USA > Iowa > Henry County > Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 8
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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 Gen. 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 the 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 nofurther 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. Ile 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.
THE NIN YOPY
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TWENTY-FIRST. PRESIDENT.
CHESTER A.
ARTHUR,
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 clergyman, who emigrated to this country from the county Antiim, 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 on their cars, and the other car companies quickly
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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, 188t, as President and Vice-President. A few months only had passed ere the newly chosen I'resident was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then came terrible weeks of suffering,-those moments of anxious suspense, when 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 so 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 before 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.
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THE NEW : PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
Enour Churchand
TWENTY-SECOND PRESIDENT.
ro3
S. Brover 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 men 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
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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 the old gentleman; " do you, indeed ? What ever put that into your head? Ilow 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 he 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 etected 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 188r 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 shameless 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 11, 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, 1 .. 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.
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OVERNORS.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
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GOVERNORS OF IOWA.
Ansel Briggs
A
NSEL BRIGGS, the first gentleman chosen to fill the gubernatorial chair of Iowa after its organization as a State, was a native of Ver- mont, and was born Feb. 3, 1806. His parents, who likewise were New Englanders, were Ben- jamin and Electa Briggs. The
boyhood of our subject was passed in his native State, and in at- tendance upon the common schools he received a fair education which was subsequently improved hy a term at Norwich Academy. When a young man he removed with his parents to Cambridge, Guernsey Co., Ohio, where young Briggs engaged in the work of establishing stage lines. Ile also here embarked in political affairs and as a Whig run for the office of County Auditor but was defeated by Jolm Ferguson, a Jackson Demoerat.
After remaining in Ohio for six years, the glow- ing accounts of the fair fields and the fertile prairies of the Territory of Iowa, led him westward across the Father of Waters. He had previously united his fortunes in life with Nancy M. Dunlap, dangh- ter of Major Dunlap, an officer in the War of 1812. Even prior to this marriage he had chosen a wife, a lady who was born on the same day and year as himself, but of whom he was soon bereft. Ile brought with him to Iowa his little family and lo- eated at Andrew, in Jackson County. Seeing the
opportunity here for resuming his former business, he began opening up stage lines, frequently driving the old stage coach himself. Hle made several con- tracts with the Postoffice Department for carrying the United States mails weekly between Dubuque and Davenport, Dubuque and Jowa City and other routes, thus opening up and carrying on a very im- portant enterprise. Politically, Gov. Briggs was a Democrat, and on coming to Iowa identified him- self with that party. In 1842 he was chosen a member of the Territorial House of Representatives from Jackson County, and subsequently was elected Sheriff of the same county. He had taken a lead- ing part in public affairs, and upon the formation of the State Government in 1846, he became a prom- inent candidate for Governor, and though his com- petitors in his own party were distinguished and well-known citizens, Mr. Briggs received the nom- ination. The convention was held in Iowa City, on Thursday, Sept. 24, 1846, and assembled to nominate State officers and two Congressmen. It was called to order by F. D. Mills, of Des Moines County. William Thompson, of Henry County, presided, and J. T. Fales, of Dubuque, was Seere- tary. The vote for Governor in the convention stood : Briggs, sixty-two; Jesse Williams, thirty- two, and William Thompson, thirty-one. The two latter withdrew, and Briggs was then chosen by ac- clamation. Elisha Cutler, Jr., of Van Buren Coun- ty, was nominated for Secretary of State; Joseph T. Fales, of Linn, for Auditor, and Morgan Reno, of Johnson, for Treasurer. S. C. Hastings and Sheperd Leffler were nominated for Congress. The
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ANSEL BRIGGS.
election was held Oet. 28, 1846, the entire Demo- cratic ticket being successful. Briggs received 7.626 votes and his competitor, Thomas MeKnight. the Whig candidate, 7,379. giving Briggs a major- ity of 247.
The principal question between the two leading parties, the Democratic and the Whig, at this period, was that of the banking system. It is related that t short time prior to the meeting of the conven- tion which nominated Mr. Briggs, that in offering toast at a banquet, he struck the key-note which made him the popular man of the hour. He said, "No banks but earth and they well tilled." This was at once caught up by his party and it did more to secure him the nomination than anything else. llis administration was one void of any special in- terest. He labored in harmonious accord with his party, yet frequently exhibited an independence of principle, characteristic of his nature. The Mis- souri boundary question which caused a great deal of excited controversy at this period, and even a determination to resort to arms, was handled by him with great ability.
On his election as Executive of the State. Gov. Briggs sold out his mail contract, but after the ex- piration of his term of service he continued his residence in Jackson County. In 1870 he removed to Council Bluffs. He had visited the western, part of the State before the day of railroads in that section, making the trip by carriage. On the occa- sion he enrolled himself as one of the founders of the town of Florence on the Nebraska side of the river and six miles above Council Bluffs, and which for a time was a vigorons rival of Omaha. Dur- ing the mining excitement, in 1860, he made a trip to Colorado, and three years later, in company with his son John and a large party, went to Montana, where he remained until the year
1865, when he returned to his home in Iowa.
As above stated, Gov. Briggs was twice married, his first wife being his companion for a brief time only. His second wife bore him eight children, all of whom died in infancy save two, and of these lat- ter, Ansel, Jr., died May 15. 1867. aged twenty- five years. John S. Briggs, the only survivor of the family, is editor of the Idaho Herald. published at Blackfoot, Idaho Territory. Mrs. Briggs died Dec. 30, 1847, while her husband was Governor of the State. She was a devoted Christian lady, a striet member of the Presbyterian Church, and a woman of strong domestic tastes. She was highly educated, and endowed by nature with that womanly taet and grace which enabled her to adorn the high position her husband had attained. She dispensed a bounteous hospitality, though her home was in a log house, and was highly esteemed and admired by all who met her.
Gov. Briggs went in and out among his people for many years after his retirement from the execu- tive office, and even after his return from the Mon .. taga expedition. He was admired for his able services rendered so unselfishly during the pioneer period of the now great and populous State. His last ffnesse ulceration of the stomach. was of brief duration, lasting only five weeks, indeed only three days before his death he was able to be out. Ilis Temise occurred at the residence of his son. John S. Briggs, in Omaha. Neb., at half-past three of the morningsof May 5. 1881. His death was greatly mourned all over the State. Upon the following day. Gov. Gear issued a proclamation reciting his services to the State, ordering half-hour guns to be fired and the national flag on the State capitol to be put at half-mast during the day upon which the funeral was held, which was the following Sun- day succeeding his death.
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