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Benjamin Harrison #1
Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior: 1
In this opening volume of Harry J. Sievers' biography of our twenty-third President, the author has broken down the half-century-old wall of secrecy, procrastination, and neglect surrounding the private papers and personal life of Benjamin Harrison - Indiana's adopted son. Here for the first time is the full, documented account of the early years of the grandson of "Old Tippecanoe."
From Harrison's boyhood on the family farm in North Bend, Ohio, through the early days of his marriage, political beginnings, and struggle to make a living as an Indiana lawyer, Father Sievers shows us a man whose integrity and modesty endeared him to his intimates, and whose boldness and courage in the Civil War won the devotion of his soldiers and earned for him a brigadier-general's star.
Although he was the grandson of a President and a descendant of a long line of Virginia burgesses, "Little Ben's" own chief assets were simply a devoted wife, a gift for courtroom oratory, and an endless capacity for plain, hard work. Nevertheless, in response to Lincoln's desperate call for volunteers, he left his law desk and and raised the 70th Indiana Volunteer Regiment, which he lead through such battles as Resaca, New Hope Church, and Kenesaw Mountain. It was after his daring charge "up the ridge" at Peach Tree Creek that "Fighting Joe" Hooker promised him his star: "Harrison, by God, I'll make you a brigadier for this fight."
The life of Benjamin Harrison, product of an Ohio-Indiana era now almost forgotten, is the story of a man of courage, independence, and integrity - a fascinating commentary on the men, ideas, and politics of the day.
From Harrison's boyhood on the family farm in North Bend, Ohio, through the early days of his marriage, political beginnings, and struggle to make a living as an Indiana lawyer, Father Sievers shows us a man whose integrity and modesty endeared him to his intimates, and whose boldness and courage in the Civil War won the devotion of his soldiers and earned for him a brigadier-general's star.
Although he was the grandson of a President and a descendant of a long line of Virginia burgesses, "Little Ben's" own chief assets were simply a devoted wife, a gift for courtroom oratory, and an endless capacity for plain, hard work. Nevertheless, in response to Lincoln's desperate call for volunteers, he left his law desk and and raised the 70th Indiana Volunteer Regiment, which he lead through such battles as Resaca, New Hope Church, and Kenesaw Mountain. It was after his daring charge "up the ridge" at Peach Tree Creek that "Fighting Joe" Hooker promised him his star: "Harrison, by God, I'll make you a brigadier for this fight."
The life of Benjamin Harrison, product of an Ohio-Indiana era now almost forgotten, is the story of a man of courage, independence, and integrity - a fascinating commentary on the men, ideas, and politics of the day.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1952
2 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Harry J. Sievers
23 booksThe Rev. Harry J. Sievers was a Jesuit priest who served as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Fordham University. The recipient of a BA and an MA from Loyola University in Chicago, he earned his Ph.D. in history from Georgetown University in 1950 and was ordained in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City on June 27, 1953. In 1949, he entered into an agreement with the Arthur Jordan Foundation to write a biography of Benjamin Harrison, which was published in three volumes between 1952 and 1968.
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January 5, 2015
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“Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior” is the first book in a three-volume series by Harry J. Sievers. Published in 1952 (five decades after Harrison’s death) it was the first major biography of the life of the 23rd president.
A quarter-century earlier, historian Albert Volwiler was hired by a Harrison-focused foundation to write his biography. But despite almost two decades of exclusive access to Harrison’s papers, Volwiler failed to produce even a rough draft. In 1949 the foundation hired Sievers, then a graduate student, to undertake the mission.
Within a year Sievers completed his doctorate. Not coincidentally, his thesis covered much of Harrison’s early life. And within another two years he had completed the biography’s first installment. After several timing and logistical challenges the final two volumes were published over the next sixteen years. The resulting series remains the most comprehensive and detailed analysis of Benjamin Harrison’s life ever published.
In addition to being Harrison’s primary biographer, Sievers was a Jesuit priest and most recently served as the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Fordham University. He died in 1977.
This first volume of Harrison’s life covers the years from his birth through his service as the leader of Indiana’s 70th Infantry Regiment during the Civil War (his first thirty-two years). Although my expectations for this volume were limited given Harrison’s reputation for lacking any measure of animation or charm, I found this installment extremely well written and remarkably interesting.
