I agree with the balanced stack approach - I don't really consider my general a "unit" though. In an emergency sure but they seem extremely fragile. I had a general die during the rout pursuit of the enemy and I don't think he was very near any hostile soldiers at all (I assume he failed to vault a fence or something and broke his neck! Not Heroic at all really!).

I have my general, 3 batteries, 4 cavalry bn, 12 infantry bn in a typical stack.