Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-18

NJ NNMl Sucn was the answer
MTxNh 2N given in reply to an in
"TESANg9fA, quiry a few days past
HLS6~EA regarding the welfare
and whereabouts Of
Major General Alfred
Pleasanton, whose name and fame a few years
ago were on the lips of nine-tenths Of the Amer
lean people, and the records Of whose exploits
as one Of the greatest cavalry leaders Of late
war would fill volumes of graphic history. APP
parently in the full possession Of all his mental
faculties and with no serious physical ailment,
this man of genius, soldier of two great wars
and explorer nearly fifty years ago of the then
unknown domain Of our great western terri
tory-an Indian fighter of great renown. a
traveller whose face and figure was at one time
well known in every court Of all the great
powers OF the old world. scholar. bon vivant.
wit and most companionable Of all the agree
able public men Of his Extraordinarily betook
himself to his private apartments in a snug
little hotel in the very heart Of Washington on
the 18th day Of May, 1890, and has not since
been seen by or talked with, all told. more than
q dozen of his fellow beings And with two or
three exceptions those who have seen or talked
with him since that date have been of those
necessary to him in administering to his per-
sonal wants.
BOON COMPANIONS.
Years ago an Irishman named Greason, a man
Of peculiar temperament as well as of queer
physical build, opened hotel and restaurant at
the corner of 18th and streets northwest
Gen. Pleasanton was favored guest, or
patron, who besides eating and drinking,
also had lodgings with "Ould Greason," as he
was in the habit of calling himself And IL
was through combination of the efforts of
that strangely assorted pair that the exclusive
ness OF the dainty little old-fashioned hostelrie
was kept up in those days. 'Ould Greason"
had q way Of making any one he disliked, or
whose patronage he did not desire, feel that
his 'abslnce was more welcome than his
prisince," and the general had his own man
ner OF demonstrating social freeze
OUT that was equally as effective. But there
was one thing beside the eating and drinking
they had in common each with the other. and
that was horse, the love of the horse. If there
was anything that the old cavalryman did not
know about horse it was certainly something
not worth knowing, and if there was one thing
above all others that the old Irishman prided
himself on it was his thoroughbred trotter. the
best and the best kept and best equipped road
horse in the District Of Columbia. SO they dis
cussed horse affairs by the hour and told and
retoid horse tales by the day, week and month.
The general had then dropped out Of politics,
wherein he never did dabble much, and had
stepped aside out Of the stream OF fashionable,
social or official life, wherein he had foated
duO 6dlltO ITOm the uavs OF MS caQetenlp at
West Point down to the period Of his friendly
association with his fellow horsemen. They got
along swimmingly together, and one Of the
most familiar sights out on the 14th street road
in those days was Greason's sleek and clean top
buggy, in which he drove q bright bay
trotter, also sleek and clean. oftentimes
with his chum, the general, at his side. There,
was marked contrast between the two--the
general being slim Of build. erect and prim
always soldierly In every attitude, while his
companion was thick set, hump-backed, with a
squatty attitude, his chin thrown forward so
that bis short fat neck pressed down against his
broad chest In the unsoldierly position Of 60
as-you-please Both were an inch or two below
the average height. This companionship was
retained and cherished until the good old Irish
man died and the general fell into financial
straits. But he always kept his lodging quar-
low-ceilinged, small-windowed, southwest third
story front room that he may be found now,
provided, of course, that he permits himself to
be found at ALL
HIS DISAPPOINTMENT.
Years passed after old man Gresson's death;
years Of discomfort and privation for the gen.
ersl. There was bill pending in Congress to
retire him as q brigadier general. He felt that
30 much as that recognition WAS his due at the
hands Of the country he had served so faith
fully. He had been q major general in COM
mand OF the cavalry corps Of the Army Of the
Potomac; he had fought the FIRST real cavalry
fight Of the war at Brandy station, June l2,
1883, and then and there proved his superior
abilities as q dashing and almost invincible
commander; had met and thwarted the advance
Of the enemy upon Gettysburg, holding Lees
armies in doubt and abeyance until Meade's
infantry came up to fight the decisive battle Of
the war, and had never been found wanting
when duty and patriotism required his pres
ence either in camp or in the field. He won his
spurs Is far back as the battle of Resaca de Ia
Palma in the war with Mexico, when as lieu
tenant and adjutant of Col Nays battalion he
earned well-deserved special mention in the
official reports of that most remarkable engage
%ent. Gen. Zachary Taylor. afterward
fond Of him, and in recognition of
his gallant services recommended him
for brevets and promotion. All these things,
and more beside, connected with his services to
the government in civil capacity a. commits
sioner of internal revenue and IS subtreasurer
Of the United States treasury crowded upon his
mind and for the time being he thought thatin his
declining years his services entitled him to some
substantial recognition and especially to
restoration to the army and retirement with
rank Of o general officer. His friends were
numerous, both in the Senate and House, and
especially among the southerners who had be-
longed to 1.-The old army" before the war. In
fact, It Was due In part mainly to the efforts
VI t06 AttoE tx18b 10 VIZ uuakly I00tOkeQ 70 tQo
army and then retired with the rank of major
of cavalry, disappointment to him. No wonder,
then, as years elapsed he became soured toward
all the world, almost, and eccentric both in
thought and manner, even to the extent of
certain negligence in the style of his dress, and
bordering on recklessness a. to the system of
his daily life. Thus he became . herfnit-or
more properly speaking recluse-in the places
and among the people that once knew him only
to do him honor and to award to him ex-
ceptional recognition - Q man exalted by his
own genius far above the ordinary citizen.
This appreciation follows the great soldier to-
day even to the solitude OF his voluntary retire
nenk
A NATIVE OF THE DISTRICT.
Gen. Pleasanton was born In the District Of
Columbia. Entering the United States Mill
tary Academy Ut West Point - cadet on Sep
tember l, 1870, nearly ffty-two years ego, he
was graduated from that institution July /,
1874, and attached to the first regiment Of
dragons with rank Of brevet second lieutenant.
subsequently, on November s, ls45, he was APP
pointed second lieutenant Of the second
dragons, with the history Of which famous
regiment he has ever since been identified He
received the brevet Of first lieutenant, United
States army, to date from Msy ., 16le, 'for
gallant conduct In the battles Of Palo Alto and
hesacs d Il PAlmA," and became Arst ksu-
tenant Of his rsgimaut, the second DRAGONS,
- a~n1>~ " ~