New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-28
c1:rrcu OF Ills CAREER.

SKETCH OF HIS 'FlNtih'
rho ce,eolocv Of Walter Quintin Gresham SHOWS
bir, to have been OF mingled English S,o'" ''.'
r,,sh ancestry. His first progcnitors IN TINS 'ou'
~ a,,o ZION, England as Colonial pioneers. ana
so,,i.d in Virginia There. At Petcrsh"rS' on
,oner l77f was born George Gresham s""'-
father OF the subject 81 this sH'ich' rs '"'
Vas a patriotic one. and r''nAinen I'D '"''
until IL became one ~ the states OF inc '"''' |
.s foremost citizen was made President "l '"'
Young RepubIc Then they moved "'s'""'N' ~
..-,f.i,s,. I'm the founding and uphuilins o. N'"
commemorative Mercer county. KY Ma '"'"
,.xt home. and there % isji young ''"i-' '''''''
vas married 10 Mary Pennington. m''n"'' 90
family uotab. 90 ID" ic@i chapters ~ -''''
hl-,o,, Eight wears Inter this coupl" mof'' ~"
,t, and finally made fhelr permanent settle
mont north OF the Ohio RIVER Just whef" ki'''
bend Of that stream cuts a sefn-cli'i' o'' 81 Wv
dirk and bloody rrouni' - kcntu'sy '-"'N'
Gresham took up a large tract % VIII ""' va
rit,l. Indian creek. wher" now IL me N"'''' 20
rau.sviue In Harrison county. Ind THIS par,
-, 3D., s.,,. W. tho earliest settled Here Atri
the great tioneer families the Hefhs. Floyd~. zen
nlngtona Hooncs. Jennings'- ana 'f"FhAN7 "''''
al CoryGon the county seat. was '"' '"''' ''''
the capital 81 the Territory. ana i"r h'h' years
afterwari the capital o, the stale Tn" Ola STONE
state House is SIN standing and Is used az the
county Courthouse az Coryion. T. vas hnii ~
l.ii Nv Dennis Pennington. :he brother ~ Mrs
,s.ore. Gresham
Among the carly s,a,e-rnntcrs - Harrison County
Geor.e Gresham and Dennis Pennington ""'' com
rn.udir, nguree. Pennington wa- political leader
~ The nrsi rank Afier serving term as Speaker
o. the House in the Territorial Legislature. De on
tered me. State Legislature and served c"nuhHoury
gtr terms ln th. House and thirteen 10 me senate
Gresham on the other hand "as j." politician
though he always voted and took Intelligent ani
active Interest IN an public affair II" devoted
much attention 20 me establishment ~ schools
and churches. and was one ~ M" founders ~
Netholism ln that region. Cartwright ana NJ"
other circuit riders % the time made his house
their preaching place unul through his enortS. the
nrs, church was built He was universally es-
tened as 4 model neFhbor and citizen He Yell
a victim 20 Asiaiic cholera at his home AT Lanes
Will. September g. 1879. Both he and his brother
in-aw Pennington. AT first followers OF Jei-
forson Madison and Monroe IN politics. hut In
the party reorganization that occurred ut the close
OF Monrocs second term President they be-
came supporters OF John Quincy Adams and after
ward Of Henry clay and for the rest OF their lives
were unwavcring Wings and believers in the
american policy" OF the great Kentucky states
man.
TO George Gresham and his wife Mary Pen
nineion were bern ten sons and four daughters.
Three Of the died in infancy. but the other
eleven children grew up TO be useful citizens The
Oldest child wGs william Gresham. who was born
in Kentucky. September IL. 1872. lie farmer
ana also cabnotmaker. and colonel In the local
he vas popularity called the handsomcst man in
Harrison County: and his character and manners
made him dcscryedly tho most popular also. In
his twcnty-third year he married Sarah Davis. n
daughter Of John Davis. a Scotch-Irsh settler who.
Ike the Grcshams. had come To Indiana from Vir-
GINA by the way OF Kentucky. Colonel william
Gresham was elected the WING ticket sheriff OF
Harrison County In 1888 BY almost unanimous
vote In January OF the next year warrant was
issued for the arrest 81 notorious rufhan named
Sipcs. The constable dared not serve It. and called
upon Colonel Gresham to assist him. He unhesl-
tatingy did 50. and while In the discharge OF his
duty was shot dead by the Desperate
Colonel Gresham left his young wife with five
small children and very little property. The oldest
child benjamin. eight years old. The second
and third daughters. The fourth Walter
Qulntin the subject Of this sketch. two years old
The NTH George. infant IN arms. The
Gresham boys were. by stern necessity. early set
work to earn their living. Benjamin. the oldest.
became Ike his father. a farmer and carpenter
When the Mexican War broke out he enlisted In
Colonel Joe" Lanes "a Indiana Regiment. and was
with It at Monterey and Buena Vista. Then he
returned to his farm and shop until Sumter
fired upon He promptly responded TO the call for
volunteers and went to the front as first lenten-
war with Hooker and Thomas and was severely
wounded at Chanceorsvilc and Nashville. At the
end OF the war having risen to be lieutenant colonel
home 81 Ianesviile wherc he sin resides
Walter tlulntin Gresham was born on March H.
1892. He grew up on the Ianesville farm. working
hard attending the district school In the winter
and diligently reading and studying every book mat
In his way. When he was sixteen years Old
Samuel Wright. Auditor Of the county. gave him a
small place in his office. The wages were only
sufficient pay for his board. but the boy accepted
the situation eagerly. for 1t granted him what ne
had been longing for, a chance TO attend the hcad
envy Al corydon the principal Of which was james
G. May. "A Kcntuckian The lad audied there Tor
two years. Another year OF study at Bloomington
University finished HIS education so far az schools
concerned. He then returned TO Corydon DE.
came a deputy In the County Clerks once, ana
studied law In the office or william a. Porter.
rather eccentric but able. successful and honored
jurist Three years OF digent study htted young
Gresham for the practice Of his chosen pTofession
and in 1884 he was admitted to the bar and entered
ward Judge OF the Circuit Court
At the time OF Mr.. Gresham's entry Into the legal
profession political excitement ran high The great
Nebraska question was the issue OF The DAY The
old Wing party was going to pieces The Hepub
can party was coming into existence IL was evi.
dent that the whole country woui soon Dc uVaed
on the one question OF slavery or freedom Having
grown up a Henry Clay Whig. The Young lawyer
naturally allied himself with the kepupnI.cans HIS
partner was a delegate to the Philanspnia conven-
ton OF 1856. which nominated General Fremont tor