The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-03-21
SKETCH OF BENJAMIN HARRISON

SKETCH OF BENJAMIN HARRISON
HE Distinguished Career as Lawyer
Soldier and Statesman.
BENJAMIN Harrison came Of a distin
Suished family His grandfather. WILLIAM
Henry Harrison, was ninth President of thS
| United States, and his great grandfs ther
Benjamin Harrison, was one of the sgners
OF the Declaration OF Independence. Ths
family was among the first settlers of Vlr
| ginis, but John scott Harrison early In the
nineteenth century moved to North Bend
ONO. where the late ex-President was born
| Aug 20. 1885.
Benjamin was the second son. With hi.
brother he was educated at College Hill
school, near Cincinnati, and at Miami Uni.
| Nerslty, oxford, Ohio. where he was gradu.
! ated In 49,. He then Stuuied law in Gin.
clnnati. aud was admitted to The bar la 1854
| ne began the practice of h.S profession in
indianapolis, wuich had since been his
For lawyer Of Internal oual reputation.
| who Is said To- have earned fees as h.gh as
| S"u.ouo. Gen. HaTri>cn'S beginning was suf
| hclently humble. soon after ne began to
! practice he was appointed crier Of the Fed
eral court at salary of $40 day. This
| was, In fact, the first money he ever earned.
opportunities followed. Jonathan W. Cor
| uon, one of tue leaders of the indianapolis
| par, called upon young Harrison TO assist
MIN In the prosecution of criminal, tried
1or burglary, and gave his junior the task
of making the plea for the State Young
Harrison had taken ample notes of the case.
put when ne rose TO speak II was night and
the court house was dimly lighted, so he
could not read note. He depended on his
memory and made such an eloquent and
cogent speech that he won the case. Ever
alterwaru MS speeches, as a rule. were im-
promptu.
Mr.. Harrison formed partnership with
William wallace, which continued until
1850. when Wallace became Clerk of Marion
Nr q
CHOSEN reporter of the Supreme Court OF
Indiana by majority of 9.ess. This was his
entrance Into the political field. When the
civil War began he assisted in raising the
Seventieth Indiana Volunteers and became
a Second Lieutenant, although Governor
Morton offered him the command.
by the time the regiment got into the field
Harrison was Its Colonel. The command
was sent TO Bowling Green, Ky, and was
brigaded with the Seventy ninth Ohio. and
the One Hundred and Second One Hundred
and Fifth and Ono Hundred and Twenty
ninth Illinois Regiments. under Brigadier
General Ward. Col. Harrison had the right
OF the brigade, and his command at first was
occupied In guarding railroads and hunting
guerIi,l,i,as. lie spent all the time possible
In drilling his men, on the theory that every
day In camp should be preparation for the
day Of battle. By this discipline he made
his regiment one of the best In the service.
When Gen. Ward was called to Nashville
Col. Harrison became brigade commander
and his brigade became part of the third d.
vision of the Twentieth Army Corps. under
Fighting Joe Hooker" In the engagement
at Resaca, Ca, when Sherman led his forces
against Gen. Joe Johnston, Col Harrison,
who had again taken command Of the Sew
ent!eth. was one OF the first men to cross
the parapet In stOrming the enemy's works.
Every day following brought an engagement
OF some kind with the enemy. When the
Peach Tree Creek fight was over Cen
Hooker In dispatch to Washington gave
Col; Harrison high praise for the efficiency
IL
canvass for recruits, Col. Harrison returned
to Chattanooga and then to Nashville, where
late In 1864 be was placed In command Of a
provisional brigade. When the battle OF
Nashville was over he was sent In pursuit
Of Gen. Hood. He took part in the grand
army review at the close Of the war, and
June 3. 1850. was mustered out as brevet
brtgadier general.
On returning to Indianapolis Gen. Harri-
son resumed the practice OF the law In the
Grant campaigns Of 1865 and 1872 he took
an active part. stumplng the State for his
old commanderin-chief In 1876 he declined
a nomination for Governor on the Republi
can ticket. After the regular nominee had
withdrawn he consented to rum but was
beaten. He was chairman of the Indiana
delegation at the Republican Convention Of
1850 that nominated Garfield for President.
Garfield offered him a place In his cabinet
but he declined. preferring to be United
states Senator from Indiana, a position held
from 1881 to 1887.
Elected to the Presidency.
In 1883 in the Republican Convention Gen.
Harrison was nominated for the Presidency.
receiving 544 votes 10 lis for John Sherman |
and 100 for Russell A. Alger He was elected |
and served one term. but was defeated in |
1892 by Grover Cleveland.
During President HarrisOns term as Pres |
dent the Behring Sea sealing controversy
between England and the United States |
reached an acute stage. The American Gov !
ernment claimed that under the purchase |,
from Russia 1t had not only exclusive right |
to the seals on the Alaskan islands but to |
exclude our own citizens and people OF other |
nations from killing them within 100 miles |
Of the Islands. After lengthy negotiations |
between the two countries, the dispute was
finally settled by arbitration.
President Harrison was the prime mover |
In bringing about the pan-American con- |
yress which met In Washington in 1sS9-9O |
American countries being present This |
congress gave a great Impetus to the reel |
proclty movement. which was James q. |
Blaine's favorite policy for extending Amer
lean trade with foreign countries.
1t was during President Harrison's term
that the first movement was started for a |
new American navy. The desire of the ad-
ninistration to push the construction Of ar
nored vessels with guns of great power re-
suited In placing on the water the new
white squadron" which played such an i'm
portant part In the Spanish war
Since he retired from the Presidency Gen.
Harrison took little part In politics He
the practice Of law and was identi-
led with several cases OF international! I'm
,ortance. One was the Venezuelan arbitra-
lion case in Paris, for which, II Is said. he
received a fee of $4,000 from Venezuela.
Gen. Harrison was always a staunch Pres
,yterian and n devout churchman He was
IN the committee that had in charge the
question of revising the Westminster con-
'ession, which recently sat in Washington.
Gen. Harrison was twice married His
irst wife Miss Caroline Scott, of Ok
'ord. Ohio, whom he married In 1853, and
" whom he had a son. Russell B.. and a
laughter. who Is now Mrs. James p. Mckee
She died In 1892 at the White House In
His second wife was Mrs. Mary
Lord Dimmick. who was n niece and com
,anlon of the former Mrs. Harrison. They
we're married April I. 1soi. One daughter
Elizabeth. was born of the union.