Trivia 9-13-18 Whats the conection

[Trivia Master]

What connection does the short story, "The White Ghost of Disaster" (1912) have to the Civil War?

credit: @amweiner

 

[hughes]

The father of the author Thorton Hains was Civil War veteran Peter Hains who did meritorious service, especially at Vicksburg.

 

[Jimklag]

Thornton Jenkins Hains was the author of the story and his father, Peter Conover Hains, was an artillery and engineering officer in the Union army in the Civil War.

 

[Schwallanscher]

the author mayn clew garnett aka thornton jenkins hains was

1. the son of major general peter conover hains and
   
2. the grandson of rear admiral thornton a jenkins

who both sereved in the civil war

the white ghost of disaster (online)

 

[GS]

The story was on the news stands when the Titanic went down. Its author was Thornton Jenkins Hains, writing under the pen name Mayn Clew Garnett. Hains' father was a Civil War Union Army Major General Peter Conover Hains, who was in the Corps of Engineers in the Siege of Vicksburg.

 

[Copperhead-mi]

I cannot find any Civil War connection to the story itself but the book's author Mayn Clew Garnett, whose real name was Thorton Jenkins Hains, was the son of Peter Conover Hains, an 1861 graduate of West Point, who served as a Lt. with the 2nd US Artillery and saw action at Hanover Court House and then was later assigned as an engineer with the Corps of Engineers where he won promotion to the rank of captain for his actions during the Siege of Vicksburg.

Source - Wikipedia - Peter Conover Hains

 

[ErnieMac]

The author, Thomas Jenkins Hains (pseudonym Mayn Clew Garnett) was the son of MG Peter Conover Hains, a veteran of the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I.

 

[ErnieMac]

The answer should read: The author, Thornton Jenkins Hains (pseudonym Mayn Clew Garnett) was the son of MG Peter Conover Hains, a veteran of the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I.

 

[SWMODave]

The author was the son of Peter Conover Hains, officer and veteran of the Civil War

Source
Source

 

[captaindrew]

The author of the story, Thornton Jenkins Hains ( under the pen name Mayn Clew Garnett ) father Peter Conover Hains was a Union officer and engineer during the Civil War.

 

[BlueNGrey]

The author was Thornton Jenkins Hains. His father was Peter Conover Hains who served in the Union Army. He was the only Civil War Officer to see duty in World War I.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Conover_Hains

 

[Stony]

The author's father-Peter Conover Hains Sr. (1840-1921) fought in the civil war for the union.
source-https://www.revolvy.com/page/Thornton-Jenkins-Hains?

 

[Zella]

This was a fun one to research!

I believe the Civil War connection is through the author's parents/grandparents. This short story, which was eerily prophetic about the fate of the Titanic, was written by Thornton Jenkins Hains under the pen name Mayn Clew Garnett.

His father was General Peter Conover Hains, who graduated from West Point in June 1861, and had a distinguished career as a military officer that spanned from the Civil War to WWI. During the Civil War, he was both an artillery and engineering officer, participated in numerous engagements, and was cited for gallantry for his work during the siege of Vicksburg.

His mother was the daughter of Rear Admiral Thornton Jenkins. Jenkins had a long-standing military career, as well, in the Navy, which was capped by being one of Farragut's captains during the Civil War.

Thornton Jenkins Hains is an interesting guy in his own right, though. He was a self-styled sea adventure novelist, claiming to be an heir to the literary tradition of Conrad and Melville. Quite a weighty claim!

But he and his brother were mixed up in a notorious 1908 murder scandal. Thornton stood guard while his brother shot the guy who brother dearest suspected of having an affair with said brother's wife. The murder took place during a yachting club regatta in front of a bunch of witnesses. The resulting scandal is why he was reduced to writing for pulp magazines under a pen name.

I'm a true crime connoisseur (from a distance!) but was unaware of the so-called Regatta Murder, but it makes for some fascinating reading, especially in regard to the trial and the effect it had on the criminal justice system. Brother Dearest's defense was "Dementia Americana," and Thornton's was "dual insanity". . . .

Sources:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/pchains.htm (General Hains bio)
http://destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/ns_jenkins/ (Admiral Jenkins bio)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25540772/thornton-jenkins-hains (Thornton Jenkins Hains bio)
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/nyregion/thecity/10law.html (article about murder and trial)

 

[FarawayFriend]

Probably there are multiple connections, maybe that short story was the favorite read of some important veteran still living in 1912... but I chose the following connection, the authors ancestry (actually two connections, albeit they are pretty indirect. But they definitely are connections ...)

The author of the story "The White Ghost of Disaster" wrote it under the pen name of Mayn Clew Garnett. (btw. namesakes Richard and Robert Garnett where Confederate officers, so there is a connection here already!). His true name though was Thornton Jenkins Hains. Thornton Jenkins Hains was the son of Union Major General Peter Conover Hains. He was named after his maternal grandfather, Admiral Thornton Jenkins, US Navy.

