DeLancey Floyd-Jones
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DeLancey Floyd-Jones (May 31, 1824 – 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.
Jones was born in New York. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point 45th in the Class of 1845. With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, he was promoted to second lieutenant and assigned to the 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 breveted 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 East Pascagoula, Mississippi.
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 in Fort Vancouver and Fort Steilacoom in the Washington Territory until 1855. Jones was promoted to captain in July 1854 while in Washington. He returned to California for a year before being assigned to duty in Oregon.
With the outbreak of the Civil War, Jones was promoted to Major of the 11th U.S. Infantry on May 31, 1861, and sent to the Eastern Theater. During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign in Virginia, Jones commanded the 11th Infantry at the battles of Yorktown, Gaines' Mill and Malvern Hill. He was breveted to 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.
Jones was active in the Rappahannock Campaign and the Mud March, then went into winter camp prior to seeing action again at the Battle of Chancellorsville. At the Battle of Gettysburg, Jones led his men into action near the Wheatfield, suffering substantial casualties. He was breveted to Colonel, July 2, 1863, for gallant and meritorious service at Gettysburg.
Following the battle, Jones was assigned command of Fort Independence in Massachusetts. On August 15, 1863, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 19th U.S. Infantry. In October of that year, he assumed command of the defenses and fortifications of Boston Harbor, a post he held until March 1865. As the war was waning, Jones was assigned command of the 19th Infantry.
After the war, Jones served in a variety of administrative posts, commanding Newport Barracks in Kentucky from October 1865 to March 1866 and the occupation garrison of Little Rock, Arkansas from March to August 1866. Following sick leave, he was assigned as Acting Assistant Inspector General and Judge Advocate of the Department of Arkansas from December 1866 to February 1867. He was then in command of Fort Smith, Arkansas, until October 1867, and then of Fort Gibson and the District of Indian Territory until January 1868. On June 25, 1867, he was promoted to Colonel. He served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Idaho Territory, from June 1869 to November 1870, then at various times commanded Fort Dodge, Fort Hays, the post at Holly Springs, Mississippi, Jackson Barracks in Louisiana, and the garrison in Helena, Montana. He retired March 20, 1879.
A public library in Massapequa, New York is named for Jones.
[edit] References
- Heitman, Francis Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army 1789-1903, Washington, US Government Printing Office, 1903.
