Alexander Bielaski
Encyclopedia
Alexander Bielaski was a civil engineer
and Captain
in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
against the Russian Empire
known as the November Uprising
. After the failure of the rebellion, he was exiled to France
, later immigrating to the United States
. In 1837 he became an engineer
in Illinois, where he got married and became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln
. Bielaski moved to Washington, D.C.
to work for the General Land Office
, working his way to principal draftsman
in 1853.
When the Civil War began, Bielaski offered his services to Lincoln. Lincoln then appointed him with the rank of captain as aide-de-camp
to General John McClernand
. Bielaski was killed on November 7, 1861 in the Battle of Belmont
.
Bielaski had a son, Oscar Bielaski
, who went on to become the first Polish-American baseball player for Major League Baseball
. Bielaski's grandson A. Bruce Bielaski
was the second director of the Bureau of Investigation (now the Federal Bureau of Investigation
).
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Biography
Bielaski was born in Poland, and in 1831 took part in the armed rebellionRebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
against the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
known as the November Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
. After the failure of the rebellion, he was exiled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, later immigrating to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1837 he became an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
in Illinois, where he got married and became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. Bielaski moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to work for the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
, working his way to principal draftsman
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
in 1853.
When the Civil War began, Bielaski offered his services to Lincoln. Lincoln then appointed him with the rank of captain as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General John McClernand
John Alexander McClernand
John Alexander McClernand was an American lawyer and politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was a classic case of the politician-in-uniform coming into conflict with career Army officers, graduates of the United States Military Academy. He was a prominent Democratic...
. Bielaski was killed on November 7, 1861 in the Battle of Belmont
Battle of Belmont
The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861, in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S...
.
Bielaski had a son, Oscar Bielaski
Oscar Bielaski
Oscar Bielaski was an American right fielder and the first Polish-American to play Major League Baseball, playing from 1872 until 1876. His father was Alexander Bielaski, a Captain for the Union army, died at the battle of Belmont...
, who went on to become the first Polish-American baseball player for Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Bielaski's grandson A. Bruce Bielaski
A. Bruce Bielaski
Alexander Bruce Bielaski was an American lawyer and director of the Bureau of Investigation ....
was the second director of the Bureau of Investigation (now the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
).