USA > Iowa > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Iowa. Containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. Together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of Iowa, and of the presidents of the United States > Part 118
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122
The military history of Gen. Garfield closed with
his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won the stars of the Major-General.
Without an effort on his part Ger Garfield was elected to Congress in the fall of 1862 from the Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of Ohio had been represented in Congress for sixty years mainly by two men-Elisha Whittlesey and Joshua R. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he resigned his place in the army. At the time he en- tered Congress he was the youngest member in that body. There he remained by successive re- elections until he was elected President in 1880. Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says : "Since the year 1864 you cannot think of a question which has been debated in Congress, or discussed before a tribunel of the American people, in regard to which you will not find, if you wish instruction, the argu- ment on one side stated, in almost every instance better than by anybody else, in some speech made in the House of Representatives or on the hustings by Mr. Garfield."
Upon Jan. 14, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elected to the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of tlie same year, was nominated as the candidate of his party for President at the great Chicago Convention. He was elected in the following November, and on March 4, 1881, was inaugurated. Probably no ad- ministration ever opened its existence under brighter auspices than that of President Garfield, and every day it grew in favor with the people, and by the first of July he had completed all the initiatory and pre- liminary work of his administration and was prepar- ing to leave the city to meet his friends at Williams College. While on his way and at the depot, in com- pany with Secretary Blaine, a man stepped behind him, drew a revolver, and fired directly at his back. The President tottered and fell, and as he did so the assassin fired a second shot, the bullet cutting the left coat sleeve of his victim, but inflicting no further injury. It has been very truthfully said that this was " the shot that was heard round the world " Never before in the history of the Nation had anything oc- curred which so nearly froze the blood of the people for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smit- ten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his life, and was at the summit of his power and hope. For eighty days, all during the hot months of July and August, he lingered and suffered. He, however, remained master of himself till the last, and by his magnificent bearing was teaching the country and the world the noblest of human lessons-how to live grandly in the very clutch of death. Great in life, he was surpass- ingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept. 19, 1883, at Elberon, N. J., on the very bank of the ocean, where he had been taken shortly previous: The world wept at his death, as it never had done on the death of any other man who had ever lived upon it. The murderer was duly tried, found guilty and exe- cuted, in one year after he committed the foul deed.
.
ยท
TWENTY-FIRST PRESIDENT.
99
CHESTER A.
ARTHUR,
000
HESTER A. ARTHUR, twenty-first President of the United States, was born in Franklin Cour ty, Vermont, on the fifthof October, 1830, and is the oldest of a family of two sons and five daughters. His father was the Rev. Dr. William Arthur, a Baptist cergyman, who emigrated to this country from the county Antrim, Ireland, in his 18th year, and died in 1875, in Newtonville, near Albany, after a long and successful ministry.
Young Arthur was educated at Union College, Schenectady, where he excelled in all his studies. Af- ter his graduation he taught school in Vermont for two years, and at the expiration of that time came to New York, with $500 in his pocket, and entered the office of ex-Judge E. D. Culver as student. After being admitted to the bar he formed a partnership with his intimate friend and room-mate, Henry D. Gardiner, with the intention of practicing in the West, and for three months they roamed about in the Western States in search of an eligible site, but in the end returned to New York, where they hung out their shingle, and entered upon a success- ful career almost from the start. General Arthur soon afterward married the daughter of Lieutenant
Herndon, of the United States Navy, who was lost at sea. Congress voted a gold medal to his widow in recognition of the bravery he displayed on that occa- sion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. Arthur's nomination to the Vice Presidency, leaving two children.
Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celebrity in his first great case, the famous Lemmon suit, brought to recover possession of eight slaves who had been declared free by Judge Paine, of the Superior Court of New York City. It was in 1852 that Jon, athan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to New York with his slaves, intending to ship them to Texas, when they were discovered and freed. The Judge decided that they could not be held by the owner under the Fugitive Slave Law. A howl of rage went up from the South, and the Virginia Legislature authorized the Attorney General of that State to assist in an appeal. Wm. M. Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed to represent the People, and they won their case, which then went to the Supreme Court of the United States. Charles O'Conor here espoused the cause of the slave-holders, but he too was beaten by Messrs Evarts and Arthur, and a long step was taken toward the emancipation of the black race.
