The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-28

q Judge and a statesman He rose to the
rank Of major general of volunteers dur
ing the rebellion. He was for fourteen
years United States district judge Of In
diana and for eight years United States
circuit judge for Illinois, and held three
cabinet portfolios: Postmaster general
and secretary of the treasury under Ar
thur, and secretary Of state under Cleve-
land.
Mr.. Gresham was born In Harrison
county, Ind, on st. Patrick's day, 1888.
His grandfather was a farmer, honest,
faithful and courageous, particularly
noted for his piety. His father learned
the cabinet making trade, which he pur-
sued together with farming. His courage
made him q most popular idol In his
neighborhood, and he became colonel Of
militia. His mother, Sarah Davis, was Of
Scotch Irish descent. The house in which
she lived until her death, a few years ago,
and In which her distinguished son was
born, was a humble cottage perhaps
twenty feet wide and thirty long, story
and a half in front, standing on side of
hill past which runs the old Indiana
state road. Until his mothers death
Judge Gresham often visited her there.
In 1888 Gresham's father was elected
shoriff and the next year was murdered
by noted desperate whom he had gone
to arrest. His mother was left widow
with five small children. Walter Q. was
but years old when his father was killed,
and Benjamin, the eldest, was s. A strug-
gle ensued, but from the hard hand of
penury they earned the right to live and
finally to prosper.
Benjamin, like his father, learned the
trade of carpenter, but also chung to the
farm. By dint Of hard work and the as
sistance Of his brother Walter succeeded
In entering the seminary at Corydon. Two
years there and one at Bloomington uni
versity completed his education so far as
schooling was concerned. He began the
study Of law under Judge w. A. Porter,
one of tho noted characters of southern
Indiana, while acting as deputy clerk, and
in 1854 entered into partnership with
Thomas G. Slaughter, an eminent lawyer
of that time and afterwards judge Of the
circuit court.
To combine law and politics was then
the universal custom with young lawyers
In the United States, and Gresham was
no exception to the rule. His admission
to the bar and the Nebraska agitation
were coincident. The Wing party, with
which all Of his political traditions were
associated, had dissolved, In 1866 the Re-
publican party was formed and with 1t
Gresham at once allied himself. He
stumped his section of the State for
Pathfinder" Fremont, who had been
nominated at Philadelphia. In the law
Gresham had gained a good reputation as
careful, painstaking lawyer.
Meantime the country was sweeping on
to great events. Mr.. Gresham was elected
to the legislature, where he, as chairman
of the committee on military affairs,
brought forward militia bill which
placed Indiana on war footing With
the first shrek of wars alarm Governor
Morton appointed him lieutenant colonel
of the Thirty. eighth Indiana but before
he saw active service he was appointed
colonel of the Fifty third Indiana, in De-
cember, 1861. Gresham's regiment was
ordered to join Grant after Donaldson.
Gresham was guarding the station at
Savannah when the battle of Pttsburg
Landing (Shiloh) occurred. He partici-
pated in the siege Of Corinth, however, and
later took part in Grants Mississippi
campaign and the siege Of Vicksburg. Au-
gust IL, 1858, he was appointed brigadier
general on the recommendation OF Grant
and Sherman, and placed in command Of
the Natchez district.
In the following spring he was placed
In command Of the division Of the Seven
teenth corps of the army of the Tennessee,
which took part In the campaign against
Atlanta. He was in the battle of Kene.
saw Mountain and in the engagements
thatsfollowed until July 20. At Leggett's
Hill, before Atlanta, he was struck by q
Bharpshooter's bullet just below the knee
1t was q dreadful wound, and kept the
gallant general off the field for a year To
the day of his death Gresham never recoy-
ored the full use of his limb. Many times
the surgeons said the leg must come off,
but the sufferer replied: when that leg
goes go too" He saved the leg, but was
on crutches for several years.
The war over General Gresham returned
to his profession, forming law partner
ship at New Albany, Ind In 1866 he was
nominated for congress against NJ. C.
Ke2r, but the district was heavily Demo
cratic, and he was defeated. When Gen
sral Grant became president he offered
him the collectorship of the port Of New
Orleans, the second bost Office of the kind
in the country, but he declined, as he did
the position of United States district at
torney of Indiana.
He was finally prevailed upon to accept
the United States district judgeship for
Indiana. which he held until April, 1888.
When Garfield was forming his cabinet
Gresham's name was among those origi-
nally agreed upon. Blaine particularly
urged his selection. The situation became
such that Garfield was compelled to modify
his original intention and Gresham was
not invited to accept portfolio. Garfield
was assassinated and Arthur succeeded
him. When Postmaster General Howe
died in April, 1888, Gresham, then holding
court at Evansville, was rendered the cabi-
net position by telegraph and accepted.
Near the close of Arthurs term, on the
death Of Secretary Folger he was appointed
secretary Of the treasury, a position he
held until October, 1884, when he with
drew from the cabinet altogether.
In December, 1854, Judge Drummond
having retired from tho office of United
States circuit judge, President Arthur,
who had taken him from the bench, had
the satisfaction of restoring him to the
bench at the close of his service.
In 1888 Judge Gresham was made n
prominent candidate for the Republican
nomination for the presidency at the Chi
cago convention against Harrison, Sher-
man, Alger, Allison and other Repub-
lican leaders whose names were presented.
Harrison ultimately captured the Indiana
delegation, however, and was nominated.
Previous to that Gresham had displayed q
strong inclination to dissent from the ex-
treme high tariff doctrine of the Ropub-
lican party. His liberal views on the tar
in created against him the antagonism of
the extreme protectlonists at Chicago.
When the Republicans assumed power
and revised the tariff by the passage of
the KeKinley law Judge Gresham with
other Republicans, openly dissented, and
| In 1892, after the nomination of Mr.. Cleve-
| lard by the Democrats, he, with other
distinguished Republicans like Wayne Nc
| Veagh, who was attorney general under