Wikipedia says about the older Hains:
"Commissioned and promoted second and first lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Artillery on June 24, 1861, Hains briefly commanded Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery, in the U.S. Horse Artillery Brigade, until transferring to the Corps of Topographical Engineers on July 24, 1862. He won a brevet promotion to captain on May 22, 1862, for actions at Hanover Court House. Less than a year later, on March 3, 1863, Hains transferred again—this time into the Corps of Engineers.
During the Siege of Vicksburg, Hains was cited for meritorious conduct (serving as the acting/interim chief engineer of the XIII Corps), and was awarded a brevet promotion to major upon the capture of the city, July 4, 1863. Promoted to captain in the Engineers on July 18, he served out the remainder of the war, and received a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel for his service during the war. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Conover_Hains&oldid=856487552

And this site gives a biography of Rear Admiral Thornton Jenkins:
"During the Civil War, Captain Jenkins commanding the steam screw sloop Richmond and, as fleet captain, was senior officer present in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under Admiral David G. Farragut. He and James Strong were among Farragut's captains present at the Battle of Mobile Bay; he later served as Farragut's chief-of-staff. Publications during this time included "Code of Flotilla and Boat Squadron Signals for the United States Navy" of 1861 and "The United States Naval Signal Code" of 1867, both prepared by authority of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles."

 

[WJC]

What connection does the short story, "The White Ghost of Disaster" (1912) have to the Civil War?

credit: @amweiner

The author, Thornton Jenkins Hains (1866-1953), was the son of Peter Conover Hains (1840-1921), a West Point graduate who served with distinction in the Civil War, winning brevet promotions to Lieutenant Colonel of Engineers. After the war, he remained in the Army, served in the Spanish-American War and retired as a Major General. He is best known for building the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC and laying out the route of the Panama Canal.

 

[Zack]

The author's grandfather served in the war.

The White Ghost of Disaster, famous for "predicting" the Titanic disaster, was written by Thomas Jenkins Hains under the pseudonym Mayn Clew Garnett. The pseudonym was necessary because of his trashed reputation due to his connection in a high-profile murder.

Hans's grandfather, Thornton A. Jenkins, performed secret services for Lincoln in 1861, served as a captain in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under David Farragut, was chief of staff to Farragut, received the surrender of Port Hudson, and was present at Mobile Bay for the famous "**** the torpedoes, full speed ahead" line, though Thornton argued Farragut actually said, "Go ahead sir and **** the torpedoes."

 

[DBF]

"The White Ghost of Disaster", the short story of a ship hitting an iceberg was in production for publication just as it was playing out in real life in April, 1912. It was was written by Thornton Jenkins Hains, a son and grandson of United States civil war veterans. However there is another connection: when Confederate Brigadier General Archibald Gracie III, peered above a trench in Petersburg, 1864, and was killed instantly he left behind a 5-year old son - Archibald Gracie. Fast forward - 1912, Archibald Gracie had spent seven years writing his book, "The Truth About Chickamauga". It was published in 1912 and now he is aboard the Titanic, as was - Isador Straus (he had worked within the Confederate government). Gracie loaned a copy of his book to Straus. The connection - the battle of Chickamauga was discussed aboard Titanic's maiden and final voyage.
https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/colonel-archibald-gracie.html
https://nooga.com/154665/civil-wars-bloodiest-battle-sinking-of-titanic-connected/

Edit - You are correct that the author of the story in question was the son and grandson of Civil War veterans.

You are probably correct, also, that the Battle of Chickamauga was discussed aboard RMS Titanic, although that is about the most tenuous connection I can imagine. I have a feeling that, among the thousands of people aboard that ship, some aspect of the Civil War may have come up in more than one discussion.

hoosier

 

[roberts]

The author of the story was Thornton Jenkins Hains whose father was Peter Conover Hains , a veteran of the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I. The elder Hains is better known as an engineer whose work included the Tidal Basin and the Panama Canal.

T. J. Hains maternal grandfather and namesake served in the USN during the Civil War under Admiral Farragut.

After being acquitted of murder in a high profile trial T J Hains adopted the pen name Mayn Clew Garnett. A clew-garnett was a rope used on ships to fasten the furled sail.

 

[Brenal]

The author's father was a Civil War veteran. Peter Conor Hains served as an Officer in the 2nd Us Artillery, the US Horse Artillery, the Corps of Topographical Engineers and the Corps of Engineers. He was cited for meritorious conduct while acting as Chif Engineer of the 12th Corps at the Siege of Vicksburg. He finished the war as a brevet Lt Colonel and post war became a Major General.

 

[connecticut yankee]

The author of the "White Ghost of Disaster" was Thornton Alexander Jenkins Hains. (He was also known as"Mayn Clew Garnett". Photo below.) He was the son of Civil War officer Brevet Lt. Colonel Peter Conover Hains (USA). (Post war Major General)