Another great service was rendered by General Arthur in the same cause in 1856. Lizzie Jennings, a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth Avenue car with violence after she had paid her fare. General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a verdict of $500 damages. The next day the compa- ny issued an order to admit colored persons to ride i on their cars, and the other car companies quickly
CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
followed their example. Before that the Sixth Ave- nue Company ran a few special cars for colored per- sons and the other lines refused to let them ride at all.
General Arthur was a delegate to the Convention at Saratoga that founded the Republican party. Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of the Second Brigade of the State of New York, and Gov- ernor Morgan, of that State, appointed him Engineer- in-Chief of his staff. In 1861, he was made Inspec- tor General, and soon afterward became Quartermas- ter-General. In each of these offices he rendered great service to the Government during the war. At the end of Governor Morgan's term he resumed the practice of the law, forming a partnership with Mr. Ransom, and then Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney of New York, was added to the firm. The legal prac- tice of this well-known firm was very large and lucra- tive, each of the gentlemen composing it were able lawyers, and possessed a splendid local reputation, if not indeed one of national extent.
He always took a leading part in State and city politics. He was appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President Grant, Nov. 21, 1872, to suc- ceed Thomas Murphy, and held the office until July, 20, 1878, when he was succeeded by Collector Merritt.
Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the famous National Republican Convention held at Chicago in June, 1880. This was perhaps the greatest political convention that ever assembled on the continent. It was composed of the leading politicians of the Re- publican party, all able men, and each stood firm and fought vigorously and with signal tenacity for their respective candidates that were before the conven- tion for the nomination. Finally Gen. Garfield re- ceived the nomination for President and Gen. Arthur for Vice-President. The campaign which followed was one of the most animated known in the history of our country. Gen. Hancock, the standard-bearer of the Democratic party, was a popular man, and his party made a valiant fight for his election.
Finally the election came and the country's choice was Garfield and Arthur. They were inaugurated March 4, 1881, as President and Vice-President. A few months only had passed ere the newly chosen President was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then came terrible weeks of suffering,-those moments of anxious suspense, wher the hearts of all civilized na-
tions were throbbing in unison, longing for the re covery of the noble, the good President. The remark- able patience that he manifested during those hours and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suf- fering man has often been called upon to endure, was seemingly more than human. It was certainly God- like. During all this period of deepest anxiety Mr. Arthur's every move was watched, and be it said to his credit that his every action displayed only an earnest desire that the suffering Garfield might recover, to serve the remainder of the term he had so auspi- ciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested in deed or look of this man, even though the most honored position in the world was at any moment likely to fall to him.
At last God in his mercy relieved President Gar- field from further suffering, and the world, as never before in its history over the death of any other man, wept at his bier. Then it became the duty of the Vice President to assume the responsibilities of the high office, and he took the oath in New York, Sept. 20, 1881. The position was an embarrassing one to him, made doubly so from the facts that all eyes were on him, anxious to know what he would do, what policy he would pursue, and who he would se- lect as advisers. The duties of the office had been greatly neglected during the President's long illness, and many important measures were to be immediately decided by him; and still farther to embarrass him he did not fail to realize under what circumstances he became President, and knew the feelings of many on this point. Under these trying circumstances President Arthur took the reins of the Government in his own hands; and, as embarrassing as were the condition of affairs, he happily surprised the nation, acting oc wisely that but few criticised his administration. He served the nation well and faithfully, until the close of his administration, March 4, 1885, and was a popular candidate betore his party for a second term. His name was ably presented before the con- vention at Chicago, and was received with great favor, and doubtless but for the personal popularity of one of the opposing candidates, he would have been selected as the standard-bearer of his party for another campaign. He retired to private life car- rying with him the best wishes of the American peo- ple, whom he had served in a manner satisfactory to them and with credit to himself.
