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Harrison County, Indiana
B I O G R A P H I E S
Biography of :
WALTER QUINTON GRESHAM
Walter Quinton Gresham,
statesman, was born in Lanesville, Harrison County, Ind., March 17,
1833; son of William and Sarah (Davis) Gresham; grandson of George and
Mary (Pennington) Gresham, and of John and Sarah (Litsey) Davis; and a
descendant of Lawrence Gresham who came to America from England as a
boy before 1750 in company with an uncle Gresham, a native of Virginia
and descendant of the family that had previously settled in that
colony. William Gresham was sheriff of Harrison county, and was killed
by an outlaw while endeavoring to effect his arrest in 1885. Mary
Pennington was born in Washington county, Ky., and was still living in
1900, in her ninety-fourth year. George Gresham removed from Virginia
to Kentucky and thence to Indiana about 1800. <>
<>Walter was taken with the entire family of eleven children, to
Harrison County, Ind., about 1814, and was brought up with four other
children by his mother, who continued to conduct the farm, assisted by
her boys, who were brought up in the abolition faith, and as young men
became active associates in operating the "underground railroad"
through Harrison county.
When sixteen years old he obtained a clerkship in the office of the
county auditor and his earnings enabled him to attend Corydon seminary
for two years.
He then took a preparatory course at Indiana university, Bloomington,
1852-53; entered the law office of Judge William A. Porter, and was
admitted to the bar, April 10, 1854, entering into partnership with
Judge Thomas C. Slaughter.
He canvassed the district for Judge Slaughter as candidate of the
anti-Nebraska bill ticket for representative in the 34th congress in
1854, against William H. English;
canvassed the state for John C. Frémont in 1856, and in 1860 he
was elected a representative in the state legislature, where he was
chairman of the military committee, 1861, and drafted a bill to give to
the governor the power to control the appointment of militia officers
theretofore elected by the men, which was defeated in the senate, but
became a law before the special session adjourned.
He incurred the ill will of Governor Morton by refusing to vote to
displace the trustees of the blind and insane asylums for party
reasons, and in a speech reported in the proceedings of the legislature
attacked the "spoils "system. At the beginning of the civil war he
offered his services to the government but was refused a commission. He
then organized a company at Corydon and was elected its captain,
subsequently accepting the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 38th Indiana
volunteers. He was promoted colonel
of the 53d Indiana regiment and was present at Shiloh, the siege of
Corinth and the investment of Vicksburg.
On the recommendation of General Grant he was promoted
brigadier-general of volunteers, Aug. 11, 1863. He was then assigned to
Sherman's army and commanded the 4th division of the 17th corps at
Atlanta. In the engagement at Bald Hill, Ga., July 20, 1864, [p.419] he
was shot in the knee and incapacitated for further active service, and
on March 13, 1865, he was brevetted major-general of volunteers for
gallantry before Atlanta.
He then returned to his native state and practised law at New
Albany. He was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for representative
in the 39th and 40th congresses against Michael Kerr, in 1864 and 1866;
subsequently supported Mr. Kerr when opposed by a greenbacker and
inflationist, and was financial agent at New York, for the state of
Indiana, 1867-68.
In 1869 President Grant offered him the collectorship of New
Orleans, and the district attorneyship of Indiana, both of which
appointments he declined, but he accepted from him the appointment as
U.S. district judge for Indiana and held the office until April, 1882,
when President Arthur appointed him postmaster-general to fill
the vacancy in his cabinet caused by the death of Timothy Otis
Howe. On the death of Secretary Folger, Sept. 4, 1884, the President
transferred Judge Gresham to the head of treasury department. He
resigned this portfolio in December, 1884, to accept the appointment of
U.S. judge for the seventh judicial circuit, which position he
resigned, March 3, 1893, on accepting from President Cleveland the
cabinet position of secretary of state, which he held at the time of
his death. In politics in Indiana, Judge Gresham had been a prominent
Republican presidential candidate. He had opposed Benjamin Harrison in
the race for senatorial honors in 1880, and when Mr. Harrison was a
candidate in 1888, Gresham was also before the convention. When
Harrison was elected Gresham was named by the press as the logical
successor to the vacant seat on the supreme bench, but in a letter to
the Chicago Herald he positively refused to have his claims pressed. On
the tariff question he was always a Henry Clay protectionist, and
opposed to the McKinley bill as calculated to encourage trusts. In 1892
he announced his opposition to the Republican platform of that year,
refused the nomination of the People's party for
President although assured of the support of prominent leaders in
Indiana and Illinois from both parties, voted for Grover Cleveland, and
thereafter acted with the Democratic party.
He died in Washington, D.C., May 28. 1895.
(Biographies of Notable Americans, 1904)
See also :
Walter Q. Gresham Memorial Book
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