- Date:
- 1862
- Original Format:
- Photographic Print
- Item#:
- MES19869
Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884)
Allan Pinkerton was a detective and General George McClellan's Secret Service chief during the Civil War. He emigrated from Scotland to Illinois, where he was named Chicago's first detective in 1850. Pinkerton opened his own detective agency, working primarily with escaped slaves. In April 1861 he was called to Washington, DC, to establish the federal Secret Service. Pinkerton left with McClellan in 1862 but continued to investigate claims. Pinkerton wrote books on his life as a detective. This photograph was taken in the field during the Civil War. Pinkerton is seated on the right.