Edwin M. Stanton portrait

Portrait of Edwin McMasters Stanton (1814-1869) as a young man with a short beard. Born in Steubenville, Ohio, Stanton was a lawyer and politician. He was Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln, who appointed him to that post in 1862. Present at Lincoln's deathbed, Stanton uttered his famous declaration, "Now he belongs to the ages." Stanton remained as Secretary of War under President Andrew Johnson until 1868, when Johnson twice tried to replace him. Stanton played a leading role in Johnson's impeachment. He resigned and returned to practicing law. In 1869 President Ulysses S. Grant nominated Stanton to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the nominee died four days after his appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Stanton never took the oath of office