Charles Pomeroy Stone (September 30, 1824 – January 24, 1887) was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and surveyor. He fought with distinction in the Mexican–American War, earning two brevet promotions for his performance in the conflict. After resigning and surveying for the Mexican Government, he returned to the U.S. Army to fight in the American Civil War. Stone was reportedly the first volunteer to enter the Union Army, and during the war he served as a general officer, noted for his involvement at the Battle of Ball's Bluff in October 1861. Held responsible for the Union defeat, Stone was arrested and imprisoned for almost six months, mostly for political reasons. He never received a trial, and after his release he would not hold a significant command during the war again. Stone later served again with distinction as a general in the Egyptian Army, and is also noted for his role in constructing the base of the Statue of Liberty. Early life Stone was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, a son of Alpheus Fletcher Stone, the town's doctor, and his wife Fanny Cushing. He was one of ten children in a Protestant family of Puritan descent. In 1841 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated four years later, standing seventh out of 41 cadets. His time at the academy was shared with a number of other recruits who would go on to have important roles in the Civil War and the lead-up to it, including such ardent secessionists as William Logan Crittenden. He was appointed a brevet second lieutenant of ordnance on July 1, 1845. He and his younger sister, Fanny Cushing Parker (1827–1898), were Roman Catholic converts. Military career, marriage and civilian career Ordnance officer Stone stayed at West Point, serving as an assistant professor and teaching geography, history, and also ethics from August 28, 1845, to January 13, 1846. Afterwards he was posted to the Watervliet Arsenal in New York as Assistant Ordnance Officer, and then to Fortress Monroe at Old Point Comfort, Virginia, both in 1846. While there Stone worked in the facilities arsenal and was an assistant to Capt. Benjamin Huger, whom he would serve under in the war with Mexico. Mexican war Fighting with Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott's army in the Mexican–American War, Stone was promoted to second lieutenant on March 3, 1847. He first saw action during the