Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1882 — Untitled [ARTICLE]

The history of Garfield’s life to this period presents no novel features. He had undoubtedly shown perseverance, self-reliance, selfsacrifice and ambition—qualities which, be it said for the honor of our country, aro everywhere to be fonnd among the young men of America. But from his graduation at Williams, onward to the honr of his tragical death, Garfield’s career was eminent and exceptional. Slowly working through his educational period, receiving his diploma when 24 years of age, he seemed atone bound to spring into conspicuous and brilliant success. Within six years he was successively President of a college, State Senator of Ohio, Major General of the army of the United States, and Representative to the national Congress—a combination of honors so varied, so elevated, within a period so brief, and to a man so young, is without precedent or parallel in the history of the country. Garfield’s army life was begun with no othre military knowledge than such as he had hastily gained from books in the few months preceding his march to the field. Stepping from civil life to the head of a regiment, the first order he received when ready to cross the Ohio was to assume command of a brigade and to operate as an independent force in Eastern Kentucky. His immediate duty was to check the advance of Humphrey Marshall, who was marching down the Big Sandy, with the intention of occupying, in connection with other Confederate forces, the entire territory of Kentucky, and of precipitating the State into secession. This was at the close of the year 1861. Seldom if ever has a young college professor been thrown into a more embarrassing and discouraging position. He knew just enough of m.lit iry scienoe, as ho expressed it himself, to measure the extent of his ignorance, and, with a handful of men, he was marching in rough winter weather into a strange country, among a hostile population, to confront a laigcly-superior force under the command of a distinguished graduate of West Point, who had seen active and important service in two preceding wars. The result of the campaign is matter of history. The skill, the endurance, tho extraordinary energy shown by Garfield, the courage he imparted to his men, raw and untried as himself ; the measures he adopted to increase his force and to create in the enemy’s mind exaggerated estimates of his numbers, boro perfect fruit in the routing of Marshall, the capture of his camp, the dispersion of his force and the emancipation of an important territory from the control of the rebels. Coming at tbe close of the long series of disasters to the Union arms, Garfield’s victory had an unusual and extraneous importance, and, in the popular judgment, elevated the young commander to the rank of a military hero. With less than 2,000 men in his entire command, with a mobilized-force of only 1,100, without cannon, he had mot an army of 6.000 and defeated them, driving Marshall’s forces successfully from two strongholds of their own selection, fortified with abundant artillery. Maj. G n. Buell, commander of the Department of Ohio, an experienced soldier of the regular army, published an order of thanks and congratulations on the brilliant result of the Big Bandy campaign, which would have turned the head of a less cool and sensible man than Garfield. Buoii declared that his seryicos had called into action the highest qualities of a soldier, anl President Lincoln supplemented these words of praise by the more substantial reward of a Brigadier General’s commission, to bear di to from tho day of his decisive victory over Mar diall.

the subsequent military career of Garfield fully su-itauied the brilliant beginning. With hi i new commission he was assigued to the ommnnd of a brigade in the Army of the Ohio and took part in the second and decisive day’s fight in the great battle of Shiloh. The remainder of the year 1862 was not espc ci . Ily eventful to Garfield, as it was not to tho armies, with which he was serving. His practical senso was called into exercise in contemplating the task assigned him by Gen. Buell of reconstructing bridges and re-establishing lim s of railway communication for the army. His occupation in this useful but not brilliant field was varied by service on courts-martial of importance, in which department of duty he won a valuable reputation, attracting the not eo and securing Ihe approval of the able and eminent Judge Advocate General or the army. Th it of itself was warrant to houorablo fame, for among the groat men who in those trying days gave tbomselves, with entire devotion, to the service of their country one who brought to that service the respect, learning, the. most fervid eloquence, the most varied attainments, who in tne day of triumph sat reserved and silent and grateful, “as Francis Deak in the hour of Hungary’s deliverance,” was Joseph Ho t, of Kentucky, and in his honorable retirement ho enjoys the respect and veneration of all who love the union of the States. Early in 1863 Garfield was assigned to the highly important and responsible post of Chief of Staff to Gen. Rosecrans, then at the head of the Army of the Cumberland. Perhaps in a great military campaign no subordinate officer requires sounder judgment and quicker knowledge of men than the Chief .of Staff to the commanding General. An indiscreet man in such a position can sow more discord, breed more jealousy, and disseminate more strife than any other officer in the entire organization. When Gen. Garfield assumed his new duties he found various troubles already well developed and seriously affecting the value and efficiency of the Army of the Cumberland. Tho energy, the impartiality and the tact with which he sought to allay these dissensions and to discharge the duties of his new and trying position will always remain one of the most striking proofs of his great versatility. His military duties closed on the memorable field of Chickamauga, a field which, however disastrous to the Union arms, gave to him the occasion of winning imperishable laurels. The very rare distinction was accorded him of a great promotion for his bravery on a field that was lost. President Lincoln appointed him a Major General in the army of the United States “ for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Ch ckamauga.”

The Armv of the Cumberland was reorganize 1 under the command of Gen. Thomas, who promptly offered Garfield one of its divisions. Ho was "extremely desirous to accept the position, but was embarrassed, by the fact that he had a year before been elected to Congress, and the time when he must take his seat was drawing near. He preferred to remain in the military service, and had within his own breast the largest confidence of success in the wider field which his new rank opened to him. Balancing the arguments on the ouo side and the other, anxious to determine what was for the best, desirous above all things to do his patriotic duty, be was decisively influenced by the advice of President Lincoln and Secretary Stanton, both of whom assured him that he could at that time be of especial value in the House of Representatives. Ho resigned his commission of Major General on the sih day of December, 1863, aud took his seat in the House of Representatives on the 7th. He had served two yoars and four months in the army, aud had just completed his 32d year. The Thirty-eighth Congress is prominently entitled in history to the designation of" the War Congress. It was elected while the war was flagrant, and every member was chosen upon the issues involvod in the continuance of the struggle. The Thirty-soventn Congress had indeed legislated to a lax-ge extent on war measures, but it was chosen before any one believed that secession of the States would be actually attempted. The magnitude of the work which fell upon its successor was unprecedented both in respect to the vast sum of money raised for support of the army and navy and of the new and extraordinary powers of legislation which it was forced to exercise. Only twenty-four States were represented, aud 182 members were upon its rolls. Among these were many distinguished party leaders on both sides—veterans in the public service, with established reputations for ability, and with that skill which comes only from parliamentary experience. Into this assemblage of men Garfield entered, without special preparation, and, it might almost be -said, unexpectedly. The question of taking command of a division of troops under Gen. Thomas or taking his seat in Congress was kept open till the last moment—so late, indeed, that the resignation of his military commission and his appearance in the House were almost contemporaneous. He wore the umform of a. Major General of toe United States army on Saturday, and on Monday in civilian’s dress he answered to toe rollcall as a Representative in Congress from the State of Ohio.

He was especially fortunate in the constituency which elected him. Descended almost entirely from New England stock, the men of the Ashtabnla district were intensely radical on all questions relating to human rights, well educated, thrifty, thoroughly intelligent in affairs, acutely discerning of character, not quick to bestow confidence and slow to withdraw it, they were at once the most helpful and most exacting of supporters. Their tenacious trust in men in whom they have once confided is illustrated by toe unparalleled fact that Elisha Whittlesey, Joshua R. Giddings and James A. Garfield represented the district for fifty-four years. There is no test of a man’s ability in any department of publio life more severe than service in the House of Representatives ; there fat no plaoe where so UtUe deference if paid to