Robert C. Schenck

1809–1890 (age 81)

Biography

Robert C. Schenck, born in 1809, was both a soldier and a statesman whose career spanned Congress, the battlefield, and diplomacy. He served as a Union general during the Civil War and later represented his country abroad, carrying with him a conviction that public service required both courage and humility.

Even after his active duty, he continued to mentor younger leaders and shared his disciplined vision for how government could be an instrument of justice. Those who studied his life applaud the steadiness with which he sought to reconcile national challenges.