The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-22
Gen. GarncId's Actual Military Scr.
vice.

Before Gen. Garielde nomination slight
Importance had been attached by anybody to his MILL
Gen. Garfield nor his political friends had made any
point of that service during his canvasses for the
Gen. Hancock persistent attempts are making by
banner painters. Illustrated Journals, Republican ora
tors. and Republican newspapers TO present Gen.
Garfield great military hero. The latest life of
him by his most Intimate friend, President iinsdale
of Hiram College, ohio, when presenting for
Gen. Garfield exchange OF military for Congress
sona career declares with precision: ..rhe period
of his military service had been two years, three
months, and nineteen days This author in begin,
ming his sketch Of the military service of his hero had
written Of II as II on July y lsGi Garfield had been
first rendered lieutenant colonelcy, whereas Mai.
the other OF duly ~ lsGiwhich speak of his having
nssn oe'sa anS having aGsn' s, lieutenant manu- colo aS
term specifically calculated by him upon August
II, at which time Garfield appears to have reconsid-
cred his refusal Thereafter the author of the biOg
raphy IL sufficiently explicit AS to the manner of Gar
fields military career In the hed or ont of It, to
able us to give precisely the term which Gen. Gar
Held served soldier In the Held, and 1t Is only
little over one year President Ilinsdale puts Gar
field page ~ as recruiting AMI drilling In Ohio from
to Join Gen Bne, whom he did Join ON December ".
This reduces the service Ia one year, eleven months
and eleven days. President Iiins,iale subsequently
narrates (page i9) that from May to August Gar
Held, whose headquarters were at Huntsville, " served
ON several courts. martial, aud that on the st Of
August - he went home sick leave, - from which
he did not report at Washington until late In Septem
ber, 1852, when he was successyey detailed Ia that
city To the Mcdowell and Fitz John Porter courts
martial President Hinsdale also narrates that tar
Held reached the headquarters Of Gen. Rosecrans, TO
whose staff he had been assigned chief near tbs
end of February, is63h ~ The effect of these state
mens is further To reduce the term of GaIfeld's
service To one year. four months, aud eleven days aud
this term covers the months wherein Garfield was
nominated and elected as a member Of Congress, and
during which II bocame obvious that no extra session
would he called, II ought not to be forgotten that
during the canvass GARFIELD was either at home among
his constituents or within half days reach Of his
district, and was not--as several OF his campaign
lives falsely asseit-at tho Mont. rIehident iiIsdAie
also relates that after the battle Of ChickaInailga
the date OF which was September ~, Garfield was
ordered Ia Washington, where on December 3 iie
rendered his resignation, and began his laLors as
Congressman. Assuming the date OF his return To
Washington 10 lie October 3, then the term of his sea-
Vice would lie further reduced to year. two months
and eleven days. Aud OF this term the romantic
biographer OF Gen. Garfield, " Edmund Kirke, -
countsup only Ave months of actual Held operation.