Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-09-21


|wrings her heart in her old ageE
over the cruel fate that deprives
her of the comfort and support of her
beloved boy, just when he has reached the
highest pinnacle on flames temple, and is
almost worshipped by his countrymen and
lis admired and beloved by the civilized [
world. By her exertions, she kept her
family of orphan children together, until
ztho boys were old enough to earn their +
Town living She, as an energetic business
woman, made the most of her small oppor-
tunities, her husband having left her moth
ling but small farm, only partially inns
proved, and she brought the boys up to aid I
her. James was like her in activity and !
perseverance. He received few months
of tuition in the district common
schools. by attending school durfJ
ling the winter. The rest of the year
he labored on the farm and in the carpen.
ter's shop. He had an absorb ing ambition
to get a good education, which at an early
age gave his character bent and shaped theJ
course of mis- future life. .ll.e b.. "a
The Ohio and Eris canal ran not far
from his, mothers humble cabin. and fnd-l
= ing that the men employed on the canal
sgot better weges than he could earn on the|
farm OF. at the carpenters bench. he hiredl
tout as driver, when seventeen years old,
and soon rose to the position of boatman.
HE manifested here the same fidelity to-
3lrust and the same interest in the wei. I
= fare Of his emp oyers, which character
3izsd his after life He was
a general favorite. Hard work
land exposure brought on a fever in the fall
sof 1913, which lasted three months and put
ssan end to his plan for shipping as a sailor
s from ship yard near Cleveland.
q In the spring of 1S49, his mother gave
him few dollars which she had saved for
! 1.-THE purpose by pinching economy, and told
Nhlm he could now realize his ambition by
&learning something more than the district
school could teach. He went to the Geauga
q academy, not far from his mothers home,
+ but being too poor to pay $3.50 per week.
i the price asked for board, he took with him
+ some cooking utensils and stock of
* provisions, hired room in an old,
81 uupsinted farmhouse and boarded him>
= self He afterwards found some employ
81 ment with the carpenters of the village.
81 where, by working mornings and evenings
S and on Saturdays, he earned enough to pay
III his way. The next winter he laugh: dis>
trict school. Thus he kept on for several
f. years, teaching in the winter working at
the carpenters bench in summers and at
tending the academy during the fall and
aspiring terms Afterwards he attended
h Williams College. at which institution he
Sgraduated in 1856. He was great fsvorite
at college. with the faculty as we'll as with
&his fellow-students.
s. Immediately after graduation, he was
&elected as teacher of Ancient Languages
q and Literature in the college at Hiram,
EOhio. and the next year, at the age of 26
he was placed at the head of that institu-
&tion This place he held and filled until he
+ went into the army in 1861. In 1859, he
l. was elected to the senate of the State legis
Mature and served out his term. Hoping
Ethat he might return after the war was
t. lover, the board of trustees kept him nomi
81 nally at the head Of the institution two
years longer. He afterwards served as 6
Htrustee and as advisory principle and
lecturer until 1865, when his nsme wal
Gdropped from the faculty page of the cata
&logue. His last service an an instructor
= was an admirable course of lectures OF
T. Social Science" delivered in the spring
of 1871.
81 When the cloud of civil war first mad,
Tits appearance he WAS Enthusiastically &C
tive in aiding to prepare the great State o
8Ohio for the impending storm. When j
sburst upon the country he dropped avery
thing else and ed the army. A com
pany was raised at Hiram, composed
I chiefly of the students, of which
The became member and which wa
ID attached to the 42d Ohio Infantry. h
was chosen colonel of his regimen
land Immediately after its organize
Ztion, it took the field in Eastern Ken
lucky. Colonel Garfield was at once as
signed to the command of brigade, ant
Ewas ordered by General Buell. to drive Gen
= eral Humphrey Marshall and his force gu
Y 7of the Sandy Valley. He was only citi
!! zen soldier, with nothing like militar,
training, but by forced night march, h.
$surprised his Antagonist, fell upon hin
with impetuosity and compelled him to re
treat into Virginia. His first campaig
7 was so successful, that he was re
h. warded with 8 promotion to tn
rank of brigadier general. II
81 was next ordered to join Buelps army
2 then on its way to reinforce General Gran
at Pittsburgh Landing. In command c
his brigade, he reached that battlefield O.
the second day of the engagement. He al
forwards took part in the siege of Corinth
In August, 1862, on account of ill-health
f he was compelled to relinquish his com
mand in the field for time. The mex
January he was made chief of staff of tn
Army of the Cumberland, and became tn
o& intimate friend and adviser of its com
n mander, General Rosecranz For gal
lsntry at the battle of Chicamaugs
he was made Major General
thus, in few months, reachin
t the highest rank then known to the army
In 1868 he was elected to Congress an
took his seat in December of that year
D He represented his Congressional distrie
t continuously until 1879, when he was nom
| mated for the United States Senate wthou
Q Opposition. By the Republicans of the Obi
Legislature, and was elected as the sue
a lessor of Judge Thurman. In 1880 he re