Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901) was the 23rd President of the United States, serving one term from 1889 to 1893. Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at the age of 21, where he became a prominent state politician. During the American Civil War, Harrison served as a Brigadier General in the XX Corps of the Army of the Cumberland. After the war he unsuccessfully ran for the governorship of Indiana, but was later appointed to the U.S. Senate from that state.

Harrison, a Republican, was elected to the presidency in 1888, defeating the Democratic incumbent, Grover Cleveland. His presidential administration is most remembered for its economic legislation, including the McKinley Tariff and the Sherman Antitrust Act, and for annual federal spending that reached one billion dollars for the first time. Democrats attacked the "Billion Dollar Congress", and used the issue, along with the growing unpopularity of the high tariff, to defeat the Republicans, both in the 1890 mid-term elections and in Harrison's bid for reelection in 1892. He also saw the admittance of six states into the Union.

After failing to win reelection in 1892, he returned to private life at his home in Indianapolis.

Benjamin Harrison in Southern Victory
Benjamin Harrison served as the Secretary of War in the Blaine Administration. He oversaw the U.S. military during the Second Mexican War, and so must shoulder some of the blame for its failures during the war.

Literary Comment
While the text is not clear that the Secretary of War is indeed Benjamin Harrison, Turtledove's frequent use of familiar historical figures in the cabinet of James G. Blaine supports the idea.