Native Kentuckian Benjamin Bristow was widely considered to be one of President Ulysses S. Grant’s best cabinet selections. However, his service to the United States began much earlier. As a lawyer, soldier, and politician, Bristow dedicated his life to serving the United States and fighting for freedom and equality for all.
Bristow was born in Elkton, Kentucky, on June 20, 1832. From an early age, Bristow was exposed to law and politics. This influence came from his father, Francis Bristow, a well-known attorney and member of Congress. In 1851, Benjamin graduated from Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. Following in his father’s footsteps, Benjamin began studying law, and by 1853, he was admitted to the Kentucky bar. Subsequently, Bristow and his father worked as partners. During this time, Benjamin was heavily influenced by his father’s anti-slavery and Whig viewpoints.
In 1858, Bristow moved to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where he began practicing law. He continued practicing law until the beginning of the Civil War. At the start of the war, Bristow was a strong Unionist. Not wanting to stand idle, Bristow joined the Union Army as a member of the 25th Kentucky Infantry. While serving in the Union Army, Bristow was under the command of future president Ulysses S. Grant. He bravely fought in three major battles (Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and Shiloh) before sustaining significant injuries that forced him to temporarily retire. After recovering, he returned to the Union Army and was promoted to colonel. As colonel, he assisted in the capture of John Hunt Morgan during his infamous raids of Indiana and Ohio in 1863. Soon after, Bristow received his honorable discharge.
Following his service in the Union Army, Bristow jumped headfirst into politics. In 1863, Christian County elected him to the Kentucky Senate. As a state senator, Bristow held on to the same earlier beliefs that his father had instilled. He enthusiastically supported Union legislation, the 13th Amendment (outlawing slavery), and Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 presidential campaign. Benjamin was appointed as district attorney for the Louisville, Kentucky, district in 1866, and he used this opportunity to enforce the 1866 Civil Rights Act. At this point in his career, Bristow also spent months practicing law alongside future Supreme Court Justice, John Harlan.
In 1870, the U.S. Department of Justice was established by Congress. That same year, Ulysses S. Grant appointed Bristow as the 1st U.S. Solicitor General. The newly formed U.S. Department of Justice was created to assist in the enforcement of Congressional Reconstruction laws and constitutional amendments, among other reasons. While serving as solicitor general, Bristow prosecuted thousands of KKK members, leading to a significant decrease in activity. In 1871, he made a trip back to Kentucky. During his trip, Bristow gave various speeches to promote civil rights for African Americans in addition to the right to testify in court, as at the time, African Americans were forbidden from testifying in any type of case involving a white man—regardless of citizenship. Bristow was also a proponent of free universal education, advancing the idea that all property in Kentucky should be taxed to help fund schools.
In 1874, Benjamin Bristow was appointed as Secretary of the Treasury by President Grant. He was praised by many as the type of reformer that was needed. Bristow lived up to expectations. He reorganized the Treasury Department, dismissing more than 700 people before implementing a set of civil service rules. Although Bristow made major reforms, he is best known for his efforts to break up the infamous Whiskey Ring. In 1875, Bristow was thrust into the spotlight by this new anti-corruption campaign. The Whiskey Ring was made up of corrupt distillers and their allies in the IRS. The groups increased their profits by neglecting to pay any of the taxes associated with whiskey production. There were previous attempts to break apart the Whiskey Ring, but they were largely unsuccessful because of bribery and deep-rooted corruption.
Following the Whiskey Ring’s prosecution, Benjamin Bristow became a household name for many Americans. Various disagreements, however, lead to mounting frustrations between President Grant and Bristow. It became clear that this friction was having an impact on their working relationship. Bristow resigned as Secretary of the Treasury in 1876 due to his deteriorating relationship with President Grant. Many people believed Bristow would have been dismissed if he hadn’t taken the opportunity to resign.
Following his resignation as solicitor general, Bristow was eager to utilize his newfound popularity. In 1876, he announced his intention to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Unfortunately for Bristow, rumors circulated that his work to prosecute the Whiskey Ring had been carried out for the sole purpose of obtaining the 1876 republican nomination. Although these rumors were mostly baseless, they caused irreparable damage to his campaign and perception—harm that proved too strong to overcome. Despite Bristow’s efforts, Rutherford B. Hayes was elected as the Republican candidate during the 1876 Republican National Convention.
The rumors of disloyalty and dishonesty targeted at Bristow’s presidential campaign had a profound impact on him, and they effectively ruined his chance of gaining the republican nomination. For Bristow, the way things unfolded left a bad taste in his mouth and ultimately led to his retirement from politics. This came as a shock for many, considering Bristow was in his mid-40’s with an impressive resume and extensive experience in politics. In time, though, Bristow managed to regain his reputation as an honest public servant.
Although Bristow said goodbye to politics, he never planned on retiring altogether. In 1878, he resumed his legal career and formed a law firm with three partners, rededicating his time and energy to his original profession. In 1879, Bristow was selected as the second-ever president of the American Bar Association. The same year, he was named Vice President of the Civil Service Reform Association due to his legacy and continued efforts toward civil service reform. In his post-political legal career, Bristow argued numerous cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1896, Bristow passed away, aged 64, at his home in New York due to appendicitis. He was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York.
Bristow’s legacy continues, as modern historians consider him one of President Grant’s best appointments. Furthermore, Bristow is remembered for the combative stance he took against bigotry and corruption. Whether prosecuting members of the Whiskey Ring, tackling corruption within the Internal Revenue Department, or facing down the Klan in a quest to secure voting rights for African Americans, Bristow fought to establish good. In the end, he left an indelible mark, his name resultantly etched into the arena of American history.
Although Bristow was a Southerner by birth, his love for the entire United States came first. He will always be remembered as a dedicated Unionist who was not afraid to advocate for African Americans and their rights.
