death_date birth_date signature term_end alma_mater death_place term_start spouse image name predecessor birth_place president party office successor religion article_title birth_name
24 december 1869 19 december 1814 edwin mcmasters stanton signature.svg may 28 , 1868 march 4 , 1861 kenyon college washington , d.c. , u.s. january 20 , 1862 december 20 , 1860 mary lamson ellen hutchison edwin mcmasters stanton secretary of war.jpg edwin stanton simon cameron jeremiah black steubenville , ohio , u.s. abraham lincoln andrew johnson james buchanan democratic 1869 -rrb- -lrb- before 1862 -rrb- republican -lrb- 1862 -- 27th attorney general united states secretary of war 25th united states john schofield edward bates methodism edwin stanton
 edwin mcmasters stanton
edwin stanton

edwin mcmasters stanton -lrb- december 19 , 1814december 24 , 1869 -rrb- was an american lawyer and politician who served as secretary of war under the lincoln administration during most of the american civil war .
stanton 's effective management helped organize the massive military resources of the north and guide the union to victory .
he also organized the manhunt for lincoln 's killer , john wilkes booth .
after lincoln 's assassination , stanton remained as the secretary of war under the new president andrew johnson during the first years of reconstruction .
he opposed the lenient policies of johnson towards the former confederate states .
johnson 's attempt to dismiss stanton ultimately led to president johnson being impeached by the house of representatives .
stanton returned to law after retiring as secretary of war , and in 1869 was nominated as an associate justice of the supreme court by johnson 's successor , ulysses s. grant ; however , he died four days after his nomination was confirmed by the senate .
