Civil War Union Army Officer, US Diplomat, Presidential Cabinet Secretary. Commissioned as Major of the 25th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in 1861. He rose to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, and participated in the capture of Fort Donelson before being promoted Colonel and commander of first the 65th Indiana Volunteer Mounted Infantry, then the 136th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Given command of a brigade, his troops were the first to entire Knoxville, Tennessee during General Ambrose Burnside's operations against the city. After the War he became a journalist, and served as editor of the Evansville "Daily Journal" from 1865 to 1869. He was then appointed as United States Minister to Mexico, serving from 1873 to 1880 under Presidents Ulysses Grant and Rutherford Hayes. In 1880 President Hayes transferred him to the post of United States Minister to Russia, where he served from 1880 to 1881. In 1883 he was appointed as United States Minister to Spain, serving at that position from 1883 to 1885. In 1892 he was appointed as United States Secretary of State during President Benjamin Harrison's Administration, serving from 1892 to 1893. He was the Grandfather of Eisenhower Administration Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who served during the height of the Cold War.
Civil War Union Army Officer, US Diplomat, Presidential Cabinet Secretary. Commissioned as Major of the 25th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in 1861. He rose to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, and participated in the capture of Fort Donelson before being promoted Colonel and commander of first the 65th Indiana Volunteer Mounted Infantry, then the 136th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Given command of a brigade, his troops were the first to entire Knoxville, Tennessee during General Ambrose Burnside's operations against the city. After the War he became a journalist, and served as editor of the Evansville "Daily Journal" from 1865 to 1869. He was then appointed as United States Minister to Mexico, serving from 1873 to 1880 under Presidents Ulysses Grant and Rutherford Hayes. In 1880 President Hayes transferred him to the post of United States Minister to Russia, where he served from 1880 to 1881. In 1883 he was appointed as United States Minister to Spain, serving at that position from 1883 to 1885. In 1892 he was appointed as United States Secretary of State during President Benjamin Harrison's Administration, serving from 1892 to 1893. He was the Grandfather of Eisenhower Administration Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who served during the height of the Cold War.
Bio by: RPD2
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Foster memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
