The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-22
Sketch of President Garfield.

James Abram Garfield was born November 10,
1881, in tho township of Orange, Cuyahoga county,
iOh1o, about Is miles from Cleveland. Both his par
3ents of sturdy New England stock, and his
mother, who Is still living, especially noted for
Sher strong will, stern principles and moro than
average force of character. His father died in 1888
leaving four children, of whom James the
youngest, with no means of support except small
j. farm and the unaided exertions Of their mother
Fortunately the mother knew how to bring up her
8children, and even more fortunately James was
made of that stern stuff which the molding hand OF
8advers1ty only fashions into higher forms. He took
10 work almost inst1nctiyely, tolled hard on the
Harm in summer and worked at the carpenter S
Hbench in the winter. He had an absorbing ambi-
ton to get an education and to obtain the necessa
ry funds he entered service of the Ohio canal which
paid better wages than could be earned at farming,
became driver on the towpath, and with his In
nate tendency to rise. was soon promoted to a
higher position, and held the helm of one of the
boats. He made up his mind to ship as sailor on
the lakes when attack Of sickness frustrated his
plans and sent him back to the old homestead.
When he recovered his mother, who seems to have
FULLY shared In all his ambition gave him small
sum Of money to enable him to attend the Geauga
Academy in an adjoinidg county, and here, cook
ling his food, working at the carpenters bench
Hand teaching country schools in the winter to en-
Y able him to pay his expenses, he set out on the
3road of knowledge in humble fashion, but with
= royal heart and courage His splendid physical
constituton stood him In good stead not only In the
strain of this arduous work, but, when he left the
academy, rendered him another service in assisting
Hhim to the necessary means to enter college, He
had but little money, but he had the physique Of
Hyoung giant and the insurance companies were
aglad to issue him policy which he assigned as a
A5ecurlty for loan to make up the amount that he
Hacked. Thus pledging the body for the brain he
Menered the junior class of Williams College, Mass
in 1854 and graduated in 1856 with the metaphysical
&hOnOrs of his class Before going to college he had
3become member of the Christian or Disciples
&Ghurch, and when he returned to Ohio he became
8professor of Latin and Greek at the college of the
denomination at Hiram, in Portage county, near
5his boyhood's home, and two years afterwards be-
8came president of the institution. Among the
Disciples any one can preach who pleases, and 1t
was while professor that Mr. Garfield delivered
bed for him the reputation of having been regulari
My ordained minister. During his professorshfp
Inc married Miss Lucretia Rudolph, daughter of
a farmer In the neighborhood, who had emigrated
&from Hartford county, Maryland, and whose &C
! luaintance he had made while at the academy,
where she also pnpil. In 1859 the college
8presdent elected to the State Senate from the
Acounties of Portage and Summit. During the win
Of 1861 he was active In the passage of measures
&or aring the State militia, and early in the follow
Ming elected colonel of infantry regi-
&ment the forty -second) raised in Northern Dido,
many Of the members of which had been students
J 1t Hiram. He commenced his military career in
8Eastern Kentucky, where he was soon put in COM
Hmand of a brigade, and where he distinguished
&himsef by the defeat OF Humphrey Marshall at
1PiketOn He subsequently participated in the
N5econd days fighting at Pittsburg Landing, in the
8seige of Corinth, and in the operations along the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad. In January,
lS63 he appointed chief Of staff of the Army OF
Jthe Cumberland, and bore prominent share In all
: the campaigns in Middle Tennessee in the spring
and summer of that year. His last conspicuous mil
4ttary service was at the battle of Chichamauga.
In 1868 he elected to Congress from the Ashta
bula district and believing that the would soon
be over he accepted the honor, and quickly acquir-
Ned leading and influential position in the national
Hcounsels From that period until his election the
United States Senate he regularly re-nominated
and elected to Congress from the Ashtabua district
8encounter1ng opposition in his own party only In
) 1866 when he was nominated by reclamation in
Hspie of earnest canvass by his opponent, In all
Hthe political struggles in Congress he bore lead
Eng part and was reckOned one of the abest debaters
Hin either house. When Mr. Blaine elected to the
ASenate In 1877 the mantle of republican leadership
Hin the House was by common consent placed upon Mr.
HGarheId. In January, 1880, he elected to the
8United States Senate to succeed Senator Thurman,
8whose term expired on the 4th of March, 1881 He
twas not destined to take his seat there,
Nfortune had higher though more costly, honor in
85tore for him, and In june 1880, he nominated
for the presidency by the Republican convention al
8Chicago the thirty sixth ballot, without having
been previously in the field candidate. At the
3presdental election in November he received 2i4
eectoral votes to 155 cast for Hancock. The events
which followed his inauguration two familiar tC
8requre recaptulation, and though his admn1stra
Htion, when it was interrupted by the hand of the
dasSassn was still too young to warrant final judg-
ment in its promises, there is every reason to be-
1lieve that 1t would have borne fruit useful to the
country and honorable to himself.