CDV of Gen. Alfred Duffie in Outdoor Scene in Front of American Flag

CDV of Gen. Alfred Duffie in Outdoor Scene in Front of American Flag.
 
Alfred Napoléon Duffié (May 1, 1833 – November 8, 1880) was a French-American soldier and diplomat, known for his service in both the Crimean War and the American Civil War. Born in Paris, France, he joined the French Imperial Army at a young age, serving in the 6th Dragoons Regiment and fighting in major campaigns such as the Crimean War. Duffié earned prestigious honors, including the French Legion of Honor and the Ottoman Order of the Medjidie, for his valor. In 1859, after fleeing France to escape desertion charges, he settled in the United States and later married Mary Ann Pelton. When the Civil War broke out, he joined the Union Army, rising through the ranks to become a brigadier general. During the American Civil War, Alfred Duffié's cavalry unit had several run-ins with the infamous Confederate partisan ranger John S. Mosby, known as the "Gray Ghost." One of the most notable encounters occurred in the spring of 1863, when Duffié's forces were ambushed by Mosby’s men in northern Virginia. Mosby, with his highly mobile and elusive tactics, struck unexpectedly, outmaneuvering Duffié’s cavalry. The result was a significant blow to Duffié’s command. Despite his earlier reputation for aggressive leadership, Duffié’s forces were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses. The incident is often cited as one of Mosby’s greatest successes in disrupting Union operations, highlighting Duffié’s struggles against Mosby’s unconventional guerrilla warfare tactics. After the war, he served as the U.S. consul to Cádiz, Spain, until his death from tuberculosis in 1880.