The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-28

'oot liza lOilty Va AAiO PSOPAN D>~N~S
were Southern-bred people, upholders OF
slavery, and they were by no means cheer
ful listeners to this new doctrine. Speak
ing to friend of that campaign, some
months ago, Judge Gresham said:
The people did not treat us very well.
Ihey were ugly about it. They threatened
us with vengeance, and they were not
people whose threats were to be laughed
at' But our little party was dead IN
earnest and we kept uD the fight, and at
the election Fremont received more votes
IN our county than he got in the remain
ing counties of our Congressional District
ana In the Evansville district, the one ad-
joining US on the west combined"
In 1860 the Republicans of Harrison
county nominated for the Legislature g
man who refused to make the seemingly
hopeless race against 700 Democratic ma
lorlty. The committee put young Ores
nam name in his place, against the lat
ter's wishes. But, being thus drawn into
the ngnt, he made the run. gave the oppo-
sltlon another taste of his quality as a cam
palgner, and won. At the special session
OF the Legislature he was made chairman
OF the Military Committee, and spent much
OF MS time in framing and pushing
through what was known as the Indiana
legion law, law which soon afterward en-
apled Governor Morton to send Hoosier
troops to the front with rapidity which
challenged the amazement and admiration
Of the Nation.
VI course, young man like Gresham
could not keep out of the service. Before
MS election to the Legislature things
looked nOIU m ba +ho
tucklans were full of swagger and Ores
nam mad organized and drilled a company
OF nome guards. These guards at the end
OF the regular session of the Legislature he
took into the service with him, entering
the Thirty-eighth Indiana with rank of
captain, and being soon after chosen lieu
tenant-colonel. His regiment was one of
the four with which General Sherman
moved from Louisville against Buckner,
who was moving down the line of the
Louisville and Nashville road. In De-
cember, 1861, he was made colonel of
the Flfty-third Indiana Regiment, and
ordered to report to General Grant at Saw
annah, just below Pittsburg Landing. He
was put in command of the post there,
where were important stores, and saw
Grant early in the morning of the day the
battle of Shiloh began and knows how I'M
truthful was the story of Grants intoxica-
ton on that occasion. Colonel Gresham
was with his army through the siege of
Corinth and did such good service before
Vlcksburg that soon after the surrender he
was promoted to be brigadier-general. AS
commander of the district of Natchez be
had a great deal of trouble with cotton
thieves and was glad to get out and join
Sherman on the Meridian campaign. His
command was afterWard transferred north
and ordered to join Sherman on his cam
paign to the sea.
ltlwas late in the evening of July 20, 1864,
before Atlanta, that General Gresham was
disabled. When Hood attacked the Army
of the Cumberland in what was known as
the battle of Peach Tree Creek, Mcpherson
pressed forward with the left of the Army
of the Tennessee, including Greshams
fourth division of the Seventeenth Corps.
Gresham and Blair were on the extreme
left and next to the Fifteenth Corps, under
Logan. These two corps had moved for
ward from Decatur, six miles from At
lanta, driving the enemy before them. The
fourth division was in front, and had sew
eral times succeeded in driving the enemy
from his position. At last the Confeder-
ates made stand on ridge favorable'
to defense, this ridge being somewhat
higher than one running parallel
to it, within easy infantry range,
which was occupied by the Fed
erals. General Gresham's orders were
to dislodge the enemy from the position he
had taken, and before ordering the ad-
vance he pressed forward to personally
view the depression between the two
ridges in order to satisfy himself that the
character of the ground was such that he
could afford to order the charge.
While at the front, amid heavy firing, a
mimic ball struck his left leg just below
the knee, SCATTERING the bone. He was
Immediately sent home, Mrs Gresham
meeting him en- route, and for twelve
months he was confined to his house, nine
months of that time being spent in the in
teresting pastime of lying fat on his back,
with splints on his leg.
Of course General Gresham's military
career was now at an end, but not his days
of fighting. In the autumn of 1865 he
resumed the practice of law at New Albany
with General John M. Butler, but, as be-
fore, the Republicans would not let him
alone. That was Speaker Kerr's district,
ard, though Democratic by very large
majority, the Republicans made desperate
efforts to capture it. They put up Gresham
in 1866, and though Kerr was given the
certificate, it is fact known to all who are
familiar with the inner political history of
Indiana that Gresham was fairly elected in
district which at the previous election
had given a Democratic majority of 1000.
This has been admitted by many of Kerr's
friends. Before the next Congressional
election the district was made more than
ever Democratic by the addition of two
strong Democratic counties. Gresham ran
again in 1868, but was beaten. In 1869 he
was appointed by General Grant to a
United States district judgeship. Some
erroneous statements having been made
at one time or another concerning this
appointment, it will be proper here to give
the facts.
Before his election to the Presidency
General Grant told Gresham to get his
things in shape, as he might be called on.
few days before the Inauguration he
received a letter from General Rawlins in-