The first sixty percent of the book (almost 200 pages) covers Harrison’s life prior to his military service. This portion of the biography provides an excellent and often fascinating review of his early life. In hindsight it is clear that Sievers’s writing style, not Harrison himself, is responsible for this astonishingly engaging introduction.
Along the way Sievers frequently relies on Harrison’s own words (often from a letter to family or friends) to emphasize a particular point. His choice of passages is usually perfect and the transitions are seamless. Sievers also extensively footnotes and sources his material. The reader quickly gets the sense this is a thoughtful and historically rigorous document despite the fact it often reads like the screenplay for a dramatic mini-series.
Sievers also manages to perfectly balance Harrison’s private and public lives. While the undercurrent always seems focused on the events which prepared him for the presidency, the story never swerves far from his family and friends. And while I would have guessed that Harrison (and the story) might suffer with his personality under a microscope, exactly the opposite proved true.
The last hundred or so pages focus on Harrison’s three years in the Union army, ending with his return to Indianapolis following the North’s victory over the South. But while the story of the Civil War can easily prove fascinating, what Sievers provides is more a day-to-day account of Harrison’s life and not a McPherson-style review of the war itself.
The reader follows Harrison from one rural site to another while he is often engaged in matters of only minor (or no) importance. Occasionally he takes part in a more substantial action and these moments receive appropriate emphasis. But relatively little of the war’s broad strokes are provided and a reader unfamiliar with the flow of the conflict will learn little of its major ebbs and flows here.
Overall, however, “Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior” proves an excellent introduction to this relatively obscure president. While the book’s earliest chapters are by far its best, the entire volume is rewarding and insightful. Sievers set the bar high in this initial volume by producing a surprisingly compelling and engaging introduction to one of America’s least-dynamic presidents…and he ensured readers will seek out the next installment of this series.
Overall rating: 4 stars
“Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior” is the first book in a three-volume series by Harry J. Sievers. Published in 1952 (five decades after Harrison’s death) it was the first major biography of the life of the 23rd president.
A quarter-century earlier, historian Albert Volwiler was hired by a Harrison-focused foundation to write his biography. But despite almost two decades of exclusive access to Harrison’s papers, Volwiler failed to produce even a rough draft. In 1949 the foundation hired Sievers, then a graduate student, to undertake the mission.
Within a year Sievers completed his doctorate. Not coincidentally, his thesis covered much of Harrison’s early life. And within another two years he had completed the biography’s first installment. After several timing and logistical challenges the final two volumes were published over the next sixteen years. The resulting series remains the most comprehensive and detailed analysis of Benjamin Harrison’s life ever published.
In addition to being Harrison’s primary biographer, Sievers was a Jesuit priest and most recently served as the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Fordham University. He died in 1977.
This first volume of Harrison’s life covers the years from his birth through his service as the leader of Indiana’s 70th Infantry Regiment during the Civil War (his first thirty-two years). Although my expectations for this volume were limited given Harrison’s reputation for lacking any measure of animation or charm, I found this installment extremely well written and remarkably interesting.
The first sixty percent of the book (almost 200 pages) covers Harrison’s life prior to his military service. This portion of the biography provides an excellent and often fascinating review of his early life. In hindsight it is clear that Sievers’s writing style, not Harrison himself, is responsible for this astonishingly engaging introduction.
Along the way Sievers frequently relies on Harrison’s own words (often from a letter to family or friends) to emphasize a particular point. His choice of passages is usually perfect and the transitions are seamless. Sievers also extensively footnotes and sources his material. The reader quickly gets the sense this is a thoughtful and historically rigorous document despite the fact it often reads like the screenplay for a dramatic mini-series.
Sievers also manages to perfectly balance Harrison’s private and public lives. While the undercurrent always seems focused on the events which prepared him for the presidency, the story never swerves far from his family and friends. And while I would have guessed that Harrison (and the story) might suffer with his personality under a microscope, exactly the opposite proved true.
