The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-03
Who Also Related New Incidents OF
the Life of the Soldier, Jurist, Leg
islator and Cabinet officer.
EXERCISES AT SPRINGFIELD
WHERE PICTURES OF JUDGES WERE
HUNG IN THE COURTROOM.
Senator and Mrs. Fairbanks, Judge
and Mrs. Anderson, MI. and Mrs. A.
c. Harris Among Those Present.

SPRINGFIELD. Ill, June Ex-senator
Charles W. Fairbanks, of Indiana. deliv
cred notable tribute to the late Walter
Quinton Gresham in the United States
Court room here to-day. Some time ago
the Federal court officials of this city made
collection of pictures of judges who had
presided over the United States Court for
the Springfield district. These pictures
were formally hung to-day. Many judges
and lawyers attended the exercises. In
diana was represented in the group OF pic
lures by a splendid likeness of Walter Q.
Gresham, who served as circuit judge for
this district. Many Indiana friends of the
Gresham family were present. One COM
pany, which included Senator and Mrs.
Fairbanks, Judge and Mrs. Anderson. Mr..
and Mrs. Addison c. Harris, Noble c. But
Ter, Albert w. wishard and others, ar
rived this morning in special car.
SENATOR FAIRBANKS'S ADDRESS.
Addresses dealing with the originals Of
the pictures were delivered. To Senator
| Fairbanks was assigned Walter Q. Gresh-
am. The senator, In beginning his address.
reviewed Gresham's early career. and then
said:
when the war began his chosen profess
sion possessed further attractions. He
early rendered his sword in support of his
| imperied government and was commits
stoned by Governor Morton Lieutenant colo
| Volunteers, but before leaving for the front
he promoted to the colonelcy of the
| Fifty-third Regiment. His military career
was a brilliant one, and he always dwelt
1 yyif he He ra-
garded himself most fortunate, indeed,
| in having the opportunity to serve his
country in the hour. of her severest peril.
military service, says:
with his command. he joined the forces
OF Grant at savannah Tenn. and soon won
| in the siege of Corinth. the campaign in
northern Mississippi and the siege of Vicks-
burg. In August, 1853, he was appointed
brigadier general, and placed in command
of the post at Natchez. where he remained
| until the opening of 1864. From that time
until August he commanded division of
| nessee and participated in the battle of
| Kenesaw mountain, and many others which
| followed, to Atlanta. On the 20th Of July, In
the battle Of Saggett's hill, he was struck
| by a minnie ball, which shattered his leg
below the knee and closed his military ca
| reer.'
"He received his wound while in advance
| OF his troops, examining, under heavy fire.
| a ravine over which he expected to lead his
men in a charge against the enemy.
| A PATHETIC STORY.
| lone evening, when General Gresham was
postmaster general, he told me, as we sat
looking at the equestrian statue Of General
Mcpherson, in Washington, the story of the
| friendship which had existed between him
self and his dead commander. I have come,
a hundred times, perhaps said he, and
| sat here looking at the statue of General
Mcpherson. We were particularly close
| friends. There existed between us the most
perfect mutual attachment and confidence
When news had been carried to General
| Mcpherson that had been shot. he sent his
| staff surgeon to me with kindly personal
message. l was borne from the field in an
ambulance and by circuitous route. to the
railroad station. was placed upon a
| stretcher in the end of a box car lighted
only by one or two talow candles / there
| saw a couple of the members of McPher-
| sons staff. / had received intelligence
| of the fate of the battle, and asked one OF
the officers where General Mcpherson was
He pointed to a pine pine box in the car. Sc
hand upon IL, and said. There is General
| MCPHERSON rode northward with his
| dead body as far as Louisville, where We
| separated for the last time on this earth
"As he told this pathetic story. under the
| shadow of the heroic effigy of his dead COM
mander, his eyes disclosed the profound
| depth of his great and noble nature
For a year General Greshams life
| seemed to hang almost in the balance. Al
| one time the crisis was so grave that a con.
sultation of eminent surgeons was held
| They agreed that without amputation of hi:
limb there was but remote chance of his
| recovery, and amputatioa was decided upon
The emaciated and almost dying soldier
| drew from under his pillow revolver and
| declared that he would shoot the first sur.
geon who attempted amputation. The oper.
| alton was abandoned. The tremendous viii
| power of the patient proved sufficient to ac
| complish, without the knife and saw, wha
| the highest professional skill had regarded
as practically impossible.
| when General Gresham had sufficiently
recovered, he resumed the practice of Law
at New Albany. Ind, in partnership Will
Judge John II. Butler and Noble c. Butler
at
partnership he was the unsuccessful candi
date for Congress upon the Republican
ticket. against the late Michael c. Kerr
one time speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives. He canvassed the district boil
times upon crutches. He was aggressive
bold and fearless in the advocacy of hi
| cause, but the odds were so greatly agains
him that, although he reduced the norma
opposition majority against his party. h
failed of election.
APPOINTED DISTRICT JUDGE.
'In 1859 President Grant. who had formed
a high opinion of General Gresham's quail
ties as soldier and citizen, unsolicited ten
dered him the position of United States dis
trict Judge for the District of Indiana. Tn
general. at first doubted the wisdom of hi
| acceptance. He was comparatively youni
| and without adequate experience, as he be
lieved, 10 enable MIN suitably to discharg
the functions Of the great office. After som
, hesitation, however, he accepted the tender
| and addressed himself faithfully. studious
| ly and conscientiously to the discharge O
| the grave and arduous duties OF fedora
| judge. He sought to supply his suppose
| deficiencies by hard work, but his constitu
| ton, impaired by his military service
seemed TO yield under II. and he was oblige
| to leave the bench for g year in search O
| health upon the Pacific coast.
Judge Gresham was fortunate In his as
sociates upon the bench. Justice David Da
| Wis and Judge Thomas Drummond enter
| tanned a high opinion OF their junior col
| league and gave TO him every possible as
| sistance. There grew up between them tn
strongest ties Of genuine friendship. The
looked upon him. said one who well kne,
| them, as a son. and he regarded them al
ways with filial affection While the thre
differed in many particulars, IL Away
. | seemed to me there was similarity in thei
| exalted conception of the dignity and ma
| esty of the judicial Office. and In their al
so,ute integrity of purpose. They were eac
instinct with the essential principles @
! equitable Jurisprudence. and together the
could have established code OF law for
State in its formative period.
"At one time Judge Gresham seriousl
| contemplated retiring from the Distric
bench. with its wholly inadequate comper
sation, and engaging in the more lucrativ
practice OF the law. But he was poor mar
with a family dependent upon him. and b
was possessed of fear that his heait