His brother Nikolai Engelhardt also became a lieutenant general and member of the Order of St. George.
In 1815, he entered military service as a cadet in the Life Guards Regiment of Chasseurs.
In 1830, Engelhardt was assigned to the Tenginsky 77th Infantry Regiment, and soon distinguished himself in the campaign in the Kuban, for which he was promoted to captain.
In 1842 he was made a commander for special assignments in the independent Caucasian Corps under General Neidgardt.
In 1852 he received the rank of lieutenant general and was appointed to a senior post in the Corps of Civil Engineers.