The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-06-12
lanes A, Garfield

James Abraham Garfield the nominee
of the Republican party for President OF
the Cnited States is 4 good specimen OF
an American Self-made man. He was
born November 10, 1881, in Orange town
ship, Cuyahoga county. Ohio. about tif-
teen miles from CleVcland, his parents
being of New England stock. isfather.
Abraham Garfield died in 1893. leaving
the family, consisting of a widow and
four children, of whom James was the
youngest, without means, except the
ownership of a small farm. and entirely
dependent OH the eXertions of the mother
for support. This mother. who is still
living. and who is the object of the son 5
tender care and devoted affection, was a
woman of great strength Of CHARACTER and
stern principles, found Of reading when
ever she could find TING from her absorb
ing household duties and ambitious for
the future Of her children. After the
death Of the father she determined to
keep her young family together, and, by
hard struggling, she succeeded. James
was naturally an industrious boy and
worked hard at farming in summer and
at the carpenters BENCH in winter. his
main and avowed Object being the ac-
quirement of means TO obtain an educa-
ton. With this end in view, and find
ing that the bQatmep on the Ohio canal
earned better wages than he could at his
trade of carpentering, at about Il years
OF age, he sought and obtained Il situa-
ton as driver on the tow-path, but soon
rose to the position of helmsman on a
canal boat. 1t was his intention to ship
as sailor Oh the lakes but . three
months Sickness fam fever and ague
deranged his plans, and on his recovery
he decided to enter school called Geauga
Academy, in Ohio. This he was enabled
to do by using some small savings of his
mother's and by living in Il room by him
self and cooking his own meals in lten-
sis brought fgQm home. in his spare
hours, and dl,ri!:g Fscat;0ns, he worked
at the carpenters bench, and il. winter
time taught country schools, thus earn
ing enough to continue pursuing his
studies at the academy, and save some
thing towards paying his expenses at
college. By these means he accumulated
about half enough to pay for two years
course Of study at Williams t5ollege, Mas
sachusetts. where he entered the Junior
Class in 1854, graduating with the meta
physical hopofS of his class i'll 1856. The
balance Of the amount necessary to pay
for his tuition he borrowed from a friend,
inSuring his life ana assigning the noi;cy
Us security for the loan.
Before entering college. young Garfield
had joined the Church of the Disciples,
or, rs they are more widely known, the
Complexities, and after his graduation
he became Professor of Latin and Greek
i'll Il small college If that sect at Hiram,
Portage county, ohio, and after :, couple
of years became Rresi4enf Of The institu-
ton. During his prUtcssotsi.ip here he
married Miss Lucretia Rudolph, the
daughter of a farmer in the neishbor-
hood. lie also preached occasionally in
the pulpit of the Campbellite church,
tina. set reUHiliHg no ordination, but
allowing those msl..,,ai5 isy;!I;n are PROF.
crly qualified religiously and intelltctu-
ally to preach at their pleasure
In 1859 Mr.. Garfield was selected to
the Ohio State Senate from the counties
of Summit and Portage, but he still re-
'ainoti lis GrrsiifenGy ST the college until
1851. when, upon IiIh i,l%.Etn.. CIT of thp
rebellion. he became prominent III ,tr9-
ing the passage of measures for armin1
and disciplining the State militia. In the
summer Of 1861 he was elected Colonel
of the 42nd Ohio Infantry, and in De
cen;b,teF ll{e vas ordered with his regiment
10 kenllsi.y w ..,2rc lie rrEoFtet, TO Sen
cral Buell., who assignied liirii 70 ,is st.l,t-
inand of the 18th Brigade. In this posi-
ton he rendered valuable service in driv-
ing the rebels under Humphrey Marshall
out of the Sandy Valley, in the eastern
part Of thc State, and soon after he was
prom0ted ~ tiii. rank Of Brigadifr Cen
erai. kfonf E4si$rii n2Etstcky he Was
transfef.c.; 20 .Qn s.s% sl,e, 4ltd from tEeftts
he FASTENED to join the army of Gafe,ti
Buell., which he reached with his brigade
in time to take part i'll the second days
fighting at Pittsburg Landing. He took
part i'll the siege of Corinth, and in the
,, eras iens along the Memphis Il Charles
ton Eai!toa4 N January. 1863, he was
appointed CHEF IF STAN Of .Ee Ara,y e
the Gt.mAerl.lnd. ANGER M.i,or Gfher$i
ltGseGians, ai,d Was proiniHent in all HE
campaigns Of Middle Tennessee in thai
year.
He was particularly conspicuous i'll the
battle of Chiclamauga, where, it is said,
lie wrote all the commanding generals
orders. except one, which was addressed