author
George C. (George Congdon) Gorham
1832–1909
A journalist, political strategist, and historian of the Civil War era, he moved from Gold Rush California into national politics and spent more than a decade as Secretary of the U.S. Senate. Later, he turned to writing, producing a major two-volume life of Edwin M. Stanton.
1 Audiobook
Personal reminiscences of early days in California, with other sketches : to which is added the story of his attempted assassination by a former associate on the supreme bench of the state
by Stephen J. (Stephen Johnson) Field, George C. (George Congdon) Gorham
About the author
Born in New York on July 5, 1832, he went to California as a teenager during the Gold Rush and built an early career in newspaper work. He edited papers in both San Francisco and Sacramento and became active in Republican politics at a time when California and the nation were being reshaped by debates over slavery, Reconstruction, and federal power.
His best-known public office was Secretary of the United States Senate, a post he held from 1868 to 1879. He was also a visible figure in California politics, including a run for governor, and remained closely tied to Republican organizing and political journalism after leaving the Senate.
In the later part of his life, he devoted himself more fully to writing. His most notable book was a two-volume biography of Edwin M. Stanton, Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war, reflecting his long interest in public life and the Civil War generation. He died in Washington, D.C., on February 11, 1909.