INGERSOLL, Robert Green, American, lawyer, lecturer and author: b. Dresden, N.. Y,, 11 Aug. 1833; d. Dobb's Ferry, N. Y., 21 July 1899. He received a common school education in' varipus towns in Ohio and Illinois where his father, a minister, held charges and was ad mitted to the bar at Mount Vernon, Ill., 1854. He soon became prominent in the courts and in' Democratic politics. In the Civil War' he recruited the 11th Illinois Cavalry and en tered the army as its colonel. He was in the battle of Shiloh and saw considerable fighting in Tennessee. On 18 Dec. 1862, while trying with a force of 600 men to intercept a Con federate raiding party, he was captured by a force of 10,000 but was soon paroled and given command of a camp' in Saint Louis. He soon afterward resigned. After the war he became a Republican, and was made attorney general of Illinois in 1867. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1876 and plated in nomination for President James G. whom he termed °the plumed knight."' His nominating speech gave hiM national rep utation as an orator, and he afterwards le•c ttired• frequently, always before immense drowds. He was an agnostic and in his tures attacked the Bible and the beliefs of the Christian religion. He was prominent in poli tics for several years,. and had he not given such 'frequent expression to 'his agnostic views he would doubtless have been honored with high. offices, though; to judge front, his .refesal of_ two or diplomatic postS, he was far fromeager for office. He took up his per-.
manent residence in New York city in 1882' and practised law there till his death, being one of .the most successful trial lawyers of his' times. His lectures on theological subjects fonned for many years the basis of extensive and, flrequently violent discussion and attacks. Crlis most famous lectures include 'Some Ilia, takes Man,'The Family>Liberty Men, Woman and 'The Gods); and 'Ghosts.> His publications include ttires Complete> (1886) ; 'Prose, Poems' and ; 'Famous Speeches' (1906) ; 'Political • Speeches) (1914). A' com te collection of his works was published in volumes (New York 1912). Consult H. A., 'The Age of Unreason> (New York 1881) ; Curtiss, S, I., 'Ingersoll and 1880) ; Dement, R. S., 'Ingersoll, Beecher and Dogma> (Chicago 1878) ; Duganne. J H Injuresoul; a Satire (New York 1884) ; Gpldthwaite, V., 'The, Philosophy of Ingersoll' (San Francisco 1906); Hubbard, E., 'Ingersoll) (in 'Little journeys to the Homes of Eminent Oratop,' (Vol. XIII, 23, East Aurora 1903) ; Kittredge, H. E., 'Ingersoll • a Biographical Appreciation> (New York ; Lambert, L. A., ‘Notes on Inger soll> (Bu alo 1883) ' • McClure, J. B., ed., 'Mis takes of Ingersoll, etc.' (Chicago 1879); U D 'United States War Department, 'The 'War of the Rebellion. (Official Records) (Series I, Vol. XVII, Washington 1886-87).