The last hundred or so pages focus on Harrison’s three years in the Union army, ending with his return to Indianapolis following the North’s victory over the South. But while the story of the Civil War can easily prove fascinating, what Sievers provides is more a day-to-day account of Harrison’s life and not a McPherson-style review of the war itself.
The reader follows Harrison from one rural site to another while he is often engaged in matters of only minor (or no) importance. Occasionally he takes part in a more substantial action and these moments receive appropriate emphasis. But relatively little of the war’s broad strokes are provided and a reader unfamiliar with the flow of the conflict will learn little of its major ebbs and flows here.
Overall, however, “Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior” proves an excellent introduction to this relatively obscure president. While the book’s earliest chapters are by far its best, the entire volume is rewarding and insightful. Sievers set the bar high in this initial volume by producing a surprisingly compelling and engaging introduction to one of America’s least-dynamic presidents…and he ensured readers will seek out the next installment of this series.
Overall rating: 4 stars
May 23, 2019
The only president that I have read a multi-volume biography of so far is Franklin Pierce, but now I starts on a three-volume biography of Benjamin Harrison. I can't say that they would have been the ones I expected to read multi-volumes of, but the field of available biographies can get a little sparse. This one was published in 1952, and I will admit that I have very much enjoyed the mid-century biographies I have read. This one is pretty upbeat, and I found it read smoothly and serves as a well-researched bit of writing; there is a lot of correspondence and other first hand accounts in the narrative, which I did find at times a little boring - toward the end of the book there is almost two pages of a letter from Harrison to his wife, and the flowery language of the 1860s is not particularly pleasant to read today. I think Sievers could have benefited from being a little more picky about what and how much to quote.
The whole book reads as relatively upbeat, and has enough of a driving narrative not to get bogged down anywhere. I like thorough biographies, and while I think at times this one might even be a little TOO thorough (it reminds me a little of Ketcham's Madison in that regard) it satisfied all of my requirements when it comes to biographies of a president's early life. And to be honest, I grew to like Harrison quite a bit, and I think we learned a lot about his character and personality.
The only major problem I had was that the focus on Harrison's place in the war was so singularly focused on that sometimes it was hard to know exactly what his unit was doing in relation to the entire war; I am relatively familiar with the war, but would have appreciated a mention of where Harrison was when Vicksburg fell or when Gettysburg happened, just as context for everything else that happened. Harrison is one of the more involved Civil War veteran presidents - Cleveland hired a substitute. Garfield and Hayes both saw significant action - as did McKinley (the only one to start as an enlisted soldier). I haven't read a Mckinley bio yet, but Neither Hayes nor Garfield were as studious about war as Harrison, who gave himself so wholly to the study of tactics that he could have taught it.
Harrison is presented as a sentimental, hardworking (and often overworking) man, and one who served gallantly in defense of his nation. The next book covers the 23 years between being mustered out and his ascendance to the presidency, "his maturity" as Sievers says in Volume 2's opening pages. I would definitely recommend this book for people interest in presidential and civil war related biographies; it is sometimes unnecessarily long-winded, but it more than makes up for its flaws with solid scholarship, copious quotations, and clear writing.
The whole book reads as relatively upbeat, and has enough of a driving narrative not to get bogged down anywhere. I like thorough biographies, and while I think at times this one might even be a little TOO thorough (it reminds me a little of Ketcham's Madison in that regard) it satisfied all of my requirements when it comes to biographies of a president's early life. And to be honest, I grew to like Harrison quite a bit, and I think we learned a lot about his character and personality.
The only major problem I had was that the focus on Harrison's place in the war was so singularly focused on that sometimes it was hard to know exactly what his unit was doing in relation to the entire war; I am relatively familiar with the war, but would have appreciated a mention of where Harrison was when Vicksburg fell or when Gettysburg happened, just as context for everything else that happened. Harrison is one of the more involved Civil War veteran presidents - Cleveland hired a substitute. Garfield and Hayes both saw significant action - as did McKinley (the only one to start as an enlisted soldier). I haven't read a Mckinley bio yet, but Neither Hayes nor Garfield were as studious about war as Harrison, who gave himself so wholly to the study of tactics that he could have taught it.
