Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/258

 GARFIELD

GARFIELD

young and continued in the occupation, with tlie exception of a short experience as driver on a canal, until he was seventeen years old. Mean- while he had gained some school training during the winters at the district schoolhouse, and a large amount of general knowledge from reading. In 1S48 he attended two sessions of the Geauga seminary at Chester, Ohio, and the next winter taught a school near his home. In the spring of 1830 he again took up his studies at Chester and in the fall taught the village school at Warrens- ville. He prepared himself for Williams college at the Western Reserve Eclectic institute, Hiram, Ohio. 1851-54, j)aying his way by teach- ing. He also became a preacher iu the Disciple's church. He entered the junior class of Williams college in 1854 and was graduated in 1856, re- ceiving his master's degree in 1859. He taught a class iu penmanship at North Pownal, Vt., during the winter of 1854-55 ; was instructor of ancient languages and literature in Western Reserve Eclectic institute, Hiram, Portage county, 1856-57, and president of the institution, 1857-61. The institute was under charge of '■ The Disciples " (CampbellitesK and assumed collegiate powers and responsibilities, Feb. 20,

HiRAAA. college:. 1867, becoming known as Hiram college.

He

was entered as a student of law in Cleveland, but pursued his studies at Hiram. He was married, Nov. 11, 1858, to Lucretia, daughter of Zebulon Rudol|)h of Portage county. He joined the new Republican party and spoke for Fremont and Daj'tou in 1836. He was a member of the state senate from Portage and Summit counties, 1860- 62. When the civil war broke out he was jirac- tising law, having been admitted to the bar in 1861, and Governor Dennison in August of that year commissioned him lieutenant-colonel of the 43d Ohio volunteers, a regiment which Garfield had enlisted at Hiram from the alumni of the institute. He brought the regiment to an efH- cient disci])line and was elected its colonel before being ordered to the front, December, 1861, when he reported with his men to General Buell at Louisville, Ky. That officer at once assigned the untried colonel to the command of a br'gad«

and with 0500 men he was commissioned to drive General Humphre}' ilarshall from the state. He outgeneraled the trained soldier who had a force of 5000 men, driving him from one fortified place to another, and keeping huu so busy that he was not enabled successfully to join battle until driven to Middle Creek, Ky., Jan. 10. 1862, where, after maintaining a hand-to-hand fight for live hours, Colonel Garfield, with the help of reinforcements from Generals Granger and Shel- don, effectually routed him. For this service Garfield was promoted brigadier -general with commission to date from Jan. 10, 1863. He was assigned to the command of the 20th brigade and directed to join General Grant who was opposing Gen. A. S. Johnston. He reached the battle-field of Shiloh on the second day of the fight, April 7, 1863, aided in repulsing the enemy, and the next day joined Sherman in his attack on the rear guard of the Confederate army. In June he rebuilt the bridges on the Memphis and Charles- ton railroad, repaired the fortifications at Harts- ville, Tenn., and on July 30, 1863, was obliged to return home on sick leave. He remained at Hiram, Ohio, until September 25, when he was ordered on court-martial duty at Washington and on November 35 was assigned to the Gen. Fitz-John Porter case. He returned to the Army of the Cumberland in Februar3-, 1863, and was made chief -of -staff to General Rosecrans. On June 24, 1863, he advised a general advance of the Union armj-, against the written opinion of Bixteen of the general officers, and General Rose- brans ordered the advance. General Garfield wrote out all the orders for the battle of. Chicka- naauga, fought on Sept. 19, 1863, excepting the one by which the battle was lost. He tlien volunteered to carrj- the news of the defeat to General Tliomas, commanding the extreme left, and succeeded in reachmg Thomas's headquarters through a con- stant fire from the enemy, thus enabling that general to save the anny of the Cumberland. This action won for Garfield promotion to the rank of major-general of volunteers, Sept. 19, 1863, "for gallantry on afield that was lost." He now declined the command of a division urged upon him by General Thomas, who had suc- ceeded Rosecrans and who was reorganizing the army of the Cumberland, and at the President's urgent request resigned his commission in the army and took his seat in congress, Dec. 7, 1863. having been elected in October, 1862, as a repre- sentative from Ohio in the 38th congress. He was given a place on the committee on military affairs and in congi'ess opposed boimties to raw recruits and favored the confiscation of the property of rebels, and free commerce between the states. On Jan. 13, 1865, he made an ex- haustive speech in favor of the constitutional