Lewis Cass

Born October 9, 1782, Lewis Cass was the eldest child of Jonathan Cass, a craftsman who had fought in the Revolution. Young Lewis attended Exeter Academy, where he became close friends with Daniel Webster. By 1808 Cass had opened a law practice in Marietta, Ohio. He was a member of the Ohio Legislature in 1806 and served as the United States Marshal in Ohio from 1807 to 1812.

• He enthusiastically fought in the War of 1812 and was appointed a colonel in the Third Ohio Regiment.
• He became a brigadier general in the United States Army a year later.
• He was appointed governor of the Territory of Michigan in 1813 and served until 1831. His tenure was marked by good relations with the numerous Indian tribes under his jurisdiction.
• Cass served as the Secretary of War from 1831 to 1836 and as minister to France in 1836.
• Elected to the United States Senate in 1845, he served until 1857.
• In 1848 the noted senator was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for president.
• He served as Buchanan's secretary of state from 1857–1860 but resigned in protest against the president's decision not to reinforce the Charleston forts.
• He was a strong supporter of the Union and lived long enough to see the outcome of the Civil War.
• He died on June 17, 1866.