Harrison is presented as a sentimental, hardworking (and often overworking) man, and one who served gallantly in defense of his nation. The next book covers the 23 years between being mustered out and his ascendance to the presidency, "his maturity" as Sievers says in Volume 2's opening pages. I would definitely recommend this book for people interest in presidential and civil war related biographies; it is sometimes unnecessarily long-winded, but it more than makes up for its flaws with solid scholarship, copious quotations, and clear writing.
May 12, 2023
I can't say better things about this book. The author does a great job of putting some times page lengths letters directly from Harrison into the story. It details his birth all the way to when he gets home from fighting the civil war. You get the sense that Harrison is a truly great and kind person while being a introvert at heart. He is resistant to getting out of his comfort zone to make speeches but when he does they are eloquent and breathtaking. It also shows you how much he cares for his family and his own personal brigade. Harrison spends close to a year trying to reunite with his unit only to finally find his unit at the close of the war. He rallies his men by digging into the fight with them and getting off his horse and letting the sick and tired ride his horse while on marches.
Sievers has clearly made me a fan of Harrison so far by just telling facts and not inputting his perspective. I can't wait to jump into Vol 2.
Side note: the pictures in this edition were inserted into the chapters what felt like a chapter behind but I think that's more on the edition than the actually book.
Book: 5/5 stars
Presidential Ranking: Pending.
Sievers has clearly made me a fan of Harrison so far by just telling facts and not inputting his perspective. I can't wait to jump into Vol 2.
Side note: the pictures in this edition were inserted into the chapters what felt like a chapter behind but I think that's more on the edition than the actually book.
Book: 5/5 stars
Presidential Ranking: Pending.
July 7, 2025
In researching the best biography for Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, I ran into books that didn't do a good job or volumes. I decided on the volumes and am glad I did.
Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior: 1 covers 1833-1865
Benjamin Harrison Vol. 2: Hoosier Statesman covers 1865-1888
And since Volume 3 was revied as rushed and lacked depth, I will finish with The Presidency of Benjamin Harrison by Homer E. Socolofsky.
This is one of the most in-depth biographies of a President I have read but it never feels dry. It gives a looking into the maturation and path Harrison is lead down as well as chooses. How he paves his own path while also having to live up the standards of being the grandson of a President. How he joined the newly formed Republican party even though his father did not approve and his bold and honorable actions in forming and commanding a regiment in the Civil War, eventually earning the rank Brevet Brigadier General.
I look forward to reading the next section of Harrison's life as he enters more strongly into the political arena.
Benjamin Harrison: Hoosier Warrior: 1 covers 1833-1865
Benjamin Harrison Vol. 2: Hoosier Statesman covers 1865-1888
And since Volume 3 was revied as rushed and lacked depth, I will finish with The Presidency of Benjamin Harrison by Homer E. Socolofsky.
This is one of the most in-depth biographies of a President I have read but it never feels dry. It gives a looking into the maturation and path Harrison is lead down as well as chooses. How he paves his own path while also having to live up the standards of being the grandson of a President. How he joined the newly formed Republican party even though his father did not approve and his bold and honorable actions in forming and commanding a regiment in the Civil War, eventually earning the rank Brevet Brigadier General.
I look forward to reading the next section of Harrison's life as he enters more strongly into the political arena.
December 31, 2019
This is the first volume of a biography of our 23rd president Benjamin Harrison. It takes us from his
birth at the large extended estate of his grandfather William Henry Harrison in 1833 through his service in the Civil War.
Harrison was a man most conscious of his family legacy. His great grandfather also Benjamin Harrison was known as Ben the Signer being one of the delegates from Virginia who signed the
Declaration of Independence. William as we know was our 9th president and shortest in term of
office dying a month after he was inaugurated. I'm sure uppermost in Bens's mind was the fact
that he wanted to be president and leave a greater legacy than grandfather. He was only 8 when
William Henry died in office in 1841.
Harrison attended Miami College and married Caroline Scott and became a lawyer. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and became rapidly one of the leading attorneys of the city. He was a good
orator which I'm sure stood him in good stead in courtrooms. It also stood him in good stead as
a Republican campaigner. He was elected Supreme Court Reporter for the Indiana Supreme Court.
