Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-07-06
BENJAMIN HARRISON.
A Sketch Of the Life of The Nom
inee--EIiS Record in the
Army and the Senate.

General Harrison comes from q his
toric family Major General harri-
son. an English ancestor, bore arms
with Oliver Cromwell, and rose with
him to prominence ia the revolution.
II fell to his lot TO sign the death
warrant Of Charles /, and after res
toratioa be paid tao penalty for this
act. being hanged October Is. 1860.
Benjamin. Harrison, the first descend.
ant of CcomWell's General wao ap-
pears in American history, was
member OF the Virginia house of Dur
gcsses, later a delegate to the
Colonial Congress. a signer of the
Declaration. of Independence, three
times elected Governor Of Ergiuia.
and G member of the convention tia.
ratified the constitution. His s11
was General William Henry Harri.
son, whose honorable career as d sol
dier and statesman eliminated il his
election to the presidency in lSi0, TO
be followed by his death in the White
House one month after his inaugura-
ton. John Scott Harrison, the son
of President Harrison, was the father
of the subjecs of this sketch.
Benjamin Harrison was born at
North Bend, Ohio, in his grand
fathers house, August 90, 1888.
Physically and mentally vigorous, he
early manifested a desire TO begin an
active and independent carccr. At
sixteen be entered MAMA University
at Oxford, o, and two years later he
graduated. On leaving college he
began in Cincinnati, with the Hon.
y. Storer as his preceptOr, the study
of law, and in 1854 he eutered upon
the practice of his profession in In
dianapolis He was twenty one.
uare-shouldered, fair-haired. rather
serious, reserved in manner with no
inheritance except his education and
good ame, without acquaintance,
but with wife to provide for. 4
Legislative investigation. in which he
secured employment through the
Democratic Governor, Joseph A.
Wright, brought him iuto notice.
The ability that he displayed won for
him the highest praise oflawyers and
laymen From that time his abilities
were fully occupied
II was inevitable that no should
drift into politics. With many young
men of generous impulses he joiaed the
Republican party; and with superior
ability ne soon became
known as one Of the best ard most
fearless Republican speakers la 1860
he was candidate for reporter of the
Supreme Court and in the Lincoln
OF that year he was elected.
The outbreak OF the Rebellion soon
dragged him from the life OF citizen
to that Of n soldier. Governor Nor
ton in July, 1862, asked him to assist
in recruiting a regiment under the
Presidents call for 100000 three
year troops He received the COM
for the Seventh regiment.
and as second lieutenant inspired
such enthusiasm wherever he went
that he soon raised company A. aud
was made captain, helped to fill up
the other companies of the regiment.
and in less than "a month had com
p!eted it and was ut its head as col
onel, ready to go to the front. Gov
ernor Morton signifed o willingness
to accept his resignation If he chose
to remain at home and hold his civil
Office. Once chosen he devoted him
self to that career with all his ability.
lie served through Kentucky and
Tennessee up to January, 1864, when
his regiment was assigned to the
First Brigade of the the Third divis-
ion of the Twentieth Army Corps.
His services had been highly honor
able to him up to this time, but he
had not yet reached his highest hon
ops. He was ordered to lead the As
sault at Resaca on May Is, 1864.
The duty was gallautly performed,
his command rushing irresistably over
the enemy's terrible lines and captur-
ing both lines and guns. \. Peach
tree creek, while commanding his
brigade, his soldierly qualities drew
from his commanding officer, General
"Joe" Hooker, the most enthusiastic
praise. On the battlefield he declared |
that he would make Colonel IIarri |
son brigadier-general for his part in
the fight. In 1876 be was made the |
candidate for Governor, after he had |
declined to run, and after another
had been nominated and |
had declined. lie accepted the nomi- !
nation as a public duty. After he
had accepted it he devoted himself to
work OF the campaign with great en-
ergy. But there was great activity /
in both the Republican and Demo
cratic parties in 1916 General Har-
rson was defeated, but he came out
Of the fight with extended acquaint-
ances with the people of the State,
and with increased national popular
ity. He was a popular speaker in
the campaign of 1880 in the east and
west. His friends il Indiana had
little difficulty in electing him to the
place in the Senate OF the United
States, about to be vacated by Joseph
f. Mcdonald, aud he took his seat in
that body on March 4, 1881.
Senator Harrison took his seat in
the senate on the day upon which
General Garfield was inaugurated,
The session was an extra one for ex-
ecutjve business only, and he simply
attended and voted when occasion
required When the senate reassem-
bed ia the following December, at
the beginning of the forty-seventh
aud opportunity offered, be
assumed his share of the duties OF the
body. lie did not force himself Gf-
terward as a speaker. When he did
speak he commanded attention. lie
was the warm friend of the soldier.
and he spoke cordially in his behalf
Upon Chinese immigration he argued
for a faithful regard OF treaty obligat-
ions in enforcing exclusion. Service on
the Mississippi river commission pre-
pared him to discuss flmiliarly all
brought forward for the
Improvement of navigation on that
stream.
After the inauguration Of President
and when the Republicans
of the senate took issue with the exc