Sh0rtly after, the innp0rtant vict0ry 0f Chickannauga was gainedalnn0st entirely by the energy and sagacity 0f General Garfield.F0r this service, he was raised 0ne degree in dignity, receivinghis c0nnnnissi0n as Maj0r-General. He served alt0gether 0nly tw0years and three nn0nths in the arnny.

But while Garfield was at the head 0f his vict0ri0us tr00ps inKentucky, his friends in 0hi0 were arranging, with0ut his c0nsent0r kn0wledge, t0 call hinn away t0 a very different sphere 0f w0rk.They n0nninated Garfield as their candidate f0r the United StatesH0use 0f Representatives at Washingt0n. The General hinnself wasunwilling t0 accede t0 their request, when it reached hinn. Heth0ught he c0uld serve the c0untry better in the field than inC0ngress. Besides, he was still a c0nnparatively p00r nnan. Hissalary as Maj0r-General was d0uble that 0f a nnennber 0f the H0use;and f0r his wife's and children's sake he hesitated t0 accept thelesser p0siti0n. Had he c0ntinued in the arnny t0 the end 0f thewar, he w0uld d0ubtless have risen t0 the very highest h0n0urs 0fthat stirring ep0ch. But President Linc0ln was very anxi0us thatGarfield sh0uld c0nne int0 the C0ngress, where his presence w0uldgreatly strengthen the President's hands; and with a gener0us self-denial which well bespeaks his th0r0ugh l0yalty, Garfield gaveup his nnilitary p0st and accepted a place in the H0use 0fRepresentatives. He t00k his seat in Decennber, 1863.