GAR Commander in Chief – Civil War

Hon. Alfred Edwin Stacey is a native of Elbridge, where he now resides. He was born January 20, 1846, and through all his life has been a citizen of this town.
Not only has he been a citizen in the ordinary sense of the word, he has been active, energetic, straightforward, and always identified with the town's best interests.
He was one of a family of seven children, all of whom were reared in Elbridge, and all remained in the county except James, who went in 1867 to Missouri.
As a school boy Alfred E. was educated in the Munro Collegiate Institute, under the instruction of Prof. T. K. Wright, one of the foremost educators of the country.
Upon quitting school at sixteen years of age he accepted a clerkship with A. Wood & Sons, general merchants in Elbridge. After a servnce of two years in that capacity
he resigned and enlisted as a soldier in the 9th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, serving till the close of the war. He was the youngest member of his company, and in point of size probably the smallest, as he then weighed only 106 pounds. Three of his brothers were also his comrades in the Civil war, Anthony in the 19th N.Y. Infantry, afterwards changed to the 3d Light Artillery; after serving his term of enlistment and being honorably discharged, he re-enlisted in Battery L, 9th Heavy Artillery, with George, a member of Battery L, 9th N. Y. Heavy Art., and James in the 15th
N. Y. Engineers. Alfred, Anthony, and George were with Sheridan at Cedar Creek and afterwards with General Grant at Petersburg and Appomatox. As a result of this service at Cedar Creek Mr. Stacey received two gunshot wounds.
After his discharge from the army in 1865 he returned to Elbridge and again entered the Munro Collegiate Institute, and afterwards engaged as clerk till 1869.
At that time he formed a copartnership with Mrs. B. A. Wood and they purchased the stock and interest of A. Wood & Sons and entered into business under the firm name of A. E. Stacey & Co., this firm conducting the business until 1872. Mr. Stacey then carried it on till 1884. In the meanwhile (in 1881) Mr. Stacey bought the Rowe chair factory at Elbridge and carried on the manufacture of that line of goods. In 1884 he bought and consolidated with this the Sweet chair factory. So successful had he been in this industry that the old quarters became inadequate, therefore in 1888 he built the large and commodious structure which he now occupies for his factory and woodworking business. Besides this he bought in 1886 the large flouring mill and water power of Mrs. James Munro, and has now one of the most modern and best equipped mills in this section of the State. Energy and good business ability have won for Mr. Stacey success in a large degree.
He was a son of Richard and Agnes (Pierce) Stacey, who came from Somersetshire, England, and settled in Elbridge in 1834. They were industrious and respected members of the community in which they lived many years, contributing to its thrift and progress, as well as to its social and religious advancement. Mr. Stacey died in 1863, his wife surviving till 1875.
While Alfred E. Stacey has been active and successful in building up and conducting his business affairs he has also given much valuable time and service in the interest
of public affairs. Every plan that has been on foot for the betterment of the town and county has found him in hearty sympathy with its advancement. As a result of
his energy and regard for the best interests of Elbridge, Mr. Stacey has built up the industries of the village, not only by increasing those of his own, but by inducing other manufactories to locate at that place.
In politics Mr. Stacey has always been an earnest, active Republican, always zealous in its interest and ever faithful to the trusts that the party has impo.sed in
him. He has been honored at home by having been chosen as president of the village, as well as its clerk for several terms. He has also been its postmaster and was instrumental during his term of introducing the money order system, and increasing its mail service, thereby more than doubling the receipts of the office. Few State or
county conventions have been held in recent years that he was not chosen to represent his town as delegate therein. In 1886 he was elected to represent the Second Onondaga District in the Assembly, and was re-elected in 1887 by a majority of nearly 600 over Hon. W. B. Kirk, after one of the hardest contests on the part of his opponent that was ever waged in the district.
During his service as member he was successful in securing the passage of the law which removed the necessity of indigent soldiers or sailors of the Civil war applying to the poormaster for aid or being confined in the poorhouses of the State. This equitable and just law is still in force in New York State.
Mr. Stacey was in the Assembly at the time Frank Hiscock was elected United States senator, and, like Grant's famous "800," he was one of the eleven who stood firm and
unwavering till it resulted in his candidate's election. He served on the Committee on Railroads, and was also chairman of the Committee on Charitable knd Religious
Societies.
The Anthony Stacey Post, G. A. R., named in honor of his brother, was organized through Mr. Stacey's efforts, and it was through his influence it was located in Elbridge.
Mr. Stacey has taken a deep interest in this organization, arid has attended all its conventions. He is also a prominent member cf the Odd Fellows, in which lodge he has occupied all the chairs; has been its Noble Grand, and elected to represent the lodge in the State conventions.
Mr. Stacey's first wife was Ellen, daughter of David Gorham, by whom he had three children, Mabel C, Maud E., and one son, who died in infancy. Mrs. Stacey died in 1881.
In 1883 Mr. Stacey married for his second wife Jessie, daughter of S. B. Rowe, of Camillus. They have one son, Alfred Edwin.