...
TWENTY-SECOND PRESIDENT.
103
S. Grover Cleveland.
TEPHEN GROVER CLEVE- LAND, the twenty-second Pres- ident of the United States, was born in 1837, in the obscure town of Caldwell, Essex Co., N. J., and in a little two-and-a- half-story white house which is still standing, characteristically to mark the humble birth-place of one of America's great nien in striking con- trast with the Old World, where all men high in office must be high in origin and born in the cradle of wealth. When the subject of this sketch was three years of age, his father, who was a Presbyterian min- ister, with a large family and a small salary, moved, by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to Fayetteville, in search of an increased income and a larger field of work. Fayetteville was then the most straggling of country villages, about five miles from Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour was born.
At the last mentioned place young Grover com- menced going to school in the " good, old-fashioned way," and presumably distinguished himself after the manner of all village boys, in doing the things he ought not to do. Such is the distinguishing trait of all geniuses and independent thinkers. When he arrived at the age of 14 years, he had outgrown the capacity of the village school and expressed a most
emphatic desire to be sent to an academy. To this his father decidedly objected. Academies in those days cost money; besides, his father wanted him to become self-supporting by the quickest possible means, and this at that time in Fayetteville seemed to be a position in a country store, where his father and the large family on his hands had considerable influence. Grover was to be paid $50 for his services the first year, and if he proved trustworthy he was to receive $roo the second year. Here the lad com- menced his career as salesman, and in two years he had earned so good a reputation for trustworthiness that his employers desired to retain him for an in- definite length of time. Otherwise he did not ex- hibit as yet any particular " flashes of genius " or eccentricities of talent. He was simply a good boy.
But instead of remaining with this firm in Fayette- ville, he went with the family in their removal to Clinton, where he had an opportunity of attending a high school. Here he industriously pursued his studies until the family removed with him to a point on Black River known as the "Holland Patent," a village of 500 or 600 people, 15 miles north of Utica, N. Y. At this place his father died, after preaching but three Sundays. This event broke up the family, and Grover set out for New York City to accept, at a small salary, the position of "under-teacher " in an asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully for two years, and although he obtained a good reputation in this capacity, he concluded that teaching was not his
S. GROVER CLEVELAND.
calling for life, and, reversing the traditional order, he left the city to seek his fortune, instead of going to a city. He first thought of Cleveland, Ohio, as there was some charm in that name for him; but before proceeding to that place he went to Buffalo to ask the advice of his uncle, Lewis F. Allan, a noted stock-breeder of that place. The latter did not speak enthusiastically. "What is it you want to do, my boy? " he asked. "Well, sir, I want to study law," was the reply. "Good gracious!" remarked she old gentleman; "do you, indeed ? What ever put that into your head? How much money have you got?" " Well, sir, to tell the truth, I haven't got any."
After a long consultation, his uncle offered him a place temporarily as assistant herd-keeper, at $50 a year, while he could "look around." One day soon afterward he boldly walked into the office of Rogers, Bowen & Rogers, of Buffalo, and told them what he wanted. A number of young men were already en- gaged in the office, but Grover's persistency won, and ne was finally permitted to come as an office boy and have the use of the law library, for the nominal sum of $3 or $4 a week. Out of this he had to pay for his board and washing. The walk to and from his uncle's was a long and rugged one; and, although the first winter was a memorably severe one, his shoes were out of repair and his overcoat-he had none-yet he was nevertheless prompt and regular. On the first day of his service here, his senior em- ployer threw down a copy of Blackstone before him with a bang that made the dust fly, saying "That's where they all begin." A titter ran around the little circle of clerks and students, as they thought that was enough to scare young Grover out of his plans ; but in due time he mastered that cumbersome volume. Then, as ever afterward, however, Mr. Cleveland exhibited a talent for executiveness rather than for chasing principles through all their metaphysical possibilities. " Let us quit talking and go and do it," was practically his motto.
