Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison was born August 20, 1833, on his grandfather’s farm in North Bend, Ohio. His family lived nearby on a six hundred acre farm, The Point, given to them by his paternal grandfather. His great-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence, his grandfather was president of the United States when Benjamin was seven years old, and his father served two terms in the United States Congress. He attended Farmers’ College in 1847 and 1848 before being admitted as a junior to Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, in September 1850. After graduation, he read law for two years at a Cincinnati law office. In 1854, Harrison moved to Indianapolis, started his law practice, and became involved with the Indiana Republican Party. He was appointed city attorney in 1857 and reporter of decisions, Indiana Supreme Court, in 1860 and again in 1864. He first served in that capacity until 1862 when he organized the 70th Indiana Infantry of which he was appointed colonel. Harrison was a brigade commander under Major General Joseph Hooker during the Atlanta campaign and was engaged in battle at Resaca, New Hope Church, and Golgotha Church. He saw action at Peach Tree Creek in July 1864 and was among the Union forces to march into Atlanta on September 1, 1864, when the city finally fell. He was brevetted Brigadier General January 23, 1865, and left the service to resume his law career the same year. He was unsuccessful in his bid for governor of Indiana in 1876, but was appointed by President Hayes to the Mississippi River Commission. In 1880, he served as chairman of the Indiana delegation to the Republican National Convention. Elected to the U. S. Senate the following year, he served until 1887 when defeated in his attempt for re-election. Although Grover Cleveland had nearly 100,000 more popular votes than Harrison did in the Presidential Election of 1888, Harrison, with more electoral votes, became the twenty-third president. Notable events of his administration include the McKinley Tariff Act, the Sherman Silver Purchase, the Sherman Anti-Trust Law, and the addition of six new states. Due to the illness of his wife, and her subsequent death, Harrison was not active in campaigning for re-election and lost to Cleveland. He returned to Indianapolis to practice law. He served in Paris as chief attorney for the Republic of Venezuela in the Venezuela – Great Britain boundary dispute. Benjamin Harrison died March 31, 1901, in Indianapolis, Indiana was buried there in Crown Hill Cemetery.