Tintype

Born about 1828 in Illinois or Missouri, Pleasant Fountain enlisted as a Private in the Union Army at Fort Scott, Kansas on January 7, 1862. He was mustered into Company H of the 6th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment on March 3, 1862, with the rank of Sergeant, and was promoted to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant a year later. Sergeant Fountain was seriously wounded in a skirmish with rebel guerrillas in Jasper County, Missouri, in late March 1863.

Transported to the US Army General Hospital at Fort Scott, he was soon discharged from the hospital and passed away at his home in Cherokee County, Kansas on April 6, 1863.

Pleasant Fountain was laid to rest in the Fort Scott National Cemetery. Descendants have graciously donated several of his Civil War-era personal effects to Fort Scott National Historic Site in order to honor his sacrifice and share his memory with future generations. These items are seen in this tintype and include his sabre, scabbard, sword belt, and belt buckle.