Frederick William Lander was born at Salem, Massachussets, the son of Edward Lander and Eliza W. Edward Lander was his brother and Louisa Lander, the sculptress, was his sister. His paternal grandfather was interested in foreign trade, while his mother's father, Nathaniel West, served for a time as midshipman in the British navy and later commanded a noted American privateer, the Black Prince, distinguishing himself in the Revolution.
Young Lander received his early education at Franklin and Dummer academies and was noted for physical strength and love of sports. Later he studied engineering at South Andover and at Norwich.
Lander practiced his profession for a time in survey work on several eastern railroads, in which he established a reputation for ability and thoroughness. In 1853 he served as a civil engineer on the staff of Isaac I. Stevens during the survey of the Northern Pacific Railroad route. In this capacity he made a reconnaissance of "the several crossings of the Mississippi. " His report is printed in Senate Executive Document 29 (33 Cong. , 1 Sess. ).
In the spring of the year 1854 he headed a party of exploration to report upon the feasibility of a projected railroad from Puget Sound to the Mississippi River and during the four years following, he served as superintendent and chief engineer of the overland wagon road. This involved considerable arduous service and hazardous duty; and in 1858, Lander's party of seventy were attacked by Piute Indians in a spirited engagement. The Indians were repulsed.
Lander submitted a report as to the advisability of a main line railroad from the Mississippi River to Salt Lake City, with branches to San Francisco and Puget Sound (House Executive Document 70, 35 Cong. , 1 Sess. ).
Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Lander was entrusted with a secret and confidential mission to Governor Houston of Texas, with full authority to order Federal troops then in Texas to support Houston if thought advisable. Later he served with credit as an aide on General McClellan's staff in the engagements at Philippi and Rich Mountain; and on May 17, 1861, he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers, taking over in July, command of a brigade of Gen. C. P. Stone's division on the upper Potomac.
In the serious engagement of Edwards Ferry, he was severely wounded in the leg, after which he was authorized to reorganize his brigade into a division, with which command, on January 5, 1862, he successfully defended the town of Hancock, Md. , against a superior force of the enemy. On February 14, 1862, while still suffering from his wound, he led a brilliant charge at Blooming Gap, for which gallant conduct he received a special letter of commendation from the secretary of war.
About this time, ill-health due in large part to the severity of the winter campaign, compelled a leave of absence; and on March 2, 1862, while preparing to move his division into the Shenandoah Valley to cooperate with General Banks, he died suddenly in the division camp on the Cacapon River, in Virginia, of a congestive chill, brought on by fatigue and exposure. General McClellan announced his death to the army in a special order, the day following.
Lander led or participated in five transcontinental surveys, and for his accomplishments received high praise from the secretary of the interior. He also distinguished himself during the military campaign at town of Hancock and at Blooming Gap. Besides being a successful and intrepid explorer as well as a soldier of marked ability, Lander was a vigorous and forceful writer and was the author of many patriotic poems of the war period.
In October 1860 Lander was married to Jean Margaret Davenport, an actress, born at Wolverhampton, England, who had come to the United States in 1838. He had no children.
