Walter Quintin Gresham (March 17, 1832 – May 28, 1895) was an American attorney, jurist, statesman, and politician who served in the cabinets of presidents Chester A. Arthur and

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

. Gresham was the 31st

postmaster general of the United States The United States postmaster general (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency. The PMG is selected and appointed by ...

under Arthur from 1883 to 1884 and briefly the 35th U.S. secretary of the treasury from September to October 1884 before resigning to become a federal judge. He was twice a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. president in 1884 and 1888 before leaving the party to support Cleveland in the 1892 election. He joined Cleveland's second cabinet as the 33rd U.S. secretary of state from 1893 until his death in 1895. Gresham served as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the U.S. Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Indiana.

Early life and education

Walter Quintin Gresham was born on March 17, 1832, in Lanesville, Indiana, to William Gresham and Sarah Davis. William Gresham was a former

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in the Indiana

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

, a cabinet maker, and a member of the Whig Party. He was elected sheriff of Harrison County, and on January 26, 1834, he was fatally stabbed while assisting in the arrest of Levi Sipes, a so-called " desperado". After William's death, Walter and his brothers were raised by a stepfather, Noah Remley. His grandmother's brother, Dennis Pennington, was also influential on his childhood. Pennington secured him a position in the office of the Harrison County auditor. After attending the local schools in Harrison County, Gresham attended Corydon Seminary from 1849 to 1851. Montgomery Schuyler Jr. later attributed Greshman's foreign policy to his devout religiosity. Gresham attended

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

for a year beginning in September 1851, then returned to Corydon to read law with judge William A. Porter. He was admitted to the bar on April 1, 1854, and entered private practice with Thomas C. Slaughter. Gresham quickly became involved in politics as an opponent of slavery, advocating for gradual, peaceful abolition. He ran unsuccessfully for Harrison County clerk in 1853. He joined the nativist American Party in 1855 before quickly joining the new Republican Party in 1856 and actively campaigning for the party's ticket. In 1860, he was elected to the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...

as a Republican in a strongly Democratic district. Though Stephen A. Douglas carried Harrison County in the presidential election, Gresham won by sixty votes. Gresham's first act in the House was to introduce a resolution declaring armed resistance to constitutional laws by Congress as treason; though the word "treason" was ultimately removed, Gresham's resolution passed. He was also a strong critic of the spoils system. Gresham received a commission as a colonel on the staff of Oliver P. Morton, but their relationship was strained. As chair of the House Committee on Military Affairs, he was the author of a bill transferring power to commission militia officers to the governor; their office had previously been elected. Gresham asked Morton for such a commission but was refused.

Civil War service

At the end of his term in the House, Gresham organized a military company at Corydon and enlisted as a private; he was elected captain but, following his friends' lobbying of Governor Morton, was quickly commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 38th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on September 18, 1861. In December, he was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 53rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which subsequently took part in Ulysses S. Grant's Tennessee campaign of 1862, including the Sieges of Corinth and Vicksburg, during which Colonel Gresham commanded a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

. On August 11, 1863, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers and was placed in command of the Federal forces at

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the only city in and the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,520 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia, Louisiana, Natchez was ...

. In 1864, he commanded a division of the XVII Corps in

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), earning recognit ...

's Atlanta campaign, and before the

Battle of Atlanta The Battle of Atlanta took place during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Union forces ...

, on July 20, he received a gunshot wound to his knee that forced him to retire from active service and left him lame for life. In 1865, he was appointed a brevet major general of volunteers.

Political and judicial career

In November 1865, Gresham returned to private practice in New Albany, Indiana in partnership with judge John Butler, but shortly began a solo practice. Though Gresham's popularity with his party declined over his opposition to black suffrage, he was nominated for United States House of Representatives in 1866. He was defeated by Michael C. Kerr. Instead, the legislature elected him to handle Indiana state finances in New York City. While serving in that office, Gresham was a delegate to the 1868 Republican National Convention. He was nominated for House against Kerr again but was defeated by a larger margin.

Judge for the U.S. District Court of Indiana

On September 1, 1869, after declining appointments from President Grant as collector of the Port of New Orleans and U.S. attorney for the District of Indiana, Gresham received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the President of the United States, president of a Officer of the United States, federal official when the United States Senate, U.S. Senate is in Recess (motion), recess. Under the ...

without consent to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Indiana vacated by judge David McDonald; he accepted. He was nominated by President Grant on December 6, 1869, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 21, 1869, the same day he received his commission. Gresham's career as a district judge was marked by the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, during which he organized volunteer companies to preserve order and protect property. He repeatedly declined to run for public office, including governor of Indiana and the U.S. Senate.

