Arthur Perry (Napoleon's World)

Arthur Bedford Perry (October 23, 1838 - June 11, 1899) was an American general and military leader, well known for his role as the leader of the Army of the Dakotas during the Alaskan War. Perry's legacy as a general is often tarnished by the various defeats suffered by his armies, in particular his disastrous retreat south in the cold Alaskan winter in 1885 and his ignominious sacking by President Blaine the following spring.

Perry often attributed many of his failures to the hype circling around him thanks to exaggerated newspaper coverage and unrealistic expectations for American successes in a hostile territory fighting against a surprisingly resilient and capable force. Perry's personal diary was later published as his definitive account of fighting in the Missouri theater and is one of the most-read primary sources for the era, shedding enormous light on the nature of the war and the problems facing the American forces.