Alfred Pleasonton

Alfred Pleasonton 1824-97, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Washington, D.C. He served in the Mexican War and in the Indian wars on the frontier. In the Civil War , he distinguished himself in the Peninsular campaign (1862) and was made brigadier general of volunteers. He fought at Antietam and Fredericksburg, and his stand against Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville averted a total Union defeat. He commanded the Union cavalry at Brandy Station and in the ensuing Gettysburg campaign, as well as later engagements. Transferred to Missouri, Pleasonton defeated Gen. Sterling Price at Westport and Marais des Cygnes (1864), ending the last Confederate threat in the West.

Pleasonton, Alfred 1824–1897Union cavalry officer, born in Washington, D.C. Pleasonton attended West Point and graduated seventh in his class. He saw service in the Mexican War (1846–48) where he won a brevet for gallant and meritorious service. During the Civil War, he fought well, especially at Chancellorsville, but he exaggerated his own accomplishments and infuriated other officers in the calvary. He led a cavalry command at Brandy Station, the largest cavalry action of the war, where his troops nearly surprised and overwhelmed J.E.B. Stuart's command, but were eventually forced to leave the field. After the war he worked for the Internal Revenue Service.