Green Berry Raum – Brigadier General, United States Army Member of Congress & Government Official

Representative from Illinois; born in Golconda, Pope County, Ill., December 3, 1829; attended the common schools; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1853 and practiced in Golconda 1853-1856; moved to Kansas in 1856 and practiced his profession for two years; returned to Illinois and settled in Harrisburg; during the Civil War served in the Union Army as major in the Fifty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and attained the rank of brigadier general; resigned his commission May 6, 1865, and engaged in railroad building; elected as a Republican to the Fortieth Congress (March 4, 1867-March 3, 1869); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 868 to the Forty-first Congress; United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue 1876-1883; United States Commissioner of Pensions 1889-1893; engaged in the practice of law in Chicago, Ill., until his death there on December 18, 1909; interment in Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Myer, Virginia.

Green Berry Raum, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, born in Golconda, Pope County, Illinois, 3 December, 1829. He received a common-school education, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1853. In 1856 he removed with his family to Kansas, and at once affiliated with the Free-state party.

Becoming obnoxious to the pro-slavery faction, he returned the following year to Illinois and settled at Harrisburg. At the opening of the civil war he made his first speech as a “war” Democrat while he was attending court at Metropolis, Illinois. Subsequently he entered the army as Major of the 56th Illinois regiment, and was promoted  Lieutenant Colonel, colonel, and brevet Brigadier General. He was made Brigadier General of volunteers on 15 February, 1865, which commission he resigned on 6 May. He served under Gem William S. Rosecrans in the Mississippi campaign of 1862. At the battle of Corinth he ordered and led the charge that broke the Confederate left and captured a battery. He was with General Grant at Vicksburg, and was wounded at the battle of Missionary Ridge in November, 1863. During the Atlanta campaign he held the line of communication from Dalton to Acworth and from Kingston to Rome, Georgia In October, 1864, he reenforced Resaea, Georgia, and held it against General John B. Hood.

In 1866 he obtained a charter for the Cairo and Vincennes railroad company, aided in securing its construction, and became its first president, lie was then elected to ongress, and served from 4 March, 1867, till 3 March, 1869. In 1876 he was president of the Illinois Republican convention, and in the same year he was a delegate to the National convention of that party in Cincinnati. He was appointed commissioner of internal revenue, 2 August, 1876, and retained the office till 31 May, 1883. During this period he collected $850,000,000 and disbursed $30,000,000 without loss. He wrote ” Reports” of his bureau for seven successive years. He is also the author of ” The Existing Conflict between Republican Government and Southern Oligarchy ” (Washington, 1884). He is at present (1888) practicing law in Washington, D. C.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard