Editing Edward Ord (section)

==Early life and career==
Ord was born in [[Cumberland, Maryland]], the son of James and Rebecca Ord. Family tradition made James Ord the illegitimate son of [[George IV]] of the United Kingdom and [[Maria Fitzherbert]]<ref>Georgetown University Archives including a Xerox copy of a manuscript entitled "History of James Ord as related by himself with other facts collected by his sons" and a copy of a privately printed pamphlet entitled, "Memoranda Concerning James Ord who died January 25, 1873 by his granddaughter Mary Ord Preston 1896" original publication in Georgetown University Library, Special Collections, call number 90A469.</ref> but, instead, he may have been the son of Ralph Ord, who was baptised at Wapping, Middlesex, in 1757, the son of John Ord, a [[factor (agent)]] from Berwick-upon-Tweed.<ref>Anthony J. Camp, ''Royal mistresses and bastards: fact and fiction 1714–1936'' (London, 2007) {{ISBN|978-0-9503308-2-2}}, pp. 149–153.</ref> Historian James Munson has concluded that Mrs Fitzherbert had no child by the Prince of Wales,<ref>James Munson (2001) "Maria FitzHerbert: The Secret Wife of George IV," Constable, London  {{ISBN|0-09-478220-2}}</ref> although other historians disagree. For example, Saul David concludes that it is generally accepted that the Prince of Wales and Mrs Fitzherbert had at least one child and that James Ord would be the most likely candidate.<ref>Saul David (1998), "Prince of Pleasure: the Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency," Grobe Press, New York {{ISBN|0-8021-3703-2}}, pp. 75–78.</ref>

Edward Ord was considered a mathematical genius and was appointed to the [[United States Military Academy]] by [[President of the United States|President]] [[Andrew Jackson]]. His roommate at [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] was future general [[William Tecumseh Sherman]]. He graduated in 1839 and was commissioned a [[second lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] in the 3rd U.S. Artillery.  He fought in the [[Second Seminole War]] in Florida and was promoted to [[first lieutenant#United States|first lieutenant]].

In January 1847, Ord sailed on the [[USS Lexington (1825)|USS ''Lexington'']] around [[Cape Horn]] with [[Henry Halleck]] and William Tecumseh Sherman. He arrived in [[Monterey, California]], the capital of that newly acquired territory, and assumed command of Battery F, 3rd U.S. Artillery, with orders to complete Fort Mervine, which was renamed Fort Halleck. Its construction was superintended by Lieutenant Ord and his second in command, Lieutenant Sherman. On February 17, 1865, the fort was renamed Ord Barracks. [http://www.monterey.org/museums/City-Museums/Presidio-of-Monterey-Museum/History-of-the-Presidio In 1904, it was renamed] to honor the original [[Presidio of Monterey]].
[[File:General Edward O C Ord and His Family.png|thumb|right|Edward O. C. Ord and his family]]

Ord was in [[California]] when the [[California Gold Rush|gold rush]] began, with its resultant skyrocketing prices. Since their military salaries no longer covered living expenses, Ord's commander suggested that the younger officers take on other jobs to supplement their income.  In the fall of 1848, Ord and Sherman, in the employ of [[John Augustus Sutter, Jr.]], assisted Captain William H. Warner of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the survey of [[Sacramento, California]], helping to produce the map that established the future capital city's extensive downtown street grid. Ord also produced a map of the Gold and Quicksilver district of California dated July 25, 1848.

Later, [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] officials needed to have a survey of the public lands in order to sell them, and Ord was hired as the surveyor. He chose [[William Rich Hutton]] as his assistant, and together the two mapped Los Angeles in July and August 1849. Thanks to the efforts of these two men, historians have a fairly good view of what the [[Pueblo de Los Angeles]] looked like in the middle of the 19th century. Lieutenant Ord surveyed the pueblo and his assistant Hutton sketched many scenes of the pueblo and drew the first map from Ord's survey.<ref>Marschner 2000, p. 49</ref>  The Los Angeles City Archives has the original map produced by Hutton from Ord's survey.  Ord was paid $3000 for his work on this survey. La Reina De Los Angeles, published in 1929, states that Ord was offered 160 acres of public land and 10 building sites all in the present downtown business district but accepted the $3000 instead.

Ord was promoted to [[Captain (United States)|captain]] in 1850 while serving in the [[Pacific Northwest]]. The War Department transferred him in December 1852 to the [[U.S. Coast Survey]], which sent him to California to work on the [[geodetic]] survey of Southern California's coast and [[Channel Islands (California)]]. Ord's efforts improved navigation safety as the gold rush increased both ship traffic and accidents. While assigned to Coast Survey duty, Ord divided his time between San Francisco and Los Angeles and continued to hire on as a land surveyor. In the latter role, he completed a 1854-55 survey near [[San Pedro, Los Angeles|San Pedro]] that would subdivide the future town of [[Wilmington, Los Angeles|Wilmington]] from the Dóminguez family's [[Rancho San Pedro]]. The same work claimed navigable waters of the adjacent estuary as federal public domain. Both results would become a foundation for development of the [[Port of Los Angeles]] in the early twentieth century. Ord transferred back to the Army in 1855. He then served in the Pacific Northwest, in campaigns against Native Americans, at [[Benicia Barracks]], and [[Fort Monroe, Virginia]] before returning to California.<ref>James Tejani, ''A Machine to Move Ocean and Earth: The Making of the Port of Los Angeles—and America'' (New York, 2024) {{ISBN|978-1-324-09355-8}}, pp. 102–120, 138-181.</ref> 

In 1859, while attending artillery school at Fort Monroe, Ord was summoned by [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[John B. Floyd]] to quell [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]]'s raid on the [[Harpers Ferry]] Federal arsenal. However, [[Colonel (United States)|Col.]] [[Robert E. Lee]] reached Harpers Ferry first, and Colonel Lee telegraphed to Captain Ord that the situation was under control and Ord and his men would not be needed at Harpers Ferry. However, Ord's unit later arrived to keep order ahead of Brown's execution. Ord penned a letter to his wife on December 2, 1859, from the arsenal, describing the day and a hilltop climb with Colonel Lee.<ref>Edward to Molly Ord, December 2, 1859, Box 1, folder 3, Stanford University Special Collections.</ref> 

Ord married Mary Mercer Thompson on October 14, 1854, and they eventually had thirteen children. One of their notable children was [[Jules Garesche Ord]], who was killed in action after reaching the top of [[San Juan Hill]] in Cuba. He was the officer who started and led the charge that Teddy Roosevelt followed. Another was [[Edward Otho Cresap Ord, II]], who was also a [[United States Army]] [[Major (United States)|Major]] who served with the [[22nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|22nd Infantry Regiment]] during the [[Indian Wars]], the [[Spanish–American War]] and the [[Philippine–American War]]. He was also a painter, inventor, and poet.  The son of Edward Otho Cresap Ord, II and grandson of Edward Ord was [[James Garesche Ord]], who commanded the [[28th Infantry Division (United States)|28th Infantry Division]] and was Chairman of the Joint U.S.–Brazil Defense Commission in [[World War II]].