in contested elections and laws pertaining to elections. He published A Treatise on the American Law of Elections in 1875, which later underwent four editions. During his House years, McCrary allied with the congressional "Half-Breeds," the loosely organized and more moderate wing of the Republican Party (in comparison to the pro-spoils system Stalwarts) which emphasized industrial interests and protective tariffs in addition to supporting civil service reform. Secretary of War McCrary was the 33rd United States Secretary of War in the cabinet of President Rutherford B. Hayes from March 12, 1877, to December 11, 1879, when he resigned. As Secretary, McCrary withdrew federal troops from the remaining reconstruction governments in South Carolina and Louisiana, and used federal troops in the 1877 railway strike and in Mexican border disturbances. The greatest military conflicts during his watch occurred in the American West, in battles with certain Native American tribes in Colorado, New Mexico, and elsewhere. Memberships McCrary was elected as a 3rd Class (honorary) member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). This was probably due to President Hayes' influence as a prominent member of MOLLUS. (Hayes would later serve as MOLLUS commander-in-chief.) Federal judicial service McCrary was nominated by President Rutherford B. Hayes on December 1, 1879, to a seat on the United States Circuit Courts for the Eighth Circuit vacated by Judge John Forrest Dillon. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 1879, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 18, 1884, due to his resignation, which he attributed to his family's financial need after his many years of public service. Later career and death Following his resignation from the federal bench, McCrary resumed private practice in Kansas City, Missouri from 1884 to 1890. He served as general counsel for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company in Kansas City, Missouri from 1884 to 1890. He died on June 23, 1890, in St. Joseph, Missouri, after suffering from a stomach tumor. He was interred in Oakland Cemetery in Keokuk. References Sources External links 1835 births 1890 deaths 19th-century American judges 19th-century American politicians Deaths from stomach cancer Hayes administration cabinet members Iowa lawyers Iowa state senators Judges of the United States circuit courts Members of the Iowa House of Representatives Missouri Republicans People from Keokuk, Iowa People from Van Buren County, Iowa People of