Schenck, Robert Cumming

views updated

Robert Cumming Schenck (skĕngk), 1809–90, American politician and diplomat, Union general in the Civil War, b. Franklin, Ohio. He studied law and practiced in Dayton. Schenck was a Whig in Congress (1843–51) and minister to Brazil (1851–53). During the Civil War he fought at both battles of Bull Run and in W Virginia. He reentered Congress and became a leading radical Republican (1863–70). While minister to Great Britain (1871–76), Schenck, for a consideration, allowed the Emma Silver Mining Company to use his name in promoting its stock, which soon proved fraudulent. A congressional investigation ultimately forced his resignation.

More From encyclopedia.com