James A. Garfield: A Brief Biography James A. Garfield: A Brief Biography 170 Words1 Page James A. Garfield was born in Orange, Ohio on November 19, 1831. He grew up with two brothers and two sisters. When he was almost 2 when his dad died. James would have liked to become a sailor. He went to the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute for 3 years. Then he had gone to Williams College for 2 years. James became a teacher at Eclectic Institute a year after graduating. He met his wife Lucretia Rudolph in 1858 After being elected for Ohio state senate in 1859, he began to promote for forcing Southern states to reunite with the union. During the Civil War James became part of the Union army as a lieutenant colonel without military experience. He was apart of the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, and the Battle of Chickamauga. James