Page:Men of Mark in America vol 1.djvu/434



ORAKER, JOSEPH BENSON, Ohio farmer's son and attendant at winter district school until fifteen; governor of Ohio, 1886-90; United States senator from March 4, 1897; was born on a farm near Rainsboro, Highland county, Ohio, July 5, 1846. His father, Henry S. Foraker, was a farmer of slender means and with a family of eleven children to provide for, and the son's education was limited to attendance at the district school during the winter months. He did his share of the work on the farm until he was fifteen years old. His mother, Margaret R., was the daughter of David Reece, and was well fitted to direct the home training of her large family of children. His first ancestor in America came from Devonshire, England, about 1740, and after several changes of locality finally established a home near Smyrna, Delaware. His grandfather, John Foraker, removed to Ohio in 1820. After leaving his father's farm in 1861, Joseph B. was employed in the office of his uncle, James Reece, who at the time was auditor of Highland county, until July 14, 1862, when at the age of sixteen he enlisted in the 89th Ohio regiment of infantr3 He received promotion in the army to sergeant of his company August 26, 1862, to first lieutenant, March 14, 1864, and was brevetted captain March 19, 1865, "for effective service during the campaigns in Georgia and North Carolina" under Sherman, and directly under General Henry Wager Slocum on whose staff he served as aide-de-camp. His regiment. Colonel Caleb H. Carleton commanding, was in the 1st brigade, 1st division. Granger's reserve corps. Army of the Cumberland, under Rosecrans at Chicamauga, and his colonel was captured by the Confederates. In the Chattanooga campaign the regiment was commanded by Captain John H. Jolly, in the 1st brigade, 3d division, 14th corps, Army of the Cumberland, under Thomas, and in the same brigade, division and corps, under Sherman in the Atlanta campaign and in the Campaign of the Carolinas. Lieutenant Foraker had attracted the attention of General Slocum who commanded the left wing, Army of Georgia, and during the march through the Carolinas he was detached from his