James Lutzweiler
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2018
Dear Fellow posters,
In short, will anyone help me find ten more names and their antebellum Railroad interests?
At length, in a book I have written (not yet formally published), I have argued that the 1845-1861 sectional conflict between the North, South, Southeast, Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, West, Southwest, and Far West over where the first footprint of a transcontinental railroad (TRR) would go was a greater factor than was slavery in the coming of what I would call the "War of Southern Aggression." But I have no technical quibble with whatever else we might call the war. We can call it a Civil War (I guess it was at least half that) or "The War for Southern Independence." No matter what we call it for the sake of this discussion.
In my book I name the top ten fire-eaters I know of and explore and cite their personal railroad interests (stocks, bonds, bills in Congress, speeches, etc.), whether those interests are in the TRR or short lines designed to connect with the TRR.
E.g., Eric Walter, William Yancey's biographer, states that the reason Yancey re-entered politics in the mid-1850s (I think it was1854) was because of the TRR. And, of course, we know that fire-eater Yancey earned the title of "Father of Secession." In my view and that of others, Yancey conspired with William Porcher Miles and Robert Rhett to get Lincoln elected for the purpose of creating a "Chicken Little" paradigm about what Lincoln would do as president (though when the black spidery Yancey spun his yarns in Europe, he told those whom he was courting for recognition of the Confederacy the exact opposite about Lincoln).
Whatever the case, true or false, I wish to expand my list of ten fire-eaters with significant railroad interests, TRR or otherwise, to twenty such individuals. The ten I have dealt with in my book (and I know of no other book in existence to treat this connection between rabid Rebels and railroads) are sufficient in my mind to prove my point. However, the subject has been so fascinating to pursue that I want to chase the next top ten of importance and engage in overkill.
Problem: I have so many other TRR topics I am chasing that I simply cannot chase them all. Accordingly, I wonder if I could coax some of you to join me on this chase and share your findings for possible inclusion in future editions of my book.
Yes, I am clearly asking others to do some homework for me --homework for which I am all too happy to cite you as the source. In fact, I don't even care if you steal my idea and run with it and write your own book. Just tell me where I can find a copy. This topic is virgin land, and I very much wish to probe it as if I were Daniel Boone making my way west.
The ten I already deal with, though I am sure I have not exhausted all their railroad interests (e.g., Quitman of Mississippi went to Europe to shake down the Rothschilds for some pin money for a railroad, but even his biographer missed that salient fact and there is still a great deal more to be learned about it) are:
1. Quitman
2. Wigfall
3. Keitt
4. Yancey
5. De Bow
6. Rhett
7. Tucker
8. Miles
9. Hammond
10. Ruffin
Who will join me in this quest to bake a fine loaf of bread for all of us to share?
Sincerely,
A Little Red Hen
A/K/A James Lutzweiler
Archivist (1999-2013), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Adjunct Instructor in American History (intermittently from 1997ff), Guilford Technical Community College
In short, will anyone help me find ten more names and their antebellum Railroad interests?
At length, in a book I have written (not yet formally published), I have argued that the 1845-1861 sectional conflict between the North, South, Southeast, Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, West, Southwest, and Far West over where the first footprint of a transcontinental railroad (TRR) would go was a greater factor than was slavery in the coming of what I would call the "War of Southern Aggression." But I have no technical quibble with whatever else we might call the war. We can call it a Civil War (I guess it was at least half that) or "The War for Southern Independence." No matter what we call it for the sake of this discussion.
In my book I name the top ten fire-eaters I know of and explore and cite their personal railroad interests (stocks, bonds, bills in Congress, speeches, etc.), whether those interests are in the TRR or short lines designed to connect with the TRR.
E.g., Eric Walter, William Yancey's biographer, states that the reason Yancey re-entered politics in the mid-1850s (I think it was1854) was because of the TRR. And, of course, we know that fire-eater Yancey earned the title of "Father of Secession." In my view and that of others, Yancey conspired with William Porcher Miles and Robert Rhett to get Lincoln elected for the purpose of creating a "Chicken Little" paradigm about what Lincoln would do as president (though when the black spidery Yancey spun his yarns in Europe, he told those whom he was courting for recognition of the Confederacy the exact opposite about Lincoln).
Whatever the case, true or false, I wish to expand my list of ten fire-eaters with significant railroad interests, TRR or otherwise, to twenty such individuals. The ten I have dealt with in my book (and I know of no other book in existence to treat this connection between rabid Rebels and railroads) are sufficient in my mind to prove my point. However, the subject has been so fascinating to pursue that I want to chase the next top ten of importance and engage in overkill.
Problem: I have so many other TRR topics I am chasing that I simply cannot chase them all. Accordingly, I wonder if I could coax some of you to join me on this chase and share your findings for possible inclusion in future editions of my book.
Yes, I am clearly asking others to do some homework for me --homework for which I am all too happy to cite you as the source. In fact, I don't even care if you steal my idea and run with it and write your own book. Just tell me where I can find a copy. This topic is virgin land, and I very much wish to probe it as if I were Daniel Boone making my way west.
The ten I already deal with, though I am sure I have not exhausted all their railroad interests (e.g., Quitman of Mississippi went to Europe to shake down the Rothschilds for some pin money for a railroad, but even his biographer missed that salient fact and there is still a great deal more to be learned about it) are:
1. Quitman
2. Wigfall
3. Keitt
4. Yancey
5. De Bow
6. Rhett
7. Tucker
8. Miles
9. Hammond
10. Ruffin
Who will join me in this quest to bake a fine loaf of bread for all of us to share?
Sincerely,
A Little Red Hen
A/K/A James Lutzweiler
Archivist (1999-2013), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Adjunct Instructor in American History (intermittently from 1997ff), Guilford Technical Community College
Bringing the