Walter Q . Gresham Walter Quintin Gresham ( March 17 , 1832 – May 28 , 1895 ) was an American statesman and jurist . He served as United States Postmaster General , as a judge on the United States Courts of Appeals , was a two - time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and was Secretary of State , and Secretary of the Treasury . He was also an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Family . He was born near Lanesville , Indiana , to William Gresham ( 1802 – 1834 ) and his wife Sarah Davis . William had been elected a Colonel in the militia of Indiana . He was a member of the Whig Party and was elected Sheriff of Harrison County , Indiana . On January 26 , 1834 , William was fatally stabbed while assisting in the arrest of Levi Sipes , a so - called " desperado " . His paternal grandparents were George Gresham ( born 1776 ) and Mary Pennington . George was born in Virginia but later settled in Kentucky . He moved to Indiana in 1809 . Mary was the only sister of Dennis Pennington , speaker of the first Indiana Senate . George was a son of Lawrence Gresham . Lawrence was born in England but moved to the Colony of Virginia in 1759 . He initially served as an indentured servant of an uncle . He was released from service upon reaching adulthood . He later served in the Continental Army . He married Sarah O ' Neal . Lawrence followed his son to Kentucky and Indiana well into his old age . Early years . Walter Gresham spent two years in an academy at Corydon , Indiana , one year at the Indiana University Bloomington , then studied law under Judge William A . Porter in Corydon before he was admitted to the bar in 1854 and started a practice in Corydon . He was active as a campaign speaker for the Republican ticket in 1856 , married Matilda McGrain in 1858 , and in 1860 was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives as a Republican from a strong Democratic district . In the House , as chairman of the committee on military affairs , he did much to prepare the Indiana troops for service in the federal army . Civil War . Gresham was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 38th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on September 18 , 1861 . In December of that year , he was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 53rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry . The 53rd Indiana subsequently took part in Grant ' s Tennessee campaign of 1862 , including the Siege of Corinth and Battle of Vicksburg . During the Siege of Vicksburg , Colonel Gresham commanded a brigade . In August 1863 he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers , and was placed in command of the Federal forces at Natchez , Mississippi . In 1864 he commanded a division of the XVII Corps in Sherman ' s Atlanta Campaign , and before the Battle of Atlanta , on July 20 , he received a gunshot wound to his knee that forced him to retire from active service , and left him lame for life . In 1865 he was appointed a brevet major general of volunteers . Political career . After the war he practiced law at New Albany , Indiana , and on September 1 , 1869 received a recess appointment from President Ulysses S . Grant to a seat on the United States District Judge for Indiana vacated by David McDonald . Formally nominated on December 6 , 1869 , Gressham was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21 , 1869 , and received his commission the same day . On April 9 , 1883 he resigned from the bench to succeed Timothy O . Howe ( 1816 – 1883 ) as Postmaster General in President Chester A . Arthur ' s cabinet , taking an active part in the suppression of the Louisiana Lottery , supervising the successful September , 1883 introduction of Postal Notes . During his service as Postmaster General , Gresham , Oregon , was named after him . In September 1884 , Gresham succeeded Charles J . Folger as United States Secretary of the Treasury , but the following month he resigned to accept a recess appointment , made on October 28 , 1884 , to a seat on the United States circuit court for the Seventh Circuit , vacated by Thomas Drummond . Gresham was formally nominated on December 3 , 1884 , and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9 , 1884 , receiving his commission the same day . On June 16 , 1891 , Gresham was reassigned by operation of law to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit . Gresham was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1884 and 1888 , in the latter year leading for some time in the balloting . His 1888 candidacy was supported by several notable agrarian unions , including The Agricultural Wheel , Grange and Farmer ' s Alliance . Gradually , however , he grew out of sympathy with the Republican leaders and policy , and in 1892 advocated the election of the Democratic candidate , Grover Cleveland , for the presidency . On March 3 , 1893 , he resigned from the bench , and from March 7 , 1893 , until his death at Washington , D . C . , on May 28 , 1895 , he was Secretary of State in President Grover Cleveland ' s Cabinet . His grave is in Arlington National Cemetery .