Show byj rb hicls tewo swu vahan released by newspaper union first presidential death 0 NE hundred years aap annerl ameri cans were mourning the loss of their chief executive william henry r y harrlson harrison when he died on april 4 1841 it marked the first presidential death in the white house and the end of the shortest presidential term in history exactly one month harrison was also the oldest man ever cl to that high office he was nearly 68 years old when he won his victory over president mat martin van buren candidate tor for reelee re elee elec tion in the campaign ol of 1840 0 the rigors of that campaign undermined his health and the ng tiresome journey to washington from rom ohio made by canal boat and on horseback told heavily on his strength march 4 1841 the day of his inauguration augu ration was cold and disagreeable while delivering his inaugural address the longest ever given by any president harrison stood outdoors bareheaded he caught a severe cold which developed into pneumonia and resulted in his death despite the fact that harrison is chiefly remembered as the leading figure in the exciting log cabin hard cider campaign of 1840 he had many other real claims to distinction that are little known to most americans born bom in virginia february 3 1773 the son of Be bemjamin ajamin harrison one of the signers of the declaration of independence he became the ward aard of robert morris the financier of the revolution after his fathers death prophetic of harrisons Harrisn Harri ns later role in the development of the west was his determination to enlist in the army for service against the indians in the ohio country morris opposed this plan but young harrison or y lf in applied directly to president washington and although he was only 19 years old he was commissioned a an ensign his gallant conduct during mad anthony waynes campa campaign agn won the favor avor of his commander a promotion to a captaincy and command of fort washington later cincinnati cin nati ohio in 1798 harrison resigned from rom the army but president adams im mediately appointed him secretary of the northwest territory in 1800 president jefferson made him the first governor of the new territory of 0 indiana an office which hp he held for 12 years As governor he was also charged with negotiating treaties tor for the cession of indian lands it was his activity in this regard w which h ich caused the famous shawnee chief tecumseh to unite the tribes to resist further encroach ments upon their hunting grounds but plans were ruined when his brother the prophet made a premature attack on the force of 1 1000 soldiers which harrison had assembled on an the banks of the tippecanoe river that victory made the young governor a popular military hero the war of 1812 added to his reputation culminating as it did in his victory at the battle of the thames at which tecumseh was killed in 1816 harrison was elected to congress and after serving one term retired from politics however he was elected to the senate in 1825 1823 but during the administration of president jackson his fortunes both political and financial sank to such a low state that he be was glad to ac accept c ept a po position r as county recorder in order to support his large family he was the father of 10 children more than any other president before or since his time in 1836 harrison returned to the poli political ties arena as the anti masons candidate tor for president although he received only 73 electoral votes he apparently was the strongest of vau van burens prospective opponents this belief was justified in the campaign of 1840 which sent him to the white house for his short and ul ill fated stay there few of our presidents have had more nicknames than william henry harrison because he had lived on a farm near north bend ohio he ie was celled called the honest farmer of north bend also the buckeye who follows the plow significant of his role in opening the old northwest to settlement were his two nicknames of hero of the west and father of the great west sut but his favorite nicknames were those which reflected his career as a military hero and an indian fight er the hero of the thames and old Tipp tippecanoe canoe |