George Stoneman

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George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and the 15th Governor of California, serving from 1883 to 1887.

Early life
Stoneman was born on a farm in Busti, New York, the eldest of ten children. He studied at Jamestown Academy and entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1846. His roommate at West Point was Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson). He began as a lieutenant in the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican–American War era, then did survey work mapping railroad routes in the Sierra Nevada before moving on to Texas assignments.

Civil War service
When the Civil War began, Stoneman commanded Fort Brown in Texas and refused to surrender to Confederate forces. He returned east, became chief of cavalry under George McClellan, and was promoted to brigadier general in 1861. He led cavalry operations for the Army of the Potomac and later headed the Cavalry Corps. He fought at Fredericksburg and helped reorganize the cavalry into a single corps.

Stoneman’s raids
One of the most famous parts of his career was “Stoneman’s raids” into Confederate territory. During the Chancellorsville campaign, his raid into Lee’s rear areas aimed to disrupt rail lines and supplies but ended up disappointing, and Union commander Hooker blamed Stoneman for part of the defeat. He later led cavalry in the Atlanta campaign and conducted raids in Virginia and the Carolinas, including campaigns that reached Hillsville, Asheville, and Christiansburg. He was captured during a raid near Macon, Georgia, and was the highest-ranking Union officer to become a prisoner of war, though he was exchanged after a few months.

Postwar service and controversy
After the war, Stoneman continued to hold command roles in the Western theater and the South. He oversaw the Department of Tennessee from Memphis and was involved in the Memphis riots of 1866, which drew congressional scrutiny; he was later exonerated. He then administered military government duties in Petersburg and led the First Military District. His later Western assignments included the District of Arizona and the Department of Arizona, where his handling of Native American affairs caused controversy, including the Camp Grant massacre. He received a disability retirement in 1871, but President Grant briefly revoked it, forcing a late retirement as a colonel. He remained a prominent member of veterans organizations.

California life and governorship
Stoneman moved to California, settling in the San Gabriel Valley on a large estate known as Los Robles. He was appointed to the California Transportation Commission and later served on the California Railroad Commission, where he was notable for opposing railroad power. In 1882, as a Democrat, he was elected governor of California and served a four-year term. He pushed for railroad rate controls and reform, and he supported parole as a path to rehabilitation, granting many pardons near the end of his term. He did not seek another term and retired from public life.

Legacy
Stoneman’s name lives on in numerous places and institutions. In California, Stoneman Avenue in Alhambra, Camp Stoneman near Pittsburg, and the Los Robles estate (Governor Stoneman Adobe) are associated with his legacy. Stoneman Elementary School in San Marino and other sites memorialize him. His military raids and career also inspired cultural references, including a nod in The Band’s song “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” He died in Buffalo, New York, at age 72 and was buried in Lakewood, New York.