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Biographical Note

Born in Buffalo, New York on October 25, 1830 as the son of George and Sarah Russell Langdon. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on July 1, 1850 and graduated July 1, 1854. Upon graduation Cadet Langdon was assigned as a second lieutenant to the First Regiment of Artillery and in a few months was ordered to Florida to suppress hostilities by the Seminole Indians.

In February 1861, as an officer of Company A first Regiment of Artillery, Langdon was sent to Fort Pickens, Florida from Fort Monroe, Virginia by way of the U.S. Frigate "Brooklyn". On October 9, 1861 Lieutenant Langdon participated in the repulse of the attack on Santa Rosa Island by the Confederates. He also participated in the bombardments of the Navy Yard and Fort Barrancas, both of which were held by the Confederates until May 1862.

Receiving his captaincy in August 1861, Captain Langdon took command of Company M of the First Regiment of Artillery in February 1862. In June 1862, Company M moved to South Carolina. Captain Langdon participated in the operations against Charleston, South Carolina until February 1864. In command of a battalion of field batteries in the expedition back to Florida he participated in the Battle of Olustee February 20, 1864.

In January 1874, Company M with Captain Langdon was transferred to Fort Barrancas, Florida and in March 1879 Captain Langdon was promoted to Major Second Regiment of Artillery. He was later promoted in Lieutenant Colonel Second Regiment of Artillery in December 1883 and was moved from Fort McHenry, Maryland to Fort Barrancas, Florida in July 1885. Upon his promotion to the colonelcy of the First Regiment of Artillery in January 1889, Colonel Langdon's station was changed to the Presidio of San Francisco, California and in May 1890 transferred to the posts in New York Harbor.

On April 25, 1904 Colonel Langdon was promoted to the grade of Brigadier General and on February 7, 1910 General Langdon died.

During the war he made sketches and subsequently studied painting at the National Portrait Gallery in London afterwards.