ield at first
mistrusted his own powers in this direction. How should he, who had
hitherto been poring chiefly over the odes of Horace (his favourite
poet), now take so suddenly to leading a thousand men into actual
battle? He would accept only a subordinate position, he said, if a
regular officer of the United States army, trained at the great
military academy at West Point, was placed in command. So the Governor
told him to go among his own farmer friends in his native district, and
recruit a third regiment, promising to find him a West Point man as
colonel, if one was available. Garfield accepted the post of
lieutenant-colonel, raised the 42nd Ohio regiment, chiefly among his
own old pupils at Hiram, and set off for the seat of operations. At
the last moment the Governor failed to find a regular officer to lead
these raw recruits, every available man being already occupied, and
Garfield found himself, against his will, compelled to undertake the
responsible task of commanding the regiment. He accepted the task thus
thrust upon him, and as if by magic transformed himself at once from a
schoolmaster into an able soldier.

In less than one month, Colonel Garfield took his raw troops into
action in the battle of Middle Creek, and drove the Confederate General
Marshall, with far larger numbers, out of his intrenchments, compelling
him to retreat into Virginia. This timely victory did much to secure
the northern advance along the line of the Mississippi. During the
whole of the succeeding campaign Garfield handled his regiment with
such native skill and marked success that the Government appointed him
Brigadier-General for his bravery and military talent. In spite of all
his early disadvantages, he had been the youngest member of the Ohio
Senate, and now he was the youngest general in the whole American army.

Shortly after, the important victory of Chickamauga was gained almost
entirely by the energy and sagacity of General Garfield. For this
service, he was raised one degree in dignity, receiving his commission
as Major-General. He served altogether only two years and three months
in the army.

But while Garfield was at the head of his victorious troops in
Kentucky, his friends in Ohio were arranging, without his consent or
knowledge, to call him away to a very different sphere of work. They
nominated Garfield as their candidate for the United States House of
Representatives at Washington. The General himsel