Alfred Pleasonton

Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton, portrait by Mathew Brady
Born	(1824-07-07)July 7, 1824 Washington, D.C.
Died	February 17, 1897(1897-02-17) (aged 72) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Congressional Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1844–1868
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Cavalry Corps
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War American Civil War Peninsula Campaign Battle of Antietam Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Fredericksburg Gettysburg Campaign Battle of Brandy Station Battle of Byram's Ford Battle of Mine Creek Battle of Marais des Cygnes
Other work	Commissioner of Internal Revenue

Mexican-American War
American Civil War

Alfred Pleasonton (July 7, 1824 – February 17, 1897) was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign, including the largest predominantly cavalry battle of the war, Brandy Station. In 1864, he was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Theater, where he defeated Confederate General Sterling Price in two key battles, effectively ending the war in Missouri. He was the son of Stephen Pleasonton and younger brother of Augustus Pleasonton.

Pleasonton was born in Washington, D.C. on July 7, 1824. He was the son of Stephen and Mary Hopkins Pleasonton. Stephen was well known at the time of Alfred's birth. During the War of 1812, as a U.S. State Department employee, Stephen's personal initiative saved crucial documents in the National Archives from destruction by the British invaders of Washington, including the original Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. As Fifth Auditor of the U.S. Treasury, Stephen Pleasonton was de facto superintendent of lighthouses of the United States from 1820 to 1852. His conservative approach and emphasis on economy held back advancements in lighthouse construction and technology and led to deterioration of some lighthouses. Since he had no technical knowledge of the field, he delegated many responsibilities to local customs inspectors. In 1852, the U.S. Congress decided reform was needed and established the Lighthouse Board to take over fiscal and administrative duties for U.S. lighthouses.