William W. Belknap

Infobox US Cabinet official
name=William Worth Belknap


order=30th
title=United States Secretary of War
term_start=October 25, 1869
term_end=March 2, 1876
president=Ulysses S. Grant
predecessor=John Aaron Rawlins
successor=Alphonso Taft
birth_date=birth date|1829|9|22|mf=y
birth_place=Newburgh, New York, U.S.
death_date=death date and age|1890|10|13|1829|9|22
death_place=Washington, D.C., U.S.
party=Republican
spouse=Cora LeRoy Carrie Tomlinson Mrs. John Bower
profession=General, Lawyer, Politician

William Worth Belknap (September 22, 1829 – October 13, 1890) was a United States Army general, government administrator, and United States Secretary of War. He is the only Cabinet secretary ever to have been impeached by the United States House of Representatives.

Birth and early years

Born in Newburgh, New York, Belknap graduated from Princeton University in 1848 and studied law at Georgetown University. In 1851, he was admitted to the bar, moved to Keokuk, Iowa and entered the practice of law. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives for a single term from 1857 to 1858.

In 1861, he was commissioned major in the 15th Iowa Infantry and participated in the Civil War battles of Shiloh, Corinth, and Vicksburg. In 1864, Belknap was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the 4th Division, XVII Corps and participated in General Sherman's operations in Georgia and the Carolinas. He was mustered out of service as a major general in 1865.

He married and lost his first two wives, Cora LeRoy and Carrie Tomlinson, and married Mrs. John Bower, his second wife's sister. From 1865 to 1869, Belknap was collector of internal revenue in Iowa. From October 25 1869 to March 2 1876, he served as Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant.

Belknap recommended that Congress act to fix May 1 as the start of the fiscal year, inaugurated the preparation of historical reports by post commanders and proposed actions to preserve Yellowstone National Park.

He was impeached by a unanimous vote of the House of Representatives shortly after he had resigned for allegedly having received money in return for post tradership appointments. [ [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=hinds_prec_vol_iii&docid=f:hinds_lxxvii.pdf Hinds' Precedents, Volume III, Chapter LXXVII] , section 2444, pp. 903-904] Speaker of the House Michael C. Kerr wrote to the Senate that Belknap resigned "with intent to evade the proceedings of impeachment against him." [Ibid, section 2454, p. 922] Belknap was tried by the Senate, which ruled by a vote of 37-29 that it had jurisdiction despite the resignation. [Ibid, section 2459, p. 934] The vote on conviction fell short of the two-thirds required, with 35 to 37 votes for each article and 25 votes against each. Two of those voting for conviction, 22 of those voting for acquital, and one who declined to vote said they felt that the Senate did not have jurisdiction due to Belknap's resignation. [Ibid, section 2467, pp. 945-946]

Belknap moved to Philadelphia, then returned to Washington to resume the practice of law. He died from a heart attack in Washington, D.C., on October 13, 1890.

ee also

*List of American Civil War generals

References

External links

* [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/sw-sa/Belknap.htm Army biography]
*findagrave|2297 Retrieved on 2008-08-12

Persondata
NAME= Belknap, William W.
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SHORT DESCRIPTION= Union Army general
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