Gilded Age Cato: The Life of Walter Q. Gresham

Union general, federal judge, presidential contender, and cabinet officer—Walter Q. Gresham of Indiana stands as an enigmatic character in the politics of the Gilded Age, one who never seemed comfortable in the offices he sought. This first scholarly biography not only follows the turns of his career but seeks also to find the roots of his disaffection.

Entering politics as a Whig, Gresham shortly turned to help organize the new Republican Party and was a contender for its presidential nomin...