The first public office to which Mr. Cleveland was elected was that of Sheriff of Erie Co., N. Y., in which Buffalo is situated; and in such capacity it fell to his duty to inflict capital punishment upon two criminals. In 1881 he was elected Mayor of the City of Buffalo, on the Democratic ticket, with es- pecial reference to the bringing about certain reforms
in the administration of the municipal affairs of that city. In this office, as well as that of Sheriff, his performance of duty has generally been considered fair, with possibly a few exceptions which were fer- reted out and magnified during the last Presidential campaign. As a specimen of his plain language in a veto message, we quote from one vetoing an iniqui- tous street-cleaning contract : "This is a time for plain speech, and my objection to your action shall be plainly stated. I regard it as the culmination of a mos: bare-faced, impudent and shaineless scheme to betray the interests of the people and to worse than squander the people's money." The New York Sun afterward very highly commended Mr. Cleve- land's administration as Mayor of Buffalo, and there- upon recommended him for Governor of the Empire State. To the latter office he was elected in 1882, . and his administration of the affairs of State was generally satisfactory. The mistakes he made, if any, were made very public throughout the nation after he was nominated for President of the United States. For this high office he was nominated July II, 1884, by the National Democratic Convention at Chicago, when other competitors were Thomas F. Bayard, Roswell P. Flower, Thomas A. Hendricks, Benjamin F. Butler, Allen G. Thurman, etc .; and he was elected by the people, by a majority of about a thousand, over the brilliant and long-tried Repub- lican statesman, James G. Blaine. President Cleve- land resigned his office as Governor of New York in January, 1885, in order to prepare for his duties as the Chief Executive of the United States, in which capacity his term commenced at noon on the 4th of March, 1885. For his Cabinet officers he selected the following gentlemen: For Secretary of State, Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware; Secretary of the Treasury, Daniel Manning, of New York; Secretary of War, William C. Endicott, of Massachusetts ; Secretary of the Navy, William C. Whitney, of New York; Secretary of the Interior, L. Q. C. Lamar, of Mississippi; Postmaster-General, William F. Vilas, of Wisconsin; Attorney-General, A. H. Garland, of Arkansas.
The silver question precipitated a controversy be- tween those who were in favor of the continuance of silver coinage and those who were opposed, Mr. Cleveland answering for the latter, even before his inauguration.
Beyy Aannicou
107
L
TWENTY-THIRD PRESIDENT.
Benjamin
Garrison.
ENJAMIN HARRISON, the twenty-third President, is the deseendant of one of the historical families of this country. The head of the family was a Major General Harrison, one of Oliver Cromwell's trusted follow- ers and fighters. In the zenith of Crom- well's power it became the duty of this Harrison to participate in the trial of Charles I, and afterward to sign the death warrant of the king. He subse- quently paid for this with his life, being hung Oet. 13, 1660. His descendants came to America, and the next of the family that appears in history is Benja- min Harrison, of Virginia, great-grand- father of the subject of this sketch, and
after whom he was named. Benjamin Harrison was a member of the Continental Congress during the years 1774-5-6, and was one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was three times eleeted Governor of Virginia.
Gen William Henry Harrison, the son of the
distinguished patriot of the Revolution, after a suo. eessful eareer as a soldier during the War of 1812, and with .a clean record as Governor of the North- western Territory, was elected President of the United States in 1840. His career was eut short by death within one month after his inauguration.
