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Profile of John Rawlins
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John Rawlins |
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9th June 1902 |
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Long Beach, California, USA |
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Director |
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From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
Major General John Aaron Rawlins (February 13, 1831–September 6, 1869) was an American military man and U.S. Secretary of War.
Biography
Born in Galena, Illinois, Rawlins practiced law there after being admitted to the bar in 1854. In 1861, at the outbreak of the American Civil War, Rawlins met Ulysses S. Grant, who was raising a regiment from Galena to answer President Lincoln's call for troops. At Grant's request, Rawlins joined the army as a captain under his command. Rawlins remained with Grant throughout the war, and was known for possessing a great attention to detail, as well as being a stickler in proper protocol. In particular, Rawlins tried to maintain Grant's public image. Grant was known for trouble with alcoholism, but it was revealed, in a letter from Rawlins to Grant (which Grant never saw), that Grant maintained his sobriety during his command of the Army. In this letter, made public in 1891 - several years after Grant's death - Rawlins wrote, "I find you where the wine bottle has been emptied, in company with those who drink, and urge you not to do likewise." Rawlins noted that this advice was "heeded, and all went well", thus proving that when Grant did not indulge in alcoholism when his decision-making was critical.
Rawlins remained with Grant even after the general was elected president, serving as Grant's first Secretary of War. However, Rawlins had contracted tuberculosis, and his failing health caused his term in office to be brief. His doctors recommended that Rawlins go to Arizona, where the dry desert climate would allow him to live longer. Rawlins refused, wishing to stay at Grant's side as his Secretary of War. He died in Washington on September 6, 1869, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The town of Rawlins, county seat of Carbon County, Wyoming, is named for him, as well as Rawlins County, Kansas.
Shaky Relations?
There was speculation that by the time Rawlins died, he and Grant had grown distant. According to an article on Rawlins at the Ulysses S. Grant Homepage, Grant no longer needed Rawlins' constant fussing over his image. When Rawlins died, only his temporary successor, General William Tecumseh Sherman, was at his bedside. In his memoirs, written shortly before his death, Grant only mentioned Rawlins twice, and essentially ignored their professional and personal relationship. Surviving members of Grant's former staff were outraged at the fact that Grant would snub someone who had been as loyal to him - literally to the death - as Rawlins had been. The most likely explanation for this is given by historian E.B. Long, who wrote, "It might be that Grant did not wish to praise Rawlins too profusely because of the current reports picturing Rawlins as the protector of Grant from his own bad habits."
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