The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-03-30
PIOCHE NEVADA THURSDAY, MARCH 80. 1898.
A SOLDIER HERMIT.

General Pleasonton's Life of Utter seciur
sion In q Washington Hotel.
"Alone in great city; practically
hermit amid the throngs of the nations
capital; living life of comfort and con-
tentment, but life of seclusion and ex-
elusive retirement
Such was tho answer given in reply to
an inquiry few days ago regarding the
welfare and whereabouts of Major Gem
eral Alfred Pleasonton, whose name and
fame a few years ago were on the lips
of nine e-tenths of the American people,
and the records of whose exploits as one
of the greatest cavalry leaders OF our
late war would fill volumes OF graphic
history.
Apparently 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 un-
known domain of our great western ter
| ritory-an Indian fighter OF great re.
| nown, traveller whose face and figure
were at one time well known in every
court of all the great powers of the Old
World, o scholar, bon vivant, wit and
most companionable of all the agreeable
public men of his day-voluntarily be-
took himself to his private apartment III
a snug little hotel in the very heart OF
Washington on May Is, 1890, and has
not since been seen or talked with by,
all told, more than dozen OF his Fellow
beings. And, with two or three excep-
tions, those who have seen or talked
with him since that date have been oil
those necessary to him in administering
| to his personal wants.
: There was bill pending in congress
to retire him as brigadier general. HI
a felt that so much as that recognition
, was his due at the hands Of the country
' he had served SO faithfully. He hat
i been q major general in command OF tn
( cavalry corps of the Army OF the Poto
@ mac; he had fought the first real cavalr.
fight of the war at Brandy Station, Jun
Il 10. 1858, and then and there proved hi
v superior abilities as dashing and a.
Il most inyincible commander; had me
n and thwarted the advance Of the enem
/ upon Gettysburg, holding Lees armie
v in doubt and allegiance until Meades IL
% fantry came up to fight the decisive ba
,e tie Of the war, and had never been foun
,s wanting when duty and patriotism r.
q. ouired his presence either in camp or
N the field.
G. The canvasback, the terrapin and
i. the dishes he relished so highly in da.
r of yore have been abandoned, but he hi
,e everything his appetite may crave, al
d. with good digestion waiting upon it
ol eats to live and contentedly remar
e. that he no longer lives to eat. In 9th
l matters his habits are regular. for. IL
he clockwork, he gets all the daily papel
on keeping well posted regarding the alta
en- of the world of which he is part a
,e. parcel, but which he holds away off
arms length. and with which he as
ho ciates as little as possible.
id No one of the few who see him g,
IN thinks of asking him reason for Il
ne most marvellous change in his mann
ng of living, for they know it would
a useless. In fact he has resented seve
tht INQUIRIES of that kind in such a mann
as as to show that they are extremely
tasteful to him. General Rosecri
Id wrote to him about a year and h
his ago asking about his health and otl
st. questions that any old time friend wo1
be apt to ask, but he did not answer
letter for months.-W Washington Star