to the full rank in January 1848, when he was briefly assigned to duty in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Floyd-Jones was reassigned to a garrison in Detroit, Michigan, from 1848–50. He then performed recruiting duty for two more years before being assigned to Benicia, California. During the Yakima War, he served at Fort Vancouver and at Fort Steilacoom in the Washington Territory until 1855. Floyd-Jones was promoted to captain on July 31, 1854, while in Washington. He returned to California for a year before being assigned to duty in Oregon. American Civil War With the outbreak of the Civil War, Floyd-Jones was promoted to major of the 11th U.S. Infantry on May 14, 1861, and sent to the Eastern Theater. During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign in Virginia, Floyd-Jones commanded the 11th Infantry at the battles of Yorktown, Gaines Mill and Malvern Hill. He was appointed a brevet lieutenant colonel on July 4, 1862, for "gallant and meritorious service during the Peninsular Campaign." He served in the Northern Virginia Campaign, August to September 1862, including the Second Battle of Bull Run. During the Maryland Campaign, his regiment was lightly engaged at the Battle of Antietam, where they took a position immediately east of Sharpsburg.