Biography
Although best known for his service in the Union cavalry during the Civil War, Major General George Stoneman extended his career into civil and political spheres after the war. Near the end of the conflict, he married Mary Oliver Hardisty of Baltimore, Maryland, with whom he eventually had four children: George J., Adele, Katherine, and Cornelius. After poor health forced him to resign as commander of the Department of Arizona in 1871, Stoneman relocated with his family to the "Los Robles" estate in the greater Los Angeles area. His political career in California began with his appointment as Railroad Commissioner in 1879, and culminated in his tenure as the state’s Democratic governor from 1883 to 1887. Domestic, health, and financial troubles vexed Stoneman by the end of this governorship, apparently compelling him to seek respite in his native New York circa 1892. While staying with his sister, Charlotte S. Williams, wife of New York Senator Benjamin H. Williams, his health continued to worsen, precluding his return to California. He suffered a stroke in April 1894 from which he was unable to recover. Stoneman died in Buffalo, NY on September 5, 1894 and was interred at Bentley Cemetery in Lakewood, NY. His brother, John T. Stoneman, assumed the role of administrator of the ex-general’s estate from the time of Stoneman’s death to 1897.
From the guide to the Stoneman Family Papers, 1891-1920, (The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens Manuscripts Department)
