American statesman, born in Pike County, IN, on the 2nd of March 1836; graduated from the State University of Indiana in 1855; studied law at Harvard, and in 1857 began the practice of law in Evansville, IN. At the beginning of the Civil War he entered the Union service as a major, and distinguished himself at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Knoxville and other battles. In 1869 he was appointed postmaster of Evansville, and in 1873 was sent to Mexico as United States minister, receiving a reappointment in 1880. In the same year, he was transferred to Russia, and in 1881 he resigned to attend to private business. From 1883 to 1885 he served as minister to Spain. In July 1892, he was appointed Secretary of State, to succeed Mr. Blaine. In 1893 he represented the United States at Geneva in the Bering Sea arbitration. In 1895 he was selected by the Emperor of China as commissioner to secure peace with Japan. (See authored article: Benjamin Harrison.)
