Evening star., 1895-05-28

himself with the new party and worked
| hard for its success The Nebraska
trouble was then at it's height, and slavery
was becoming the dominant issue of the
day. The youthful lawyer went into the
political arena and espoused with all the
earnestneSs of his years the cause of John
C. Fremont. 1.-The pathfinder" who was the
| nominee Of the new party in 1856. Gresham
stumped Indiana with Fremont, and at
tracted considerable notice by his energy
and eloquence. Fremont was defeated by
Buchanan. but the republican movement
was sweeping onward, and in the wave
Mr.. Gresham was elected in 1860 to the leg
islature, where he at once took a leading
part in the debates that ensued over the
issues that were portending the great
struggle between the states. He was made
chairman of the committee on military af-
| fairs at the session coincident with the
outbreak of hostilities. and as such brought
into the house a bill for the creation of
militia companies that gave Indiana her
splendid start in the war equipment. Gov.
Morton was attracted to him. and when
the call for troops came appointed him
lieutenant colonel of the thirty-eighth In
diana volunteers. He had already had
some acquaintance with such matters. .hav-
ing been captain of militia company call
ed the Spencer Rifles.
His War Record.
Before the regiment reached the front.
Lieut. Col. Gresham was appointed colonel
of the fifty-third Indiana, in December.
1861, being then but twenty-nine years old.
The regiment was ordered to join Grants
forces before Fort Donaldson, and there
was born the friendship between. the young
Indianian and the great commander
At the battle of .Shtl6h Pittsburg Land
ing) Col. Gresham guarded the station at
fight. He was active however. In the siege
of Corinth. and served with Grant through
his Mississippi camnaign. and at the siege
Of Vfcksburg. So sefytcsable was he to the
ma Nh ar hQ in
he was appointed bFigacier general on the
recommendation Of y Generals Grant aid
Sherman, and placed in command of the
Natchez district FnAnds in Washington
learned that there was a movement. on foot
to defeat his confirmation. and informed
Gresham. who wrQte private letter to
Gen. Grant, with the result that the latter
exercised his great influence in behalf of
his young friend. anda succeeded In over
coming the obstacles that had presented
themselves GenaraIiiGreshams govern
was Well performed In the spring of 1854
he was placed in command of the fourth
division of Blair's corps in the Atlanta
| campaign. and fought throughout that
| period. He was in the battle of Kenesaw
Mountain, and all the important engage
ments through that campaign. At Leg
gett's Hill. before Atlanta, he was wounded
| in the knee by sharpsnooter's bullet, and
was kept from the field for over a year
| He never fully recovered the use of his
| limb. but always walked with a more
| or less perceptible limp. His wound
| troubled him exceedingly. ana at times am
putaticn was recommended, but he
would never submit to this operation.
| March IL, 1865. he was made brevet major
general Of volunteers for his gallantry be,
| fore Atlanta, but he saw no further active
| service. on account of his disability, and
| after the war had ended he returned to
New Albany, Ind. and resumed the prac-
| tice of his profession.
After the War.
In 1866 MIR. Gresham received the republi-
can nomination for Congress, but was de-
| feated by NJ. c. Kerr. When Gen. Grant
| became President, In 1869, he offered Cen
Gresham the office of collector of the port
of New Orleans. but he declined the posi-
| tion. and the President, who was a warm
| personal friend. chose him for the position
| OF United States district attorney for In
diana He could not. however, persuade
! him to accept, for Gen. Gresham had come
| to Washington to solicit this place for a
| friend. In that year, however, Gen. Grant
| prevailed upon him to accept a seat on
| the United States district bench in Indiana.
| ard he held that position without interrupt
| ton until April, 1888. when he resigned
| to take seat in President Arthur's cabi-
| ret. Meanwhile he was becoming a strong
| hgure among the republicans of the coun-
| try and his name was not infrequently
mentioned as presidential possibility
| There was at different times talk of nomi-
| mating him for governor, but he would not
| allow the use of his name in this connec-
| tiol- In 1850 the republicans secured con-
| troll of the legislature which was to choose
| the successor to United States Senator J.
| +. Mcdonald, and Judge Gresham became
| an avoWed and prominent candidate for
| that honor. The principal competitor was
| Gen. Harrison. and at one time the contest
was unusually sharp. A majority of the
| republicans of the Legislature favored Har-
| fison, and Judge Gresham withdrew his
name when this fact became apparent
| Harrison was then made the nominee and
subsequently the Senator. The next year
Gen Garfield was engaged in making up
| his cabinet, and the name of Judge Gres-
| nam. was presented to him so forcibly that
| he determined, partly, it is said, upon the
advice of Mr.. Blaine, to make Judge Gres-
ham Postmaster General Complications
| arose, however. that caused a, change of
| plan. @"'
| In MIR. Arthur's Cabinet.
Gen. Arthur succeeded President Garfield
| upon the latter's death, sin September, 1851
and again Judge Gresham's name was
under serious consideration. Timothy O.
Howe was made Postmaster General, but
died in 1888. and President Arthur offered
| the position to Judget Gresham by tele-
| graph, and 1t was accepted Mr. Gresham
served as Postmaster General nearly eigh-
teen months, and in that time achieved
several important yeforms. The most I'M
| rortant OF these was the reduction of let
| ter postage from to , cents and the in
crease of allowable weight from half an
ounce to an ounce. The foreign postal
service was improved, the fast mails were
re-established, letter postage to Canada
was reduced and the postal convention
with Mexico was planned.
| Secretary Charles j.. Folger who first
held the treasury portfolio under Presi-
dent Arthur. died September 4, 1884, at
Geneva, N. Y, being then in office, al
| though he had never fully recovered from
| the shock of his overwhelming defeat by
| Mr.. Cleveland for the position of governor
of New York, and for some time before
| his death had not been able to attend to
| his duties. President Arthur Immediately
| after the fun eral endeavored to persuade
| Hugh McCulloch, who had been Secretary
| of the Tre asury under Lincoln to accent
| this portfolio. Mr.. McCulloch would not
at first accept, ard after considerable de-
lay, lasting more than twenty days, the
President had a blank commission sent in
| from the State Department and sending a
| final dispatch to Mr.. McCulloch awaited
| his reply. In the afternoon of September
| % Mr.. McCulloch positively declined the
| offer, and the commission was made out
| in the name of Postmaster General Gres-
ham, who Immediately resigned his port
| folio to accept that of the treasury, and
entered upon his new duties the next day
| Judge Gresham held this position for