The Life and Work of James A. Garfield, Twentieth President of the United States Embracing an Account of the Scenes and Incidents of His Boyhood; the Struggles of His Youth; the Might of His Early Manhood; His Valor As a Soldier; His Career As a Statesman; His Election to the Presidency; and the Tragic Story of His Death.

“Unto us a child is born.”—A lowly home in the wilderness.—Law of heredity.—The New England stock.—The Garfields.—The Ballous.—Trend of the boy mind.—The father’s death.—Story o...

A Western boy of twelve.—Workland and dreamland.—A carpenter in embryo.—Summer day and winter day.—The door of bookland opens.—What he saw.—A doubtful farmer.—Possibly something...

College life.—A Junior at Williams.—Favorite books.—College traditions.—A brain of many powers.—“Mountain Day.”—Essays in literature.—The Williams _Quarterly_.—Poems: _Memory_,...

A West Point soldier.—George H. Thomas.—The Union volunteer.—Garfield appointed Lieutenant-Colonel.—And then Colonel.—The Forty-second Ohio.—Studies war.—Ordered to the front.—K...

Brigadier-General Garfield.—Reports to Buell.—A new field of activity.—At Pittsburg Landing.—Stands up for Africa.—Sits on court-martial.—Again the goblin shakes us.—But we repo...

The constituency of Garfield.—The old Western Reserve.—Joshua R. Giddings.—Character of Congress.—Garfield enters the Cave of the Winds.—On Military Committee.—Opposes the bount...

Opposes his constituents on the money question.—Garfield on the Ninth Census.—Speaks on Statistics.—Reports on Black Friday.—Speaks on Civil Service.—Defends the prerogatives of...

The era of slander.—The Credit Mobilier of America.—Reviewed and answered by Garfield.—The so-called Salary Grab.—Trouble in the Western Reserve.—Garfield’s defense and vindicat...

Questions of American statesmanship.—Garfield tested.—Speeches on STATES RIGHTS AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY: No Nullification; Force Bill; Equipoise of Government; Fourteenth Amend...

American political parties.—The Third Term question.—The Grant movement.—Leaders of the Stalwarts.—The political “Machine.”—Contrast of Garfield and Conkling.—Gathering of the c...

Delicate position of a presidential candidate.—The policy of mum.—Garfield’s theory of running for office.—He is notified of his nomination.—Hoar’s speech.—The reply.—The journe...

Morning of the Fourth of March.—Conspiracy of the elements.—Preparations.—The procession.—Clears up.—The Grand Ceremony.—Inaugural address.—Setting up in business.—The new Cabin...

Recovery of Mrs. Garfield.—A great tragedy.—First alarms.—The physicians of the President.—The assassin.—The world’s sympathy.—A dolorous Fourth.—Diagnosis.—Motives of the assas...

The President is removed to Long Branch.—Scenes and incidents of the journey.—Francklyn Cottage.—Revival of hope.—Great solicitude of the people.—Foolish confidence of the surge...

Preparations for the funeral of the President.—Embalmment.—Accession of Gen. Arthur.—The post-mortem.—Astonishing revelations.—Announcement of the President’s death.—The funeral...

When some great work is waiting to be done, And Destiny ransacks the city for a man To do it; finding none therein, she turns To the fecundity of Nature’s woods, And there, besi...

_Soc._—Nay, I call it neither a thing nor a boy, but rather a young man. By Hercules, if I should go further, I should say that that being is a god in embryo!

Measure the girth of this aspiring tree! Glance upward where the green boughs, spreading wide, Fling out their foliage, and thou shalt see The promise of a Nation’s health and p...

And there was mounting in hot haste—the steed, The mustering squadron, and the clattering car Went pouring forward with impetuous speed And swiftly forming in the ranks of war!—...

Hark to that roar whose swift and deafening peals In countless echoes through the mountains ring, Startling pale Midnight on her starry throne! Now swells the intermingling din—...

On the 5th of December, 1863, General Garfield took his seat in the Thirty-Eighth Congress. The reader who has gone over the preceding chapter will know in part what brought him...

As a politician, General Garfield was peculiar. In fact, he was scarcely a politician at all. The title of this chapter tells what he was. While he was in Europe the inflation c...

In troublous times when tides and winds blew high, And one stood peerless in the public gaze, A sentinel upon the battlements Of state, the babbling miscreants said, Go to! Let...

It is now appropriate to consider somewhat _in extenso_ the claims of James A. Garfield to be regarded as a statesman. It must needs be in the life of every public man, more par...

The primary point of agreement in all these authorities is, that in contemplation of international law a state is absolutely sovereign, acknowledging no superior on earth. In th...

The Clans are met in the prairied West, And the battle is on, is on again, The struggle of great and little men, To make one victor above the rest.

To be thus made a mark conspicuous For Envy’s shaft and brutal prejudice— To hear above the loud huzzas the voice Of some Satanic fool’s malignity Roaring along the wind, like a...

The morning of March 4, 1881, dawned—if such days may be said to dawn at all—dark and gloomy. The snow, which had been falling and melting into a very uncomfortable slush for da...

A wasp flew out upon our fairest son, And stung him to the quick with poisoned shaft, The while he chatted carelessly and laughed, And knew not of the fateful mischief done. And...

The finger of hope pointed unmistakably in the direction of Long Branch, and as the morning of September 6th dawned upon the White House, all conditions appeared favorable for t...

There he lies dead beside the moaning sea! The days of watching and the nights of pain, The burning flush, the keen anxiety, The ebb and flow of hope, the blinding rain Of bitte...