George Stoneman

George Stoneman

George Stoneman (born August 22, 1822 in Busti , Chautauqua County , New York , † September 5, 1894 in Buffalo , New York) was an American officer and politician . During the civil war he held the rank of major general in the Union army ; later he became the 15th governor of California .

Early years

Stoneman was the first of ten children of the farmer and woodcutter George Stoneman Sr. and his wife Catherine Rebecca Cheney. He studied at Jamestown Academy and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1846 . His roommate at Westpoint was Thomas J. Jackson , who would later make a career as "Stonewall" Jackson in the Confederation Army . After the military academy, Stoneman was assigned to the dragoons (cavalry) who were used in Indian fighting in the west up to and including California . He was also part of a military survey team that mapped the Sierra Nevada and explored possible railway lines. In March 1855 Stoneman was a captain ( Captain transported) and assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, which in Texas was stationed. He stayed there until 1861.

Civil war

When the Civil War broke out, Stoneman was in command of Fort Brown , Texas. He refused to surrender to the Confederate authorities in Texas and fled north with most of the soldiers in his command. After his promotion to major in the 1st Cavalry Regiment, he was assigned to the staff of Major General George B. McClellan . Then he was given command of the Cavalry of the Potomac Army and was promoted to Brigadier General of the Volunteer Army on August 13, 1861 . His relationship with McClellan was not good, as he misjudged the importance of cavalry in war, unlike Stoneman. This misjudgment led to several defeats against the Confederates under Major General JEB Stuart in 1862 . As the war progressed, Stoneman was transferred to Washington headquarters. In 1864 he took part in Sherman's campaign in the south and was briefly captured. After his release, he was involved in combat operations in North Carolina and Virginia . Meanwhile, Major General of the Volunteers, he became commanding the occupation forces in Tennessee in June 1865 . When riots broke out in Memphis , he was passive and was harshly criticized for it. There was even a committee of inquiry into his behavior, but he was acquitted.

Later military career

Stoneman was in opposition to the Radical Republicans and their so-called reconstruction policy. Therefore, he joined the Democratic Party . In September 1866, he became a lieutenant colonel and major general in command of the 1st Military District in Arizona. His command in Arizona was controversial because of his actions in Indian riots. Therefore, he was replaced by General George Crook in July 1871 , with which Stoneman resigned from the army.

Stoneman's career in California

After his military service, he moved to Los Robles , California. From 1876 to 1878 he was employed by the railroad, then he moved into politics. As a member of the Democratic Party, he was elected 15th governor of the state in 1882. His tenure ran from January 1883 to January 1887. He campaigned for a reform of the prison system. During his tenure, he issued 260 pardons and confirmed 146 prison terms. After the end of the legislative period, he was no longer nominated for a second term. Therefore, he left office in 1887.

Another résumé

Stoneman's further fate is unfortunate. His house was destroyed in a fire. There were rumors that his political opponents were responsible for the fire. This event ruined both his finances and his health. For better medical treatment, he moved back to Buffalo, where he died of a stroke. George Stoneman was married to Mary Oliver Hardisty, with whom he had two sons and two daughters.

various

Stoneman was mentioned by Robbie Robertson in the song " The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down ". Whereby he refers to the campaigns under Sherman:

Virgil Caine is the name, and I served on the Danville train,
'Til Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again ...

swell

• Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3 .
• Gerleman, David J., "George H. Stoneman, Jr.", Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History, Heidler, David S., and Heidler, Jeanne T., eds., WW Norton & Company , 2000, ISBN 0-393-04758-X .
• Sears, Stephen W., Chancellorsville, Houghton Mifflin, 1996, ISBN 0-395-87744-X .
• Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders, Louisiana State University Press, 1964, ISBN 0-8071-0822-7 .
• Fordney, Ben Fuller, George Stoneman: A Biography of the Union General. McFarland Publ., Jefferson, NC 2008.

1. ↑ Arizona Historical Review (12MB PDF)  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , January 1931, Volume 3, Number 4, Page 61: Stoneman hired Scout Al Sieber in July 1871 .  

Web links

• Biography George Stonmans at the California State Library (English)
• George Stoneman in the National Governors Association (English)
• George Stoneman in the database of Find a Grave (English)