  | CHAPTER I. | | | BIRTH AND ANCESTRY. | | | PAGES | | | “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 of the cause.—The widow’s struggle.—Life in the Garfield cabin.—Earliest labor.—First lessons.—The Garfield family.—Boyhood traits.—The growing stalk. | 11–27 | | | | CHAPTER II. | | | THE STRUGGLE OF BOYHOOD. | | | 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 else.—A giant of sixteen.—The stage of brigandage.—Pirate or President?—Meanwhile a wood-chopper.—The sea-vision again.—The great deep takes the form of a canal.—Venus: otherwise, the Evening Star.—The glory of the tow-path.—Navigation and pugilism.—Diving for pearls.—Leaves the sea.—The goblin that shakes us all.—Politics, religion, and grammar.—Off to school.—A place called Chester.—Builds a barn.—And then teaches a school.—More school.—Joins church.—Credo.—Possible sweetheart.—Learns elocution.—Hiram rises to view.—An academic course of study.—What about college?—Bethany, maybe.—Decides against it.—Why.—Knocks at the door of Williams. | 28–58 | | | | CHAPTER III. | | | THE MORNING OF POWER. | | | 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, Autumn, Charge of the Tight Brigade.—A writing-master at intervals.—Free Kansas.—A metaphysician.—Steps out with honor.—Mark Hopkins.—Becomes a professor at Hiram.—And then a college president.—His methods and manners.—Success as an educator.—Lectures and preaches.—A union for life.—The chosen mate.—Incipient politics.—First nomination for office.—State senator from Portage and Summit.—Hints at leadership.—Rises in influence.—The approaching conflict.—Ohio makes ready for battle.—Independence Day at Ravenna.—Sound of the tocsin.—Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold! | 59–87 | | | | CHAPTER IV. | | | A SOLDIER OF THE UNION. | | | 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.—Kentucky, who shall have her?—Marshall says, I.—Garfield objects.—Don Carlos Buell.—Expedition to Catlettsburg.—Pluck to the backbone, Sir.—Will attack Paintville.—A man called Jordan.—The region and the people.—Harry Brown, Esq.—Capture of Paintville.—Battle of Middle Creek.—A big victory on a small scale.—Address to the soldiers.—Big Sandy on the rampage.—Garfield takes a turn at the wheel.—Proclamation to the people of the Valley.—Concerning Pound Gap.—A proposed muster rudely broken up.—Exit Humphrey Marshall.—General Orders No. 40.—Comments on the campaign. | 88–114 | | | | CHAPTER V. | | | HERO AND GENERAL. | | | 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 report at Washington.—Tries Fitz-John Porter.—Assigned to Hunter’s command.—Appointed chief of staff to Rosecrans.—The commanding general.—Duties of chief of staff.—Personal sketch of Garfield.—Rosecrans dislikes him.—And then likes him.—Sheridan’s ten-pins.—Garfield issues circular on prison pens.—Helps Vallandigham across the border.—Opposes negro insurrection.—Stands by Lincoln.—Organizes army police.—Favors in advance.—The Tullahoma campaign.—Rosecrans’s advance on Chattanooga.—The capture.—Position of Bragg.—The big game begun.—Situation and preliminaries.—The battle of Chickamauga.—Garfield’s part.—Praise and promotion.—We are elected to Congress.—And accept. | 115–166 | | | | CHAPTER VI. | | | IN THE ASCENDANT. | | | 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 bounty system.—Favors the draft.—Advocates confiscation.—Demolishes A. Long, Esq.—The Wade-Davis Manifesto.—A strange renomination.—Advocates the Thirteenth Amendment.—Beards Stanton.—The assassination of Lincoln.—Scene in New York.—Speech on the Lincoln anniversary.—The temperance question.—Defends Milligan and Company.—Advocates a Bureau of Education.—Chairman of Committee on Military Affairs.—The visit to Europe.—Oration on Decoration Day. | 167–210 | | | | CHAPTER VII. | | | LEADER AND STATESMAN. | | | 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 House.̵
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