Alfred L. Rives

Alfred Landon Rives (March 25, 1830, Paris, France – February 27, 1903, Castle Hill, Virginia) was an American engineer.

His father, who was among the most distinguished citizens of Virginia, was the United States Minister to France; based in Paris where Alfred was born in 1830.

At the age of sixteen he became a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute and graduated two years later in 1848, ranking sixth in a class of twenty-four.

[1] Being proficient in engineering, he determined to adopt that as a profession, and in the same year entered the University of Virginia, where he remained one session, then accompanied his father to France.

After a year devoted to the study of mathematics and French, he successfully passed an examination for entrance in the Government Engineering School of France, the Ecole des ponts et Chaussees.

He was appointed engineer-in-charge in the Department of the Interior under President Franklin Pierce, to report upon the best location for a bridge across the Potomac River.

The report was favorably received, and Rives was selected to make calculations and estimates for this Cabin John bridge, which was built under his supervision.

[3] Throughout the war the Confederate States Army officer was successively promoted to major, lieutenant-colonel and eventually colonel of engineers.