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

70 atteT al MS plans- DuftDg the Win
ter of 1861 he was active in The passage
of measures for arming the State militia,
aud his eioqpence and energy made him
q 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 studenta at Hiram. He took tho
field In Eastern Kentucky, was soon put
in command of brigade, and, by maxi
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 70 louisville and
| fro2, that place hsstened to join the ar
my of GennraI 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 tho
Memphis and Charleston Railroad. In
January 1868, he was appointed chief Of
staff of the Army, of the Cumberland, and
bore a prominent part in oil 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 battlo he was promoted TO Il ma
jor-g -generalship. 1t is said that he wrote
Hii tho. orders given 10 the army that day
and submitted them to General Rose.
Grams for approval, save one. The ons ne
did not write was the fatal order to Gen.
eral Wood, which was 80 worded as not
70 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 Que 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 10 look upon o
of course. His over confidence was taken
advantage of in 1868, by an ambitious
lawyer named Hutchins, TO carry q Con-
vention against him. The friends of
Giddlings 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 q fight to get back TO
Congress. So his supporters made use of
the popularity of Gen. Garfield and NOM
mated him, while he was in the field,
without asking HE consent. This wss in
1862. When he heard of the homins-
tion Garfield reflected that it would be
fifteen months before the Congress would
meet to which he would be elected, and be-
lieving, as did every one else, that the
war could not possibly last year longer.
concluded to accept. > / have often heard
him express regret that he did not help
fight the var through, and say that he new
er would haye left the army to go to Con-
gress had he foreseen that the struggle
would be continued beyond the year 1868.
He continued his military service up to
the time Congress met.
| On entering Congress in December,
1853, 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 iI the debate of the House and won
q 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 q 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
I finance and political economy which he
had always felt fonndness for. He was
q hard worker and great reader in those
days. going home with his arms full of
books from the Congressional Library,
and aitting up late at nights to read
them. Il was then that he laid the
/ foundation of the convictions on the
Ilsnbject of National finance which he has
since held to firmly amid all the storms
of political aSitati0n. he waa Faacm-
mated in 1854. without opposition; but
| in 1866, Mr. Hutchins, whom he had
lIsupplanted, made az effort to defeat him.
Hutchins canvassed the district thor
|Ioughly, bnt the Convention nominated
| Garfield by exclamation. He has had no
opposition since in his own party. In
| 1879 the Liberals and Democrats unit
led TO beat him, but his majority was
larger THAN ever. In 1874 the Green
hackers and Democrats combined aud
put up o popular soldier against him, but
they made no impressions on the result.
The Ashtabula District, as It 10 generally
IIcalled, isthe most faithful to its repre-.
Tentative Of any IL the North. It has
had but four members In half century.
| HIS WORK IN CONGRESS.
/ In the Tortieth Congress General Gar.
| field was Chairman OK the COMMITTEES on
! sEEiiiitary Affhira. In the Forty-first. he
| was given the erchairmanship OF Banking
and Currency, which he liked much bet.
liter, because It was in the line of his
| financial studies. Bis next promotion
twas TO the chaifm8iship Of tie Appro-
;,.i tans. In. n, ittas 2yhiah l.a hald until
the Democrats came into power in the
House, 1876. His chief work on that
committee was q steady and jndicious
production of the expenses Of the Govern
;.:e::. I. 81 .he ;>cl:.;cai st..s-iea in
ICongress he has borne leading part, his
icleaf, yigorols and inoderate style of
lIargnment making him one of the most
| lIe1Iettive debateTs 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,
/ land he has worn is ever since. In Janu-
| iary, last, Gen. Garfield was elected 10 the
Senate, to the, seat which will be vacated
by Allen @. Thurinan, on tue 9TH OF
| March, 1881, he received the i,tani-l
nous vote OF the Republican cancut, AN
honor never given to any man of any