E. B. Babbitt

Major E. B. Babbitt was a military engineer of the United States Army in the early and mid-nineteenth century. In 1849, while serving as Acting Quartermaster for the Department of Texas, he oversaw a major renovation to the storied Alamo, making the fortress serviceable as a quartermaster depot for the US Army.

E. B. Babbitt in "Lee at the Alamo"
In 1861, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee was grateful for Babbitt's renovations to the Alamo, as he would be forced to stand siege in the fortress. However, he knew that, despite Babbitt's renovations, he would not be able to hold out indefinitely against determined Texan and Confederate opposition.