GOVERNOR RICHARD J. OGLESBY
I knew the late Governor Oglesby intimately for very many years.
As a young man, he served as a lieutenant in the gallant Colonel
E. D. Baker's regiment in the Mexican War, was at the battle of
Cerro Gordo, and fought the way thence to the City of Mexico. He
remained with the army until he saw the Stars and Stripes waving
over the hall of the Montezumas. Returning to Illinois, he took
up again the practice of law; but with the gold fever of 1849 he
took the pioneers' trail to California, where, in a short time, he
was financially successful, then returned home, and later went on
an extended tour through the Holy Land, where he remained nearly
two years.
On his return home, in 1860, he was elected to the State Senate.
I recall the night the returns came in. He had a fisticuff encounter
with "Cerro Gordo" Williams, in which he came out victorious, having
knocked Williams into the gutter. By many of the onlookers this
was regarded as the first fight of the Rebellion.
With his military experience in the Mexican War, it was only natural
that he should be one of the first to enlist for service in the
Civil War. He resigned from the Senate, raised a regiment, was
appointed its Colonel, and participated in a number of important
engagements under General Grant, acquitting himself with great
honor at Donelson, and was subsequently appointed a Brigadier-
General. He was severely wounded at Corinth, and his active service
in the Civil War was over. Although he was elevated to the rank
of Major-General, he was assigned to duty at Washington, where he
remained until 1864, and saw no more service on the field of battle.
He enjoyed the distinction of being elected Governor of Illinois
three times, first in 1864, again in 1872, resigning the following
year, after having been elected to the United States Senate; and
after he had served one term in the Senate and retired to private
life, he was again elected Governor of Illinois in 1884.
Governor Oglesby was a remarkable man in many respects. Judged by
the standards of Lincoln and Grant, he was not a great man. In
some respects he was a man of far more than ordinary ability. He
was a wonderfully eloquent speaker, and I have heard him on occasion
move audiences to a greater extent than almost any orator, aside
from the late Robert G. Ingersoll.
I have already referred, in these reminiscences, to the speech he
delivered at the Philadelphia Convention of 1872. He produced a
greater impression on that assemblage than any orator who spoke.
On rare occasions he would utter some of the most beautiful
sentiments. For instance, his speech on "Corn" at Chicago was a
masterpiece in its way. But generally speaking, with all his
eloquence, he seldom delivered a speech that would read well in
print; hence it was that his speeches were hardly ever reported.
His earnestness, his appearance, his gestures, his personality,
all carried the audience with him, as much as, if not more, than
the actual words he used, and hence it was that when a speech
appeared in print, one was very apt to be disappointed.
His record in the Civil War was honorable, but not exceptional.
He was not the dashing, brilliant soldier that General Logan was,
and I may remark here in passing that after the war was over there
was considerable jealousy between General Logan and General Oglesby.
They were rivals in politics. On one occasion both Governor Oglesby
and General Logan made each a splendid address, and each was cheered
to the echo by the audience, but Governor Oglesby sat silent and
glowering when the audience applauded General Logan, and General
Logan occupied the same attitude when the audience cheered Governor
Oglesby. I was present, and was glad to cheer them both.
Under the administration of General Oglesby, as Governor, the
affairs of the State were administered in an honest, businesslike
manner. There was no scandal or thought of scandal, so far as the
Executive was concerned, during all the years that he was Governor,
although there was considerable corruption in one or two of the
Legislatures, and some very bad measures were passed over his veto.
Having been a Major-General in the Civil War, and considering his
excellent record as Governor, his popularity, his eloquence, it
seemed certain that Governor Oglesby would take his place as one
of the foremost United States Senators, when he entered the Senate
in 1873; but strange to say, his service in that body added nothing
to the reputation he had made as a soldier and as Governor of
Illinois; indeed, I am not sure but that it detracted from rather
than added to his reputation. Perhaps too much was expected of
him. The environment did not suit him. His style of oratory was
neither appreciated nor appropriate to a calm, deliberative body
such as the United States Senate. He did not have the faculty of
disposing of business. As Chairman of the Committee on Pensions,
he was so conscientious that he wanted to examine every little
detail of the hundreds of cases before his committee, and would
not trust even the routine to his subordinates. The result was
the business of the committee was far behind, much to the
dissatisfaction of Senators.
I do not believe that Governor Oglesby ever did feel at home in
the Senate; but nevertheless he was much chagrined at his defeat,
and retired reluctantly.
But he was soon again elected Governor of Illinois, a place that
suited him much better than the Senate of the United States.
His honesty, his patriotism, his earnest eloquence, the uniqueness
of his character, made him beloved by the people of his State; and
wherever he went, to the day of his death, Uncle Dick Oglesby, as
he was called, was enthusiastically and affectionately received.
He was a true Republican from the very beginning of the party,
although toward the end of his life I do not believe that he was
quite satisfied with the expansion policy of the party.
The last campaign in which he took an active part was that of 1896.
Owing to his advanced years and failing health, and perhaps being
somewhat dissatisfied with our candidate for Governor, it took
considerable urging to induce him to enter that campaign actively;
but when it was arranged that all the living ex-Governors of Illinois
--Oglesby, Beveridge, Fifer, Hamilton, and myself--should tour the
State on a special train, he consented to join, and christened the
expedition "The Flying Squadron." He did his full part in speaking,
and seemed to enjoy keenly the enthusiasm with which he was everywhere
received. He was particularly bitter in his denunciation of Mr.
Bryan--even to the extent of using profanity (to which he was much
addicted), greatly to the delight of the thousands of people whom
he addressed.
Governor Oglesby was one of the most delightfully entertaining
conversationalists whom one would wish to meet. He will go down
in the history of Illinois, as one of the most popular men among
the people of our State.
Late in life Governor Oglesby took up a church affiliation. It
always seemed strange to me, in his later life, that a man of his
undoubted bravery should have such a perfect horror of death, which
was an obsession with him. To his intimate friends he constantly
talked of it. It was not the physical pain of dying; with a man
of his pronounced religious convictions it could not have been the
uncertainty of the hereafter. What was the basis of the fear I
cannot imagine--but certain it is, I do not remember ever knowing
a man who seemed to have such a fear of death.
At an advanced age, he passed away peacefully and painlessly at
his beautiful home at Elkhart, Illinois, mourned by the people of
the whole State, whom he had served so long and faithfully and well.