The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-06-24

to alter all his plans. During the Win
ter of 1861 he was active in the passage
of measures for arming the State militia,
and his eloqnence and energy made him
a conspicuous leader of the Union party.
Early in the Summer of 1861 he was
elected Colonel of an infantry regiment
(the Forty.second), raised in Northern
Ohio, many of the soldiers in which had
been students at Hiram. He took the
field in Eastern Kentucky, was soon put
in command of brigade, and, by mak-
ing one of the hardest marches ever
made by recruits, surprised and routed
the Rebel forces, under Humphrey Mar
shall at Piketon.
From Eastern Kentucky General Gar.
field was transferred to Louisville and
from that place fastened to join the ar.
nv of Genaral Buell., which he reached
with his brigade in time to participate
in the second days fighting at Pittsburg
Landing. He took part in the siege OF
Corinth and in the operations along the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad. In
January 1868, he was appointed chief OF
staff of the Army of the Cumberland, and
bore prominent part in all the cam
paigns in Middle Tennessee in the Spring
and Summer Of that year. His last con
spicuously military service was at the
battle of Chickamauga. For bis conduct
in that battle he was promoted to ma.
ior.peneralship. 1t is said that he wrote
all the orders given to the army that day
and submitted them to General Rose
Grams for approval, save one. The one he
did not write was the fatal order to Gen.
eral Wood, which was so worded as not
to correctly convey the meaning OF the
commanding general and which caused
the destruction of the right wing of the
army.
ELECTED TO CONGRESS.
The Congressional District in which
Garfield lived was the one long made
famous by Joshua R. Giddings. The
old anti-slavery champion grew careless
of the arts of politics toward the end OF
his career, and came to look upon a
nomination and reelection as matter
of course. His over confidence was taken
advantage of in 1858, by an ambitious
lawyer named Hutchins, to carry Con-
vention against him. The friends OF
Giddiings never forgave Hutchins, aud
cast about for means of defeating him:
The old man was comfortably quartered
in his Consulate at Montreal, and did
not care to make fight to get back to
Congress. So his supporters made use OF
the popularity of Gen. Carried and nom
mated him, while he was in the field,
without asking his consent. This was IN
1862. When he heard, of the nomina'
ton Garfield reflected that it would be
fifteen mouths before the Congress would
meet to which he would be elected, and be-
lieying, as did every one else, that the
war could not possibly last ayear longer,
concluded to accept. have often heard
him express regret that he did not help
fight the war through, and say that he new
er would have left the army to 90 to Con-
eress had he foreseen that the struggle
would be continued beyond theyear 1868.
He continued his military service up to
the time Congress met.
On entering Congress in December,
1863, Gen. Garfield was placed upon the
Committee on Military Affairs, with
Schenck and Fransworth, who were also
fresh from the field. He took an active
part in the debate of the House and won
3 recognition which few new members
succeed in gaining; He was not popu-
lar among his fellow. members during his
first term. They thought him some
thing of pedant because he sometimes
showed his scholarship in his speeches,
and they were jealous Of his prominence.
His solid attainments and amiable So
cial qualities enabled him to overcome
this prejudice during the second term,
and he became on terms OF close friend
ship with the best men in both Houses:
His committee service during his second
term was on the Ways and Means, which
was quite to his taste, for it gave him an
opportunity to prosecute the studies in
finance and political economy which he
had always felt foundness for. He was
a hard worker and great reader in those
days, going home with his arms full OF
books from the Congressional Library,
and sitting up late at nights to read
them. It was then that he laid the
foundation of the convictions on the
subject of National finance which he has
since held to firmly amid all the storms
of political agitation. he was renom-
mated in 1854, without opposition, but
in 1866, Mr.. Hutchins, whom he had
supplanted, made an effort to defeat him.
Hutchins canvassed the district thor
oughly, but the Convention nominate ;
Garfield by acclamation. He has had no
opposition since in his own party. In
1872 the Liberals and Democrats unit
ed to beat him, but his majority was
larger than ever. In 1874 the Green.
hackers and Democrats combined and
put up popular soldier against him, but
they made no impressions on the result.
The Ashtabula District, as it is generally
called. is the most faithful to its repre-
sentative of any in the North. 1t has
:had but four members in half century.
HIS WORK IN CONGRESS.
In the Fortieth Congress General Gar
field was Chairman of the Committee on
Military Affairs. In the Forty. first, he
was given the craftsmanship of Banking
and Currency, which he liked much bet
ter. because it was in the line of his
financial studies. His next promotion
was to the chairmanship of the Appro,
priation Committee, which he held until
the Democrats came into power in the
House, 1875. His chief work on that
committee was a steady and judicious
reduction of the expenses of the Govern
ment. In all the political struggles in
Congress he has borne leading part, his
clear, vigorous and moderate style of
argument making him one of the most
effective debaters in either House.
When James G. Blaine went to the
Senate, in 1877, the mantle of Republi-
can leadership in the House was, by
common consent, placed upon Garfield,
and he has worn it ever since. In Janu-
ary last, Gen. Garfield was elected to the