caption serviceyears branch commands death_place death_date birth_place allegiance placeofburial_label battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
benjamin bonneville 1815-1861 united states army union army 3rd u.s. infantry department of new mexico fort smith , arkansas , united states 12 june 1878 near paris , france united states union place of burial mexican-american war civil war 14 april 1796 bellefontaine states cemetery , st. louis , missouri , united 35px colonel 35px brevet brigadier general pd photo benjamin bonneville.jpg benjamin bonneville
 benjamin louis eulalie de bonneville
benjamin bonneville

benjamin louis eulalie de bonneville -lrb- april 14 , 1796 -- june 12 , 1878 -rrb- was a french-born officer in the united states army , fur trapper , and explorer in the american west .
he is noted for his expeditions to the oregon country and the great basin , and in particular for blazing portions of the oregon trail .
during his lifetime , bonneville was made famous by an account of his explorations in the west written by washington irving .
