The weekly standard., 1869-09-15
Secretary Rawlins- of his Life,

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Secretary Rawlins was born in Galena. 10
Daviess county, Illinois, February 13. 1881.
He was descended on the paternal side from
family of Virginians, who moved from the
| Old Dominion to Kentucky, and subsequent.
| ly to Missouri, where the father of Secretary
Rawlins was married. In his youth Secre-
tarv Rawlins received good common
school and academic education, and until
twenty-three years of age lived on farm
and was engaged. in farming pursuits. In
the fall of 1858 he entered law Office, at
which place he first became acquainted with
President Grant, The next year he was ad-
mitted to the bar and opened an Office.
Clients came but slowly at first, as is so fire..
quently the case with youthful lawyers in
the country sections, but eventually his
practice increased, as his reputation extend.
ed until it afforded him remunerative in
come
In June 1856, he was married to Miss
Emily Smith, of Goshen, State of New
York, with whom he lived happily for five
years, during which time three children
were born. She died in 1851, and after two
years lie married Miss Mary E. Hurlburt, of
Danbury, Connecticut, who is now SORROW
stricken by the loss of her beloved hus.
band.
The bar is the natural stepping stone to
the arena of political warfare, and the SUBJ
ject of our sketch took early an interest in
the questions of the day. He was a ready
debator and his voice was invariably on the
side of Justice and liberty. whether the ques-
ton was national or of a purely local char
actcr, and bigotry never influenced by word
or deed. Though he held no public Office
prior to the war, he was known in Galena
as an active, influential, and able Democrtic
politician. He was nominated in 1860 for
the office of Democratic Elector on the Doug.
las ticket for the 1st Congressional District
ofIllinois, and made strong canvass against
Judge Allen C. Fuller, of Belvidere, the cir
cult judge, and afterwards adjutant general
of Illinois, Soon after the Confederate for
ces fired upon Fort Sumter a large public
meeting was held at Galena by the Republi-
can and War Democrats at which President,
then Mr.. Grant, presided, and General Raw
lins spoke, At that meeting Secretary Raw
lins pronounced strongly in favor of putting
down the rebellion by force of arms, and
thus enrolled himself in the ranks of the
War Democrats. This action created some
surprise among his Democratic friends, in
view of the facts that he was strong
Democrat; that the Democratic party, as
party, was opposed TO the war, and especial
ly us the great leader of his wing Of the par
ty, Senator Douglas, had not at that time
indicated what course should be pursued by
tile Democracy. His speech on this occa-
sion occupied half an hour in its delivery,
and it closed with the words:
Il have been Democrat all my life but
that is no longer question of politics. 1t
is simply country or no country. l have fa-
vorcd every honorable compromise; but the
day of compromise Is passed. Only one
course is left us. We will stand by the flag
of our country and appeal to the god of bat
t'es.n
Another war meeting was held a few
evenings later, and Rawlins proposed, in
jestin. way, to Grant that they should en-
deavor to organize company. "As you
have seen service, you shall be captain, and
Rowley and l will toss up to sec who shall
be first Lieutenant" When the news of the
fall of Fort Sumter was flashed over the
wires, Rawlins commenced, in conjunction
major general voiunteers) and ]. A. Maltby,
Illinois infantry, volunteers; when in Au-
gust, he received from Gen. Grant, with
whom he had been acquainted from the
time of his settling in Galena, (and for whose
house in that place he was the Attorney
without having sought it, the tender of po-
sition on his staff, which he accepted. The
dangerous illness of Mrs. Rawlins (who had
been long a sufferer from consumption, and
was then at her fathers, Mr.. Hiram Smith,
at Goshen, New York; called him East,
where he remained by her side until her de-
cease, August 80. With this severe person
al affliction resting upon him, he made ar
rangements for the care of the three children
that she left-a son and two daughters-the
eldest Of whom was in his fifth year, and
joined General Grant on the 10Th of Septem-
Der, at Cairo, ILL.,, as bis assistant adjutant
general, with the rank Of captain, having
been appointed such the 80th of the prece-
ding month, and was with him from that
time in all his battles and campaigns and
military operations IN the field, until the
surrender of the army of Northern Virginia
at Appomattox Court House, Va, except
about two months from the 31st of July,
1864, to the 1st of October following-he
was absent for the treatment of q severe
bronchial affection he had contracted in the
service aso-''s79I --l-'i ''i ~
General Grant and General Rawlins were
always warm personal friends, and their re-
lations, officially and personally, were of the
most confidential character General R.
was commissioned major and assistant ad-
jutant general soon after the surrender of
Fort Donelson; was assigned in orders as
assistant adjutant general and chief of staff,
with. the rank of lieutenant colonel, November
1, 1862; was appointed brigadier-g general of
volunteers, to rank from August II, 1868;
brevetted major general of volunteers, to
rank from February "a, 1866; March 8,
1865, he was appointed chief oftstaff TO the
Lieutenant General commanding, with the
rank of brigadier general in the United
States army, and was subsequently brevetted
major general United States army, to rank
from March 1885. In 1866 Congress crea.
ted the title of general, which was bestowed
on Lieut.. General Grant, at the same time
General Rawlins was designated as chief of
staff to the General commanding the armies.
At the close of the war General Rawlins
remained upon the staff of General Grant as
chief, and upon the Inauguration of General
Grant as President General Rawlins was
nominated for Secretary of War, and imme-
diately confirmed He at once entered up
on the discharge of his duties, relieving
/ General Schofeld.
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