A Guide to the R.L. Brown Letters 1856-1861 Brown, R.L. letters, 1856-1861 11021

A Guide to the R.L. Brown Letters 1856-1861

A Collection in
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 11021

Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

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Processed by: Special Collections Department

Repository

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Accession number

11021

Title

R.L. Brown Letters 1856-1861

Physical Characteristics

There are 2 items in this collection.

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

R.L. Brown Letters, 1856-1861, Accession #11021, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

These letters were purchased by the Library from Timothy Bakken of Halvor Americana, Claredon Hills, Illinois, on October 7, 1991.

Biographical/Historical Information

The Hempfield Rail Road connected Wheeling with Greensburg by way of the Pennsylvania Rail Road and at one point was the only railroad to hold a charter from Virginia for passage through her territory to Pennsylvania and Ohio. 1

R. L. Brown was a one-term member of the Virginia General Assembly in 1857-58 representing Upshur County (it and Clarksburg, now West Virginia, are mentioned in his letter). 2 National tension on the eve of the Civil War is reflected in his 1861 letter to an acquaintance, an unidentified circuit court judge.

1 See The Hempfield Rail Road and the Bonds of Ohio County, Virginia and Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1852) in the Rare Book Division, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library.

2 Cynthia Miller Leonard, The General Assembly of Virginia July 30, 1619-January 11, 1978 (Richmond, 1978), 467.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of two letters: M. B. Poitiaux, Wheeling, Virginia, to James C. Clarke, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, October 1856, concerning a upcoming meeting of the Board of Directors of the Hempfield Rail Road, and, R. L. Brown, Washington, D. C., to "Dear Judge," February 4, 1861, concerning the 1861 Peace Congress, the border states, General Winfield Scott, business prospects, and his family.

Poitiaux's letter mentions James Kennedy Moorhead (1806-1884), a politician and businessman associated with railroad, telegraph, and canal enterprises for most of his career, and a member of Congress representing Pennsylvania from 1859 to 1869. [For another of Poitiaux's letters, see accession number 9110-C.]

Brown, a pro-Southern advocate, predicts the creation of a Southern Confederacy but maintains that Virginia and four other border slave states will be held in the Union and forced to abolish slavery. He denounces General Scott as a dictator, says Washington is under martial rule, and anticipates the failure of the Washington Peace Conference (February 4-27, 1861). Brown also discusses his willingness to engage in any type of profitable business with the judge, mentions the pending graduation of his son from medical school and asks the judge's assistance in helping him to establish a practice.

Contents List

JAMES C. CLARKE TO M.B. POITIAUX 1856 Oct 4

Wheeling Va Oct 4th 1856

James C. Clarke Esq.
Greensburgh Pa

Dear Sir

At request of J. C. Acheson Esq. I notify you that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Hempfield Rail Road will be held in Philadelphia on Friday next Oct: 10th, to meet and confer with Gen. J. K. Moorhead President of ? Valley R. R. and Noah L. Wilson Esq. President of Cin[cinnati] & Marietta R. R. Co. in relations to an agreement for a through line in connection with the Penna. Central R. R.

Yours respectfully
M. B. Poitiaux
Clerk, H. R. R. Co.

R.L. BROWN TO "DEAR JUDGE" 1861 Feb 4

Washington City Feby 4th 1861

Dear Judge

Your last kind favor has just been received--by some strange [fortuity] the letter was sent to the dead letter office and I accidently saw it among the list of dead letters advertised! This accounts for my not having answered it sooner. Since I last saw you, the political revolution has advanced a pace. This poor city is now a fortified camp--United States Soldiers are arriving by every Northern train and the prospect now is that by the 4th of March we will be taken care of in a horn . 1 At every turn you are saluted by trains of flying artillery, and Genl Scott 2 has now no less that three heavy trains of that arm of the service, to say nothing of the Mounted Dragoons and Infantry--in all some 1000 regular troops. Six thousand of the Militia are being daily drilled by U. S. Officers and supplied with U. States Rifles 3 and other improved firearms. We are fast drifting to a military despotism, and this City--the neutral soil of the Republic, is to be the scene of the initiation of such a damnable dynasty. The Peace Congress meets here today--Their action will result in evil and that only, in inducing the border slave states to temporize and delay until Lincoln obtains the reins of government and binds them hand and foot so completely, as to shut out all hope of their extrication, except it be through oceans of blood. Rather than take such an alternative I believe Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri and Delaware will ignominiously succumb, and agree to sacrifice the institution of Slavery. The Cotton States with North Carolina and Tennessee will form a Southern Confederacy and maintain it at all hazards and to the last extremity, and I trust in God that success may crown their efforts. They are the last hope for a constitutional Republic on this Continent--the Northern States have no proper idea of such a government, and can only appreciate the government of brute numbers and force. Genl. Scott is now virtually President and Commander in Chief, and is carrying things with a high hand. It requires no Prophet to foresee the end. I despair of my Country.

Now a word about myself. My Wife's health is very delicate, and but for that I should have removed my family to Upshur 4 before this--I am afraid to turn my family out in such bad weather; but as soon as the Spring opens cleverly[?] I will give them the western shute. In your letter you say you have great prospects of realizing handsomely from the Coal oil business and add, "Why can't you join us and make a fortune"--In answer I will say that I am up for any thing by which I can make an honest living; and if your can suggest to me any situation likely to secure that result, just count me in. This is no idle offer on my part and I want you to consider it seriously. Again--My oldest son Dandridge will graduate at the Medical College here on the 1st of March, and I am gratified to be able to state that the Professors speak highly of his proficiency. 5 You traverse a large Circuit; and perhaps know of some location where he could commence with the prospect of making his bread for the first year or so. If you know of any such location, please inform me as soon as you can. I want to get out to see you all before long, but you are so much away from home on your Circuit that I hardly expect to catch you in Clarksburg. 6 Please therefore write me. Can't you come and take a peep at things here--if you want to get an idea of a military despotism you ought to look in upon us here.

I expect nothing from Virginia but truculent submission and any other action on her part, will but agreeably disappoint me.

Let me hear from you at your earliest convenience. If you know of any business I can engage in that will likely pay, call on me, and you will find me "yours to serve." My family desire to be kindly remembered to you.

Your friend truly

R. L. Brown

1 The capitol had been fortified against a supposed plot by secessionists to prevent the March 4 inauguration of Abraham Lincoln. On the day of this letter was written a peace convention of states called by Virginia, in a last national effort to prevent civil war, convened in the city. None of the seceded states (at this time, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas) sent delegates.

2 Winfield Scott (1786-1866) of Virginia, general in chief of the army.

3 This refers to the U. S. Rifle-Musket, Springfield Model 1861, caliber .58. These rifles cost $14.93 in 1861.

4 Upshur County, Virginia (now West Virginia).

5 Columbian College or Georgetown College?

6 Now West Virginia.