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
