The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-19
Mr.. CRESHAM'S CAREER
His Active Life as Lawyer, Soldier, Jurist
and Cabinet Officer.

His Active Life as Lawyer, Soldier, Jurlst
and Cabinet officer.
Walter Quintin Gresham was born on
March II, 1882, in an old-fashioned farm
house near Lanesville, Harrison County,
Ind. about a hundred miles down the Ohio
River from ex-President Benjamin Harri-
sons birthplace. His parents we're OF Eng
lish descent. His father, William
Gresham, was Sheriff Of the back
woods county, and he was shot to death
while attempting to arrest an outlaw. Walter
Gresham was at that ti1Ge two years old, and
next to the youngest Of family Of five chill
dren. His grandfather, George Gresham,
had been one Of the pioneer settlers OF the
State. Walter Gresham's opportunities for
schooling were limited. In his boyhood
he followed the plow by day and studied
his books at night. His mother was
Door, but plucky, and she managed
the farm and kept the family together Wal
ter went to the district school until he was
sixteen years old, and then he obtained
clerkship in the County Auditors office,
which paid his board and expenses and per-
mitted him to attend the Corydon Seminary
University for year, and then returned to
Corydon, where he studied law in the office
of Judge William A. Porter. He was ad-
mitted to the bar when he was twenty-five
years old. and began to practice law. Gres-
ham was Whig in politics, and his part
ner, Thomas c. Slaughter. afterward Judge
of the Circuit Court, was In 1856 delegate
from Indiana to the Philadelphia Convention
that nominated Fremont. Young Gresham
began his active political career by stumping
the State for ''the Pathfinder" He was
nominated for the Legislature In 1850 as q
Republican, and was elected in a strongly
Democratic district.
When the war broke out Gresham was the
Captain of the military company in Corydon,
known as the Spencer Rifles. He re-
fused a reelection to the Legislature and
enlisted as a privhte in the Thirty-siGhth
Indiana Regiment. Almost Immediately he
was selected as the Lieutenant-Colonel OF
that regiment. He saw his first service at
Shiloh, and later he took part in the
mege of Corinth. Colonel Gresham met
Grant at Vicksburg, and after the surrender
Grant and Sherman united in recommending
him for Brisadier-General's commission,
which he received. While In command
OF a division Of Sherman's army at Leg
gett's Hill, before Atlanta, General Gresham
was shot in the knee, a wound from which
he never fully recovered. When Ores
ham was ready to go to the front
was breyetted Major-General and mus
tered out of the service. He resumed the
practice of law at New Albany, Ind. When
General Grant became President he offered
General Gresham the Collectorship of the
Port OF New Orleans, and subsequently the
District-Attorneyship Of Indiana. Both oi
these offers were refused.
General Gresham twice ran for Congress,
and was defeated by Michael c. Kerr. He
accepted President Grants appointment rs
United States District Judge for Indiana
in 1869. and during the twelve years that he
held that District Judgeship not one ot
his decisions was reversed. President
Arthur called him from the bench to be-
come member Of his Cabinet In 1883
and since that time Mr.. Gresham has beer
conspicuous figure in National politics. HI
took the portfolio in President Arthur:
Cabinet left vacant by the death OF Post
master-G eneral Howe Perhaps the mos
noticeable incident Of his career as Post
master-GeReral was the exclusion OF thu
louisiana Lottery Company from the us'
Of the mail. Near tine close OF President Ar
thurs term, on the death OF Secretary FolSer
Mr.. Gresham was appointed Secretary OF tn
Treasury. NJ. Gresham, however, loASet
for return to the bencn, und III the cios!n'
days of the Arthur Administration he wa
appointed Circuit Judge to succeed JudS
Drummond for tine Seventh judicial Dlstrlcl
This was an appointment for lie.
he was candidate lot lio AA'P
nomination for President in 1854, aud aGall
in 1888. He received Ill votes on the mrs
ballot in the convention in 1888. His vot
rose to 123 on the third ballot. and the!
dwindled to ffty-nine on the eighth and last
He refused, it is said. the domination by tn
Peoples Party in 1892.
Judge Gresham announced his intention
voting for Grover Cleveland in the last Presi
Dental campaign. In his letter, dated Octo
ber ~, 1892, and addressed to Major Blufor(
Wilson, he announced that he thought Re
publican could vote for MIR. Cleveland with
out joining the Democratic party. When MI