Indiana's governor Oliver P. Morton asked Harrison to help with the recruiting of volunteers after
the Civil War started. Given his grandfather's tradition as the victor at Tippecanoe and the Thames
during the War of 1812, Harrison felt he had to go himself.
Harrison saw action with his regiment with Sherman's army in the southern campaign. At the
war's end Lincoln made him a brevet brigadier general. The book ends with Harrison and his
troops marching in review in Washington, DC.
Father Harry Sievers gives us a great deal of background for the next two volumes which cover his
career to the presidency and beyond.
birth at the large extended estate of his grandfather William Henry Harrison in 1833 through his service in the Civil War.
Harrison was a man most conscious of his family legacy. His great grandfather also Benjamin Harrison was known as Ben the Signer being one of the delegates from Virginia who signed the
Declaration of Independence. William as we know was our 9th president and shortest in term of
office dying a month after he was inaugurated. I'm sure uppermost in Bens's mind was the fact
that he wanted to be president and leave a greater legacy than grandfather. He was only 8 when
William Henry died in office in 1841.
Harrison attended Miami College and married Caroline Scott and became a lawyer. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and became rapidly one of the leading attorneys of the city. He was a good
orator which I'm sure stood him in good stead in courtrooms. It also stood him in good stead as
a Republican campaigner. He was elected Supreme Court Reporter for the Indiana Supreme Court.
Indiana's governor Oliver P. Morton asked Harrison to help with the recruiting of volunteers after
the Civil War started. Given his grandfather's tradition as the victor at Tippecanoe and the Thames
during the War of 1812, Harrison felt he had to go himself.
Harrison saw action with his regiment with Sherman's army in the southern campaign. At the
war's end Lincoln made him a brevet brigadier general. The book ends with Harrison and his
troops marching in review in Washington, DC.
Father Harry Sievers gives us a great deal of background for the next two volumes which cover his
career to the presidency and beyond.
January 15, 2019
It's amazing how little we know about our previous Presidents. Not just the "big name" ones, but the fact that I've mentioned reading about Benjamin Harrison to several people, and more than a handful said, "Who?"
I know that there are two more volumes to this biography, and I look forward to reading those as well. This first volume only brings us with Benjamin from his birth to the end of the Civil War (in which he helped Sherman on his march to Atlanta), and the death of Lincoln. I'm surprised that there is little mention of his grandfather, also President, William Henry "Tippecanoe" Harrison, and the few times it is mentioned, its often about how much people have thrown that name around at him. I was also surprised that even though he enlisted fairly early in the War, Ben hadn't seen a single battle until Sherman began his march to Atlanta, and yet by the time he finished, he had more battles under his belt than Andrew Jackson and his grandfather. And yet, people still say "Who?"
I do think the reading style is a bit distracting with all the footnotes that are completely unnecessary. 90% of the footnotes are just citations of where the work came from. Of the 10% that aren't, they are often just rewording of the exact same thing the reader already read. An Appendix would work wonders for flow and ease of reading. But, once I figured out that I could ignore a vast majority of those numbers in the middle of the text, the reading got easier.
There isn't much drama surrounding Benjamin Harrison politically so far, but since the book stops with his successes in the Civil War, I'm sure that arena is about to be entered.
I know that there are two more volumes to this biography, and I look forward to reading those as well. This first volume only brings us with Benjamin from his birth to the end of the Civil War (in which he helped Sherman on his march to Atlanta), and the death of Lincoln. I'm surprised that there is little mention of his grandfather, also President, William Henry "Tippecanoe" Harrison, and the few times it is mentioned, its often about how much people have thrown that name around at him. I was also surprised that even though he enlisted fairly early in the War, Ben hadn't seen a single battle until Sherman began his march to Atlanta, and yet by the time he finished, he had more battles under his belt than Andrew Jackson and his grandfather. And yet, people still say "Who?"
I do think the reading style is a bit distracting with all the footnotes that are completely unnecessary. 90% of the footnotes are just citations of where the work came from. Of the 10% that aren't, they are often just rewording of the exact same thing the reader already read. An Appendix would work wonders for flow and ease of reading. But, once I figured out that I could ignore a vast majority of those numbers in the middle of the text, the reading got easier.
