Alfred Pleasonton was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War.
32 Facts About Alfred Pleasonton
2.
Alfred Pleasonton was the son of Stephen and Mary Hopkins Pleasonton.
3.
Alfred Pleasonton graduated from West Point on July 1,1844, and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 1st US Dragoons.
4.
Alfred Pleasonton followed his unit for frontier duty in Minnesota, Iowa, and Texas.
5.
Alfred Pleasonton was promoted to second lieutenant with the 2nd US Dragoons on November 3,1845.
6.
Alfred Pleasonton was promoted to first lieutenant on September 30,1849.
7.
Alfred Pleasonton served as regimental adjutant from July 1,1854, to March 3,1855.
8.
At the start of the Civil War in 1861, Captain Alfred Pleasonton traveled with the 2nd Dragoons from Fort Crittenden, Utah Territory, to Washington DC Despite active politicking on his part, attempting to capitalize on the faded political connections of his father, Alfred Pleasonton did not earn the rapid promotions of some of his colleagues.
9.
Alfred Pleasonton was transferred to the 2nd US Cavalry Regiment on August 3,1861.
10.
Alfred Pleasonton was promoted to major on February 15,1862.
11.
Alfred Pleasonton fought without incident or prominence in the Peninsula campaign, providing Army of the Potomac commander Major General George McClellan with little accurate or valuable information.
12.
On May 1,1862, Alfred Pleasonton was nominated by President Abraham Lincoln for promotion to the grade of brigadier general of volunteers to rank from July 16,1862, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on July 16,1862.
13.
Alfred Pleasonton then commanded a brigade of cavalry in the Army of the Potomac.
14.
On September 2,1862, Alfred Pleasonton assumed division command in the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac.
15.
Ever ambitious, Alfred Pleasonton was displeased that he was not promoted to major general of volunteers for his actions, claiming erroneously that his division, and particularly the horse artillery assigned to him, had had a decisive effect on the battle.
16.
Alfred Pleasonton did receive a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel in the regular army, probably based solely on the inflated claims of his battle report, which were not substantiated by the reports of other generals.
17.
At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Alfred Pleasonton continued his practice of self-promotion.
18.
Alfred Pleasonton claimed that he temporarily halted an attack by Stonewall Jackson's Corps and that he was able to prevent the total destruction of the Union XI Corps on May 2,1863.
19.
Alfred Pleasonton was persuasive enough that the commander of the Army of the Potomac, Maj.
20.
Joseph Hooker, told President Abraham Lincoln that Alfred Pleasonton "saved the Union Army" at Chancellorsville.
21.
Battle reports indicate that Alfred Pleasonton's role was considerably less important than he claimed, involving only a small detachment of Confederate infantry on Hazel Grove.
22.
Alfred Pleasonton led Union cavalry forces in the Battle of Brandy Station, the largest predominantly cavalry battle of the war.
23.
Alfred Pleasonton promoted Captain Wesley Merritt and First Lieutenant George Armstrong Custer to brigadier general.
24.
Alfred Pleasonton corresponded with the congressman and complained about his lack of men and horses in comparison to Jeb Stuart's; he politicked to acquire the cavalry forces of Maj.
25.
Alfred Pleasonton conveniently made these claims after Meade's death, when dispute was impossible.
26.
Alfred Pleasonton was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Theater and commanded the District of Central Missouri and the District of St Louis on July 4,1864.
27.
Alfred Pleasonton performed well and over a period of four days, defeated Gen.
28.
Alfred Pleasonton was injured by a fall in October 1864.
29.
Alfred Pleasonton resigned his commission in 1868, and was placed on the Army's retired list as a major in 1888.
30.
Alfred Pleasonton served briefly as the president of the Terre Haute and Cincinnati Railroad.
31.
Alfred Pleasonton died in his sleep in Washington, DC, on January 17,1897, and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery there, alongside his father.
32.
The city of Pleasanton, Kansas, named for Alfred Pleasonton, held its first "General Alfred Pleasonton Days" celebration in 2007.