President Harrison was born at North Bend, Hamilton Co., Ohio, Aug. ^0, 1833, His life upto the time of his graduation by the Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, was the uneventful one of a eoun- try lad of a family of small means. His father was able to give him a good education, and nothing more. He became engaged while at college to the daughter of Dr. Scott, Principal of a female schoo at Oxford. After graduating he determined to en- ter upon the study of the law. He went to Cin cinnati and then read law for two years. At the expiration of that time young Harrison receivedl th . only inheritance of his life ; his aunt dying left hin: a lot valued at $800. He regarded this legaey as a fortune, and decided to get married at once, take this money and go to some Eastern town an" be- gin the practice of law. He sold his lot, and with the money in his poeket, he started out with his young wife to fight for a place in the world. He
108
BENJAMIN HARRISON.
decided to go to Indianapolis, which was even at that time a town of promise. He met with slight encouragement at first, making scarcely anything the first year. He worked diligently, applying him- self closely to his calling, built up an extensive practice and took a leading rank in the legal pro- session. He is the father of two children.
In 1860 Mr. Harrison was nominated for the position of Supreme Court Reporter, and then be- gan his experience as a stump speaker He can- vassed the State thoroughly, and was elected by a handsome majority. In 1862 he raised the 17th Indiana Infantry, and was chosen its Colonel. His regiment was composed of the rawest of material, out Col. Harrison employed all his time at first mastering military tactics and drilling his men, when he therefore came to move toward the East with Sherman his regiment was one of the best Grilled and organized in the army. At Resaca he especially distinguished himself, and for his bravery rt Peachtree Creek he was made a Brigadier Gen- iral, Gen. Hooker speaking of him in the most complimentary terms.
During the absence of Gen. Harrison in the field he Supreme Court declared the office of the Su- preme Court Reporter vacant, and another person was elected to the position. From the time of leav- ing Indiana with his regiment until the fall of 1864 ne had taken no leave of absence, but having been nominated that year for the same office, he got a thirty-day leave of absence, and during that time made a brilliant canvass of the State, and was elected for another term. He then started to rejoin Sher- man, but on the way was stricken down with scarlet _ever, and after a most trying siege made his way to the front in time to participate in the closing incidents of the war.
In 1868 Gen. Harrison declined ~ re-election as eporter, and resumed the practice of law. In 1876 De was a candidate for Governor. Although de- eated, the brilliant campaign he made won for him a National reputation, and he was much sought, es- pecially in the East, to make speeches. In 1880, as usual, he took an active part in the campaign, and was elected to the United States Senate. Here he served six years, and was known as one of the ablest men, best lawyers and strongest debaters in
that body. With the expiration of his Senatorial term he returned to the practice of his profession, becoming the head of one of the strongest firms in the State.
The political campaign of 1888 was one of the most memorable in the history of our country. The convention which assembled in Chicago in June and named Mr. Harrison as the chief standard bearer of the Republican party, was great in every partic- ular, and on this account, and the attitude it as- sumed upon the vital questions of the day, chief among which was the tariff, awoke a deep interest in the campaign throughout the Nation. Shortly after the nomination delegations began to visit Mr. Harrison at Indianapolis, his home. This move- ment became popular, and from all sections of the country societies, clubs and delegations journeyed thither to pay their respects to the distinguished statesman. The popularity of these was greatly increased on account of the remarkable speeches made by Mr. Harrison. He spoke daily all through the summer and autumn to these visiting delega- tions, and so varied, masterly and eloquent were his speeches that they at once placed him in the foremost rank of American orators and statesmen.
On account of his eloquence as a speaker and his power as a debater, he was called upon at an un- commonly early age to take part in the discussion. of the great questions that then began to agitate the country. He was an uncompromising anti slavery man, and was matched against some of the most eminent Democratic speakers of his State. No man who felt the touch of his blade desired tc be pitted with him again. With all his eloquence as an orator he never spoke for oratorical effect. but his words always went like bullets to the mark He is purely American in his ideas and is a spler did type of the American statesman. Gifted with quick perception, a logical mind and a ready tongue. he is one of the most distinguished impromptu speakers in the Nation. Many of these speeches sparkled with the rarest of eloquence and contained arguments of greatest weight. Many of his terse statements have already become aphorisms. Origi .. nal in thought, precise in logic, terse in statement, yet withal faultless in eloquence, he is recognized as the sound statesman and brillian' orator of the day
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.