JOHN WATSON FOSTER
FOSTER, JOHN WATSON, son of an English farmer; educated at Indiana university and at Harvard law school; volunteer soldier in the Civil war from major to brigadier-general; editor; postmaster; United States minister to Mexico, Russia and Spain; secretary of state of the United States; special plenipotentiary to Great Britain, Germany, Santo Domingo, Japan, and China, and member of the Anglo-American Joint High Commission; was born in Pike county, Indiana, March 2, 1836. His father Matthew Watson Foster, was a native of Gilesfield, England, who came to the United States about the beginning of the nineteenth century, was a farmer, county judge, city councilman, and a citizen of eminent patriotism and public spirit. His mother, Eleanor (Johnson) Foster, was a native of Pike county, Indiana, descended from a Virginia family. She died when her son John Watson Foster was a child. The first ten years of his life w^ere spent on a farm. He was graduated at Indiana university, A.B., 1855, A.M., 1858. He attended Harvard law school one year, and was admitted to the bar in 1857. He practised in Evansville, Indiana, 1857-61.
On the outbreak of the Civil war he was appointed major of the 25th Indiana volunteers, Colonel James C. Veatch. The regiment was assigned to the 4th brigade, 2d division of the Union army under General U. S. Grant. He took part in the battle that resulted in the capture of Fort Donelson, February 16, 1862, and received promotion to lieutenant-colonel. He also commanded the regiment at Shiloh after Lieutenant-Colonel W. H. Morgan was wounded, Colonel Veatch commanding the brigade. In this battle he greatly distinguished himself; by rallying his regiment amid the confusion and disorder that existed, and by seizing the colors as they fell from the hands of a wounded color-bearer and planting them against a fallen tree, thus holding the regiment under control and avoiding such a stampede, as prevailed about them; and on the renewal of the engagement on Monday, April 7, his men were ready and anxious to follow up the advantage thus gained. In this engagement his brigade lost 130 killed and 492 wounded; and for his gallant conduct he was promoted to the