There isn't much drama surrounding Benjamin Harrison politically so far, but since the book stops with his successes in the Civil War, I'm sure that arena is about to be entered.
January 4, 2022
My praise for this biography (volume 1 of 3) is that the author spends time illustrating Harrison’s humanity. Through family letters, especially, you can see that Harrison is not simply a 19th century caricature but a father, husband and son who had real feelings and relationships.
October 20, 2022
This takes you from his illustrious ancestry through the civil war. What he accomplishes at such an early age is amazing. It is nice to read some details of Indiana life pre-civil war and to hear about a few different spots in the civil war than one might encounter.
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November 20, 2024Good biography of Benjamin Harrison's life from birth through his service in the Civil War. It brings him to life, hard to do with a president who is known for his frostiness. I loved the glimpses of his life with his wife, Caroline.
October 29, 2023
"The Puritan may be considered as the source from which all our republican principles have sprung and as such should be remembered by us with the deepest gratitude and love." pg 36
December 1, 2025
Good overview of Harrisons early life an the Indiana regimen in the Civil War. 2 more volumes to go.
March 20, 2016
This is one of the few books actually written about this long-forgotten President. While Sievers' writing is definitely more academic in style than would be preferred for the casual reader, this is not a difficult nor a particularly long read (317 pages). Sievers, wherever possible, allows Harrison to talk for himself, and quotes numerously and at length from Harrison's voluminous correspondence - particularly with his wife, Carrie, and his father, John Scott Harrison. Harrison seemed to be writing all the time! Sievers also makes good use of the Indianapolis newspapers of the day to help describe the local political scene and local reaction and opinion to the Civil War.
The book assumes a measured pace, and Sievers delves into Harrison's highly religious childhood and education in western Ohio. His father assumes a prominent role here; Harrison's grandfather was the former military hero and (extremely brief) President in 1841, William Henry Harrison. He appears early in the book, but dies when Harrison is not quite eight years old, so his influence on little Ben is limited. John Scott Harrison was extremely pious and thus Benjamin was brought up as a strict Presbyterian. Much to his father's dismay, he decides to pursue a legal career instead of becoming a member of the clergy.
Harrison moves to Indianapolis with his wife and struggles for several years to make a decent living as a lawyer. But he is industrious and hard-working and eventually becomes recognized by some of the political powerhouses in Indianapolis, and by the time of the Civil War, he has a thriving law practice and he has been elected Supreme Court Reporter of the State of Indiana.
The remainder of the book details Harrison's decision to enlist, his raising of the Indiana Volunteer 70th Infantry, and his war experiences - first in Kentucky, then Tennessee, and finally as a part of William Tecumseh Sherman's army. After seeing very little action for the first year-plus, he becomes intimately involved in the Atlanta battle operations, and is eventually promoted to Brigadier General by the close of the Civil War. Sievers continually points out how well-respected Harrison was, and how both his subordinates and superiors held high regard for him as a soldier and as a human being. Sievers concludes at an appropriate stopping point: Harrison's mustering out of the service and returning home to Indianapolis in June 1865.
At times dry, but never to the point of boredom, Sievers succeeds in bringing Harrison to life.
Grade: B-
The book assumes a measured pace, and Sievers delves into Harrison's highly religious childhood and education in western Ohio. His father assumes a prominent role here; Harrison's grandfather was the former military hero and (extremely brief) President in 1841, William Henry Harrison. He appears early in the book, but dies when Harrison is not quite eight years old, so his influence on little Ben is limited. John Scott Harrison was extremely pious and thus Benjamin was brought up as a strict Presbyterian. Much to his father's dismay, he decides to pursue a legal career instead of becoming a member of the clergy.
Harrison moves to Indianapolis with his wife and struggles for several years to make a decent living as a lawyer. But he is industrious and hard-working and eventually becomes recognized by some of the political powerhouses in Indianapolis, and by the time of the Civil War, he has a thriving law practice and he has been elected Supreme Court Reporter of the State of Indiana.
