Augustus James Pleasonton, often called A. J. Pleasonton (January 21, 1808 – July 26, 1894), was a militia general during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. He wrote the book ''The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight and of the Blue Color of the Sky'', which was published in 1876. His book is often attributed to being the birth of the contemporary pseudoscientific practice of
chromotherapy
Chromotherapy, sometimes called color therapy, colorology or cromatherapy, is an alternative medicine method that is considered pseudoscience and quackery. Chromotherapists claim to be able to use light in the form of color to balance "energy" l ...
. He was the son of
Stephen Pleasonton and elder brother of Civil War General
Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton (June 7, 1824 – February 17, 1897) was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gett ...
.
Biography
Personal life
Augustus Pleasonton was born in Washington D.C. in 1808. He was the second son of
Stephen Pleasonton (originally from
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
) and Mary Hopkins (from
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...
). Stephen Pleasonton served in the
US State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
from 1800 until his death in 1854. Stephen Pleasonton served as the fifth auditor of the
Treasury Department, acting Commissioner of the Revenue of the United States, and Chief of the Light House Department. Stephen Pleasonton fought in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, earning him fame and honor as a commander for the United States. Stephen Pleasonton's wife (Augustus Pleasonton's mother), was the third daughter of John Hopkins, a wealthy farmer and then-Senator of the state of Pennsylvania. Stephen Pleasonton is of
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
-descent and his wife, Mary Hopkins, is of English descent.
Augustus Pleasonton would go on to serve in the military, directly influenced by his father's public and civil service, as would Augustus's younger brother,
Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton (June 7, 1824 – February 17, 1897) was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gett ...
who commanded the
Cavalry Corps in the Civil War.
Pleasonton married Caroline Dugan. Six of their children survived infancy: Anna Josephine, Antoinette, Augustus, Alfred, Francis S., and Edward Rodney. Caroline died on November 25, 1855. In 1864, Pleasonton married Elizabeth Hoge.
Military service
Pleasonton attended the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
, and graduated in 1826. His first posting was at the Artillery School of Practice at
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. From 1827 he served on topographical duty, resigning in June 1830.
In 1833, he became a
brigade major
A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section direct ...
in the
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
volunteer militia. In 1835 he was elected as
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
of the Regiment of Artillery, First Brigade, and served as assistant adjutant general and paymaster general of the state of Pennsylvania. He became president of the
Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad
The Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy & Lancaster Rail-Road (HPMtJ&L) was an early American railroad built to connect three main population centers in east-central Pennsylvania.
History
In 1834, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania chartered the Port ...
in 1839. In July 1844, while engaging armed rioters in
Southwark, Pennsylvania
Southwark was originally the Southwark District, a colonial-era municipality in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Today, it is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because of its location south of the ...
, he was wounded by a musket ball to the left groin. He continued serving in the militia until 1845.
Civil War
During the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Augustus was appointed to the rank of
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
of the Pennsylvania
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
in May 1861. He commanded a 10,000-strong detachment of home guard infantry, cavalry, and artillery for the defense of the city of Philadelphia.
His younger brother
Alfred
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
served as a general for the Federal
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
''The Influence of the Blue Ray of the Sunlight''
In his later years, Gen. Pleasonton came to a theory that the blue
wavelengths
In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.
It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, tro ...
from the sun are inherently unique and that the blue rays from the sun are especially influential in the growth of plant and animal life. He also postulated that blue light was especially significant in the health of humans and helped eradicate disease. This theory is
pseudoscientific
Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable claim ...
and was never adopted by mainstream scientists, even in his time, but it is often credited as being the birth of modern
chromotherapy
Chromotherapy, sometimes called color therapy, colorology or cromatherapy, is an alternative medicine method that is considered pseudoscience and quackery. Chromotherapists claim to be able to use light in the form of color to balance "energy" l ...
. Chromotherapy, also called color therapy, is an
alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...
therapy method which states that certain colors can influence the health of a person.
His basis for his theory was that plants flourished in the spring time and not in the winter, when the sky was less blue. Between the years 1861 and 1876, he tested this theory by establishing greenhouses to grow grapes and ran experiments on plants and animals. His grape experiment consisted of growing grapes in a greenhouse-like building (which was illustrated in the back of his book) where he alternated direct sunlight with filtered blue light. He claimed that this method greatly increased his production of grapes.
He published his theory and experiments in his book, entitled ''The Influence Of The Blue Ray Of The Sunlight And Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky'' and the subtitle: ''In developing animal and vegetable life; in arresting disease, and in restoring health in acute and chronic disorders to human and domestic animals''. It is an expansion, including experiments done between 1873 and 1876, of an earlier 24 page monograph ''On the Influence of the Blue Color of the Sky in developing Animal and Vegetable Life'' (1871)
Influence
Blue-glass craze
Pleasonton's theory led to what was called the "Blue-glass Craze", whereby people began growing crops under blue light. Soon, blue panes of glass were being sold as a way to increase crop production. The term "blue-grass craze" was also used later.
Chromotherapy
After Pleasonton's findings, scientist
Dr. S. Pancoast studied the blue-light phenomenon and described his findings in his book ''Blue and Red Light; or, Light and Its Rays as Medicine'' which was published in 1877.
Edwin Dwight Babbitt
Chromotherapy, sometimes called color therapy, colorology or cromatherapy, is an alternative medicine method that is considered pseudoscience and quackery. Chromotherapists claim to be able to use light in the form of color to balance "energy" l ...
was also influenced by this concept and published a book about chromotherapy in 1878, entitled ''The Principles of Light and Color''.
Pop culture
*Alternative-rock band
OK Go
OK Go is an American rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band is composed of Damian Kulash (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and vocals), Dan Konopka (drums and percussion), and ...
's concept album, ''
Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
''Of the Blue Colour of the Sky'' is the third studio album by American rock band OK Go. It was released on January 12, 2010 on Capitol Records in the USA and EMI in the UK, and re-released on the band's independent label Paracadute Records on ...
'', is influenced by Pleasonton's book.
References
External links
''Influence Of The Blue Ray Of The Sunlight And Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky'' by AJ PleasontonObituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pleasonton, Augustus
1801 births
1894 deaths
American militia generals