Horatio Collins King (National Cyclopaedia)

KING, Horatio Collins, soldier, author, and editor, was born in Portland, Me., Dec. 22, 1837, son of Horatio King, postmaster-general under Pres. Buchanan. He is descended from Philip King who came from England and settled at Braintree, Mass., in 1680. His great-grandfather, George King, was clerk and sergeant of the Raynham Co., in the war of the revolution, and a man of great personal courage. Horatio C. King was graduated at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., in 1858; studied law with E. M. Stanton, afterwards secretary of war, and was admitted to practice in New York city in May, 1861. Soon after the breaking-out of the war he entered the army as captain and participated with the army of the Potomac and the army of the Shenandoah for three years. He served on the staffs of Gens. Casey, Heintzelman, Augur, Wesley Merritt, and Thomas C. Devin, and received special mention for conspicuous gallantry at the battle of Five Forks. He was promoted to the rank of major, and was brevetted lieutenant-colonel and colonel for faithful and meritorious service. At the close of the war he resumed the practice of law, continuing until 1870, when he accepted the position of associate-editor of the New York “Star,” of which Joseph Howard, Jr., was then the proprietor. Two years after he became associated with Rev. Henry Ward Beecher as business manager of the “Christian Union.” He was for two years also publisher of the “Christian at Work,” under the editorship of Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage. At the solicitation of Mr. Beecher he returned to the “Christian Union,” remaining until 1878, when he resigned and resumed the practice of law. In 1883 he was appointed judge advocate-general on the staff of Grover Cleveland, continuing until the close of his term of office. In 1895 he was the New York Democratic nominee for secretary of state. He has been conspicuous in the Grand Army of the Republic, in the Society of the Army of the Potomac, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, the Masons, Elks, and other military and civic organizations.