Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-05-28

ter o. was but two years OF age when
his father was killed. Benjamin, the
oldest. was eight A struggle ensued,
but from the hard hand of penury they
earned the right 20 live and finally to
. prosper. Benjamin. like his father
. learned the trade Of a carpenter, but
also chung to- the farm. Walter grew
ND with bu, two or three years winter
schooling. until he was sixteen years
OF aee. He succeeded i'm entering the
seminary at Corvion. Two years here
ald one 2r bloomington University
completed his education, so far as
schooling was concerned He began the
study of law under Judge W. A. P0r-
ter. one OF the noted characters Of
Southern Indiana. while acting as dep
u-v clerk. and i'm 1884 entered into
partnership with Thomas c. Staugh-
ter. am eminent lawyer of that time.
Iu 1888
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
was formed. and with it Gresham at
once allied himself He stUmped his
section of the State for Pathfinder
Fremont. Mr. Gresham was elected to
the legislature. where he was chair
man of the Committee on Military Ar
fairs. oliver p. Morton, the great war
Governor of Indiana. leaned upon him
FIN the then impending crisis. Before
ne saw active service he was appoint
ei Colonel of the SD regiment IN De-
camb-r. 1861. Gresham's regiment was
ordered TO- join Grant after Donaldson.
August II. 1863, ne was appointed Brig
alier-Gcnerdl on the recommendation
of Grant and sherman, and placed In
command of the NaJchez district. In
the following spring be was placed i'm
command of O division of the 18th corps
of the Army of the Tennessee. He was
fn the battle Of Eenesaw Mountain and
iD the engagements that followed until
July 20. At LeggetJs Hill, before At
lanta. ne was struck by a sharp-shO0J-
er's bullet Just below the knee. 1t
was dreadful wound and kept the
gallant General off the field for year.
To the day of his death Gresham never
recovered the full use of his leg.
The war over. General Gresham re-
turned TO- his profession, forming law
partnership at New Albany Ind. In
1866 he was
NOMINATED FOR CONGRESS
AGAINST NIcKerr. but the district was
heavily Democratic and he was defeat
ed. When General Grant became Pres
ident. ne was appointed the United
States District Judge for Indiana. Jn-
ril April. 1883. he held this position.
When Postmaster General Howe died
in April. 1888. Gresham was rendered
the Cabinet position by telegraph. and
accepted Near the close of Arthur
term. on the death of Secretary Folger,
be was appointed Secretary of the
Treasury. a position ne held until Oc-
tObe~. 1854. President Arthur. VINO
had taken him from the bench, had the
satisfaction of restoring him TO the
bench at the close of his service.
Tn 1SSS Judge Gresham was made a
prominent candidate for the Republi-
can nomination for the Presidency at
the Chicago convention. His liberal
views on the tariff created against him
the antagOuism of the extreme prOtec-
u0uists at Chicago. After Mr. Cleve-
land was elected in February, 1893. he
summoned Judge Gresham 10 Lakewood,
y. j.. where. after q consultation, he
rendered him the position of Premier
of the Cabinet ne was forming Judge
Gresham accepted and assumed the du-
ties Of Secretary of State on March Z,
1898.
AS Secretary of State in the present
administration. Mr.. Gresham has had
no deal with perhaps more yeXatiOus,
intricate and delicate diplomatic af-
fairs than has fallen to the share of
mos. Secretaries of state His treat
ment of these was marked by the
strong individuality which was part of
the man.
HE HAD DECIDED VIEWS
uDon the Hawaiian matter even before
he came into the Cabinet and it was
uron his recommendation that Presi-
dent Cleveland performed almost his
6rst official action by Withdrawing
from the Senate where il was pending,
tbe annexation treaty negotiated by
Secretary Foster. Then III, BlOUnt