Cabinet of Chester A. Arthur, Court of Appeals, and presidential campaigns

On April 9, 1883, Gresham resigned from the bench to accept an appointment as U.S. postmaster general in president Chester A. Arthur's cabinet. He supervised the reduction of the postal rate from three cents to two, the increase in the weight allowance from half an ounce to a full ounce, and the reduction in the cost of postage of mail to Canada. He also participated in the suppression of the Louisiana lottery by banning it from federal mails. He also oversaw reforms designed to improve the foreign postal service and restore faster mail delivery. In September 1884, Arthur appointed Gresham to succeed Charles J. Folger, who died in office, as U.S. secretary of the treasury. After one month in office, he resigned to accept a recess appointment from President Arthur to a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court for the Seventh Circuit vacated by judge Thomas Drummond. He was nominated to the same position by President Arthur on December 3, 1884, was confirmed on December 9, and received his commission the same day. Gresham was assigned by

operation of law The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...

to additional and concurrent service on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on June 16, 1891, to a new seat authorized by the Evarts Act. He resigned on March 3, 1893. Illustration of the Gresham headquarters during 1888 RNC

Illustration of the Gresham headquarters during 1888 RNC

Gresham was a candidate for the 1884 and 1888 Republican presidential nominations. His 1888 candidacy was supported by several notable agrarian unions, including the Agricultural Wheel, the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, and the Farmers' Alliance. On the first ballot, Gresham finished second behind John Sherman and carried the states of Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, and Missouri. He did not, however, carry Indiana, which backed his rival Benjamin Harrison. On the eighth ballot, Harrison secured the nomination; he went on to defeat incumbent Democratic president

in the general election. Once in office, Harrison signed the McKinley Tariff. As a leading critic of protective tariffs and personal rival to Harrison, Gresham grew increasingly estranged from the Republican Party.

Secretary of State

In 1892, Gresham was offered the presidential nomination of the Populist Party, but declined and supported the Democratic candidate, Cleveland; privately, he emphasized that his support was due to Cleveland's position on the tariff and not his personal rivalry with Harrison. On January 25, 1893, Cleveland offered Gresham the position of secretary of state. On the advice of his family, who suggested joining Cleveland's administration would appear to be a quid pro quo and risk his personal popularity, Gresham first declined the offer on February 3. On the advice of friends, especially Henry Watterson, and an urgent telegram from Cleveland to accept the offer, he reversed his position days later. Despite some opposition from Democratic Party regulars, the appointment was generally received with approval. Gresham was Cleveland's secretary of state from 1893 to 1895. As secretary, Gresham led a moderate diplomatic application of the

Monroe Doctrine The Monroe Doctrine is a foreign policy of the United States, United States foreign policy position that opposes European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It holds that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign ...

in Central America and served as an international arbitrator between imperial powers in Central America and Asia. He negotiated the withdrawal of British troops during the Nicaragua Crisis of 1894–1895 and helped settle the Venezuelan crisis of 1895. He also served as an arbitrator in the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 189417 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Joseon, Korea. In Chinese it is commonly known as th ...

and participated in the Bering Sea Arbitration. During the Hawaiian crisis following the 1893 Overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, Gresham and President

opposed the annexation of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. Cleveland's predecessor, Benjamin Harrison had supported annexation, however left office before any decisive action could be undertaken. When Cleveland came to power, he withdrew the annexation treaty from Senate, and attempted to restore the Queen. Gresham died on May 28, 1895, in Washington, D.C. He is interred in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Personal life

Gresham married Matilda McGrain on March 11, 1858. They had two children, Kate and Otto. One of Gresham's grandsons was U.S. representative Walter G. Andrews of New York.

Legacy

Gresham received an honorary doctorate from Indiana University in 1883. An 800-page biography of Gresham by his son and widow was published in 1919.

Gresham, Oregon Gresham ( ) is a city in the Willamette Valley, Located in Multnomah County in the U.S. state of Oregon, bordered by Portland to the northwest and partially in the southwest. It was first settled in the early 1850s by the Powell brothers. It ...

; Gresham, Nebraska; Gresham, Wisconsin; and the ship USRC Gresham are named in his honor.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gresham, Walter Q. 1832 births 1895 deaths Arthur administration cabinet members Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Cleveland administration cabinet members Gresham, Oregon Indiana Democrats Indiana Republicans Indiana Whigs Judges of the United States circuit courts Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Indiana Members of the Indiana House of Representatives People from Harrison County, Indiana People of Indiana in the American Civil War Union army generals United States federal judges appointed by Chester A. Arthur United States federal judges appointed by Ulysses S. Grant United States postmasters general Candidates in the 1888 United States presidential election United States secretaries of state United States secretaries of the treasury Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 19th-century members of the Indiana General Assembly