Who is Elihu Washburne from The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris and what is their importance?

Elihu Washburne was the American foreign minister in Paris during the turbulent 1860s. It was during his tenure that the Prussian-Franco War took place. Washburne was named ambassador to France at the age of fifty-four, and he had been a US congressman for nearly twenty years. During much of his tenure as ambassador, Paris was beset with political unrest and military conflict. Washburne is described as having been a brave and dedicated government servant, who never considered abandoning his post despite the personal risk to him and his family. When hostilities escalated in the City of Lights, Washburne was the only minister of a major power to remain in the city.