Walter Q. Gresham

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Walter Quintin Gresham
31st United States Postmaster General
In office April 3, 1883 – September 4, 1884
Preceded by	Timothy O. Howe
Succeeded by	Frank Hatton
35th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office September 5, 1884 – October 30, 1884
Preceded by	Charles J. Folger
Succeeded by	Hugh McCulloch
1st Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, First Seat
In office June 16, 1891 – March 3, 1893
Preceded by	seat created
Succeeded by	James Graham Jenkins
33rd United States Secretary of State
In office March 7, 1893 – May 28, 1895
Preceded by	John W. Foster
Succeeded by	Richard Olney
Born	March 17, 1832(1832-03-17) Lanesville, Indiana, U.S.
Died	May 28, 1895 (aged 63) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican, Democrat
Spouse	Matilda McGrain Gresham
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Judge
Religion	Methodist

Walter Quintin Gresham (March 17, 1832 – May 28, 1895) was an American statesman and jurist. He served as United States Postmaster General, as a judge on the United States Courts of Appeals, was a two-time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and was Secretary of State, and Secretary of the Treasury. He was also an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

He was born near Lanesville, Indiana, spent two years in an academy at Corydon, Indiana, one year at the Indiana University Bloomington, then studied law, and in 1854 was admitted to the bar. He was active as a campaign speaker for the Republican ticket in 1856, married Matilda McGrain in 1858, and in 1860 was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives as a Republican from a strong Democratic district. In the House, as chairman of the committee on military affairs, he did much to prepare the Indiana troops for service in the federal army.

In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, he became colonel of the 53rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and subsequently took part in Grant's Tennessee campaign of 1862, and First Battle of Corinth and Battle of Vicksburg, where he commanded a brigade. In August 1863 he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers, and was placed in command of the Federal forces at Natchez, Mississippi. In 1864 he commanded a division of the 17th Army Corps in Sherman's Atlanta campaign, and before Battle of Atlanta, on July 20, he received a wound which forced him to retire from active service, and left him lame for life. In 1865 he was brevetted major-general of volunteers.

Walter Quintin Gresham

After the war he practiced law at New Albany, Indiana, and in 1869 was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant United States District Judge for Indiana. In April 1883 he succeeded Timothy O. Howe (1816-1883) as Postmaster General in President Chester A. Arthur's cabinet, taking an active part in the suppression of the Louisiana Lottery, supervising the successful September, 1883 introduction of Postal Notes, and in September 1884 succeeded Charles J. Folger as United States Secretary of the Treasury. In the following month he resigned to accept an appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. While serving as Postmaster General, Gresham, Oregon, was named after him.

Gresham was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1884 and 1888, in the latter year leading for some time in the balloting. Gradually, however, he grew out of sympathy with the Republican leaders and policy, and in 1892 advocated the election of the Democratic candidate, Grover Cleveland, for the presidency. From March 7, 1893, until his death at Washington, D.C., on May 28, 1895, he was Secretary of State in President Grover Cleveland's Cabinet. His grave is in Arlington National Cemetery.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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