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William Belknap

William Belknap
Artist
Mathew B. Brady, 1823? - 15 Jan 1896
Sitter
William Worth Belknap, 22 Sep 1829 - Oct 1890
Date
1870
Type
Photograph
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
Mount: 30.4 × 25.2 cm (11 15/16 × 9 15/16")
Image/Sheet: 20.8 × 15.8 cm (8 3/16 × 6 1/4")
Topic
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard
William Worth Belknap: Male
William Worth Belknap: Law and Crime\Lawyer
William Worth Belknap: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of War
William Worth Belknap: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Civil War\Union Army
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Thomas and Sandra Ammann
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.2003.44
Exhibition Label
Born Newburgh, New York
William W. Belknap is most often associated with the corruption that discredited the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant. At the start of the Civil War, Belknap was a junior officer with the Fifteenth Iowa Volunteers and eventually attained the rank of brigadier general. In 1869, President Grant appointed him secretary of war. Seven years later, in 1876, evidence was reported to Congress indicating that Belknap had received more than $24,000 in connection with the appointment of John S. Evans to the trade post at Fort Sill in the Oklahoma Territory. Belknap was impeached and resigned before the end of the Senate trial, which failed to find him guilty by a necessary two-thirds majority. Later, it was discovered that the free-spending Mrs. Belknap had been the primary perpetrator of the conspiracy to purchase the office.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view