The remainder of the book details Harrison's decision to enlist, his raising of the Indiana Volunteer 70th Infantry, and his war experiences - first in Kentucky, then Tennessee, and finally as a part of William Tecumseh Sherman's army. After seeing very little action for the first year-plus, he becomes intimately involved in the Atlanta battle operations, and is eventually promoted to Brigadier General by the close of the Civil War. Sievers continually points out how well-respected Harrison was, and how both his subordinates and superiors held high regard for him as a soldier and as a human being. Sievers concludes at an appropriate stopping point: Harrison's mustering out of the service and returning home to Indianapolis in June 1865.
At times dry, but never to the point of boredom, Sievers succeeds in bringing Harrison to life.
Grade: B-
April 7, 2015
The first of three volumes about the life of Benjamin Harrison begins with a short family history and ends with his mustering out of the army (as a Brigadier General) in the months after the Civil War. We get a good sense of who Harrison was, and we hear much of his "voice" as the author liberally quotes from Harrison's letters to his wife and family.
When I decided to read Malone's six volume of Jefferson, it was a fairly easy decision - Jefferson was a giant, one of the indispensable figures of his time. Choosing to read three volumes of Harrison, though, seems different. I don't know anybody who can tell me anything about him - his policies, or even precisely when he was president. What I've found in reading whole life biographies of the presidents is that many of them led fascinating lives, even if their presidential accomplishments have been forgotten. So far, this is the case with Harrison.
Roughly half of this volume, as can be guessed by the title, is about his service in the war. He had just been elected Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court when Lincoln called for more troops. He volunteered and was given the rank of Captain and command over the 70th Indiana Volunteers. This unit served under Sherman and was involved in the march through Georgia. Harrison led his men from the front, leading charges himself. He saw more combat in a month than either his grandfather or Andrew Jackson.
Includes footnotes, bibliography, and a number of photographs.
When I decided to read Malone's six volume of Jefferson, it was a fairly easy decision - Jefferson was a giant, one of the indispensable figures of his time. Choosing to read three volumes of Harrison, though, seems different. I don't know anybody who can tell me anything about him - his policies, or even precisely when he was president. What I've found in reading whole life biographies of the presidents is that many of them led fascinating lives, even if their presidential accomplishments have been forgotten. So far, this is the case with Harrison.
Roughly half of this volume, as can be guessed by the title, is about his service in the war. He had just been elected Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court when Lincoln called for more troops. He volunteered and was given the rank of Captain and command over the 70th Indiana Volunteers. This unit served under Sherman and was involved in the march through Georgia. Harrison led his men from the front, leading charges himself. He saw more combat in a month than either his grandfather or Andrew Jackson.
Includes footnotes, bibliography, and a number of photographs.
October 19, 2015
A very well-written and interesting book. My interest in B. Harrison came from a visit to his home in Indianapolis. This first book of the trilogy takes us along with Harrison to the end of the Civil War. A driven man, he was successful in his work as a lawyer, in elected office, in war (he became a Brig. General because of his service), and in marriage.
The author does a fine job in making his life and exploits interesting. One gets a real sense of the times and of the subject personally through the generous use of Harrison's own writings (voluminous). Noting the footnotes and bibliography, the author (a Jesuit priest) did an enormous amount of research -- and it shows.
I am looking forward to finishing this fine three volume work.
The author does a fine job in making his life and exploits interesting. One gets a real sense of the times and of the subject personally through the generous use of Harrison's own writings (voluminous). Noting the footnotes and bibliography, the author (a Jesuit priest) did an enormous amount of research -- and it shows.
I am looking forward to finishing this fine three volume work.
December 27, 2015
The first in a comprehensive three volume series on our 23rd President, Mr. Harry Sievers did a great job in outlining the earliest years of President Harrison's life. Volume 1 takes us from his birth and upbringing, thru his college years and his marriage to his wife Carrie, to his earliest days work days in Indianapolis to his time in the Civil War, making his mark with General Sheridan and his Army of the West - finishing with his being a Brigadier General by brevet. A fine opening salvo and a book that makes me look forward to entering the second volume in the near future.
August 16, 2008
Father Harry Sievers' three volume biography of Benjamin Harrison is sometimes stuck too deeply in the historical traditions of the 1950's but still the best resource in getting to know this nearly forgotten, enigmatic and quite pious 23rd President from Indiana.
February 29, 2016
Intersting and easy read. For a historical biography its pretty good.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews