Daniel webster whittle biography definition

The subject of this sketch, D. He was named for the statesman whom his father greatly admired — Daniel Webster. There were three other boys in the family and before the outbreak of the war they had all joined the crowds of young men who were leaving New England for the Western states and had settled in Chicago. Whittle went into the Wells Fargo Bank as cashier.

He soon became interested in the Tabernacle Sunday-school, the largest in the city, and in the course of time became its superintendent. It would be hard to say just when he experienced his first deep interest in religious things; born of a sweet and lovely Christian mother, he probably learned while still a child what God's love and grace in the heart may mean; but it was characteristic of him that he made a definite surrender at a definite time of his heart and life to God.

At midnight one night when he was acting as night watchman in the bank, he says: "I went into the vault and in the dead silence of that quietest of places I gave my life to my Heavenly Father to use as He would. It was through his work in the Tabernacle Sunday-school that he met the woman who was to become his wife — Miss Abbie Hanson.

Whittle was named after American politician

She was also a New Englander by birth. In he joined the 72d Illinois Infantry, enlisting in Company B as second lieutenant, but it was not until that the regiment was ordered South, and on the night before he left, August 22d, he and Miss Hanson were quietly married, only to part the next day for over a year. Whittle served throughout the remainder of the war; he became Provost Marshal on Gen.

Howard's staff; was with Sherman on his march to the sea and was wounded at Vicksburg. At the close of the war he was breveted "Major" and the title was never dissociated from his name. It was when he was sent home wounded from Vicksburg, having been shot in his sword arm while leading a charge in place of his wounded captain, that he first met the man who was to so greatly influence his life — Mr.

The following is the incident in Major Whittle's own words:. I was called upon to speak and as I got slowly to my feet, feeling shy and embarrassed and weak, a strong voice called out— 'Give him three cheers, boys,' and they were given with a will, for every heart was bursting with patriotism in those days and the sight of a wounded soldier in a blue uniform stirred the blood.