- Joined
- Apr 1, 1999
- Location
- Martinsburg, WV
Allan Pinkerton was a cooper, abolitionist, and founder of the North-Western Police Agency, predecessor of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.
His agency protected President-elect Abraham Lincoln during his journey from Springfield to Washington in February 1861, and when war erupted, Pinkerton was appointed chief of intelligence for Union army commander George McClellan. In the early months of the Civil War, McClellan's cautious nature was often reinforced by Pinkerton's inflated estimates of Confederate troop strength.
His agency protected President-elect Abraham Lincoln during his journey from Springfield to Washington in February 1861, and when war erupted, Pinkerton was appointed chief of intelligence for Union army commander George McClellan. In the early months of the Civil War, McClellan's cautious nature was often reinforced by Pinkerton's inflated estimates of Confederate troop strength.