James A Garfield (1831-1881), 20th President of the United States of America
James A Garfield was the 20th President of the United States of America.
Born in Moreland Hills, Ohio in a small log cabin, Garfield enlisted in the army at the start of the civil war, rose to the rank of Major General, served as an Ohio State Senator, served in the House of Representatives, and was elected President in 1880 as a Republican.
He only served 200 days in office, as he was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau at a Washington DC railroad station. He lived for 80 days after the shooting, eventually dying of incompetent doctors.
During his short term in office, he appointed Stanley Matthews to the Supreme Court, appointed 4 federal judges, and signed an executive order to give federal employees May 28th, 1881 off work for the purpose of a decorating the graves of veterans of the Civil War (which we now celebrate as Memorial Day).
Before his career in politics, he was a minister and church elder, making him the only former clergy to serve as a US President.
He also holds the unique distinction of being the only sitting member of the House of Representatives to be elected as President.
He is my 6th cousin 7 times removed.
Jerry Milo Johnson to President James A Garfield
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