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Prologue I

June 29, 1847 10:24 P.M.

Washington, DC

Senator Henry Clay was dead. He was 70 years old and like many people of the time, succumbed to pneumonia. This night was the end of an illustrious forty-four year career in public service both with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and in federal elective and appointive office. (See Note 1)

With his death, the nation lost more than a tireless and faithful servant and the leader of the Whig Party. It had lost the one man who had for the last quarter century almost single-handedly held the Union together. Clay was the "The Great Compromiser" who had the knack for getting both sides to give a little and take a little and stay together.

Clay had been the moderating member of the "Great Triumvirate" that dominated congress for decades. Clay had managed to get the Anglian Federalist (later Whig) Daniel Webster and the Scots-Irish Democrat John C. Calhoun to work together to hold the Union together as it grew. Clay had also acted as a brake on the primal force of Andrew Jackson.

At a time where rhetorical skills were paramount to politicians, Webster and Calhoun were thunderous orators, but Clay routinely out-spoke both of them. Before taking public office Clay had pled cases still used to this day, (See Note 2) and was more than their match.

Clay had been there to engineer compromises in 1820 (Missouri Compromise) and in 1833 (to end the Nullification Crisis), but in death was not there to moderate the centripetal forces rising out of the war with Mexico.

By this time, it was clear that Mr. Polk's war would end in military victory and territorial aggrandizement, but would also generate considerable public debt (See Note 3). The industrializing and Whiggish Northeast and the agrarian Democratic South saw these issues in very different lights.

At Clay's public funeral (See Note 4) Webster and Calhoun silently eyed each other. Both, lacking Clay to hold them back, would be much more aggressive than before.

March 24, 1848

Washington DC

Despite Democratic strength in Congress, the Tariff of 1848 is passed and signed by President Polk. The cost of the long war had run up national debt and additional revenues were needed. The domestic iron industry of Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia was under pressure from cheap imports from Great Britain and the delegations from these states clamored for protection. At the same time no excise taxes were passed. In the South and to a lesser extent in the Old Northwest, this was seen as an attempt to virtually re-colonize the agrarian regions by the industrializing Northeast.

In addition Southern Democrats are outraged that the Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo did not include Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas provinces. These provinces have adequate rainfall where slave-dependent crops could be raised. The huge acquisitions of the war are seen as a booby prize by the agrarian states.

Tensions flared and "fire-eaters" on both sides of this and other issues, led by Webster and Calhoun thundered their incendiary rhetoric.

Later

Throughout the US

Special sessions of almost every state are called into session. By June, nine states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and the new states of Florida and Texas had formally seceded from the Union. The rift caused by the earlier Nullification Crisis was now out in the open and there was no Clay to forge a compromise. "Compromise" had, in fact, become a dirty word without Clay around. President Polk had issued orders to use force (as Andrew Jackson had threatened during the Nullification crisis) to re-impose federal primacy. These orders were counter-productive. The Regular Army and Navy were still disengaging from Mexico and occupying new territories acquired. The threat of force caused Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri to adopt a stringent policy of neutrality, allowing no transit of their territories by land forces of either side. President Polk called for 25,000 volunteers to re-unite the Union. Obviously, the 'stringent neutral' states did not comply. In addition, the Old Northwest states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana raised no regiments of volunteers. Ohio raised only two regiments. By late September, Polk did finally field 22,000 volunteers, mostly from New England, eastern New York and eastern Pennsylvania. Tapping its strong militia structure the South (in aggregate) raises about 15,000 men. But both sides are untrained and immobile. A solid belt of strongly neutral states buffer the regions.

President Polk declares a blockade of the South. In August, just as word of a massive gold strike in California reaches the East Coast, the USS Mississippi blasts two blockade runners to toothpicks with apparent loss of all hands.

And my story begins.

Notes:

1.This is the main point of departure. In my scenario Henry Clay dies five years earlier than in actual history and thus does not act one last time to preserve the Union. "Upon slender pins turn the hinges of Fate."

2.Notably Osborn v United States, and Ogden v. Saunders, which are still being cited. Case law still in use almost two centuries hence indicates very sound legal thinking.

3.In 1836, the federal debt for the only time in the entire history of the US was reduced to zero. It stayed at zero for five months. Debt levels thought trivial a dozen years later would be considered ruinous in 1848.

4.Henry Clay was the first person to lie in state at the US Capitol.

I will re-post or bump this from time to time.

Dratted Yuku! It does not play well with Microsoft Word.

Prologue III

The Morton Family

Did you ever meet someone who always seems to be a jump ahead of everyone else? This tale is about a whole family of such people. As many such tales, it starts with a remarkable ancestor.

Alexander Morton was one of those people. Born of a fishing family in Gloucester, Massachusetts, he had been at sea to some extent since boyhood. In the early days of America, it would not be uncommon to see boys under ten on at least short-range fishing boats. So he was familiar with the sea - more so than most young men of his time.

How he became a midshipman is not clear from the records but probably by blind luck, got assigned to one of the legendary ships under legendary captains. Undoubtedly he saw some action. He may not have overly distinguished himself but was competent enough that he did get a lieutenant's commission. Like most young lieutenants of the day he got a mix of sea and shore duty.

As the War of 1812 broke out he was assigned to the USS Chesapeake. He got along well with the first captain he served under on that ship but when Laurence came along there was disagreement. Laurence favored carronades where Morton favored long guns. One does not successfully butt heads with the captain of a warship and Morton found himself on the beach. A month later Laurence lost the Chesapeake and his life.

Disgraced (and associated with the ill-fated Chesapeake) his prospects in the Navy were nil, so he resigns and signs on with a Baltimore schooner privateer. As a converted fast merchant, this ship is very fast and handy unloaded. Built for service in the lee of the North American continent she easily eludes British frigates. She preys on the rich sugar trade out of Jamaica. The master of the privateer knows his business and Morton learns more about a different aspect of the sea. After a few months of successful cruising, the master of the privateer dies of unspecified natural causes and Morton assumes command. He finishes the cruise taking more prizes and the owners retain him as permanent master. After just short of a year as master, he has been very successful and has made himself and the owners of the privateer a tidy fortune in prize money. Morton has the reputation of being "lucky" but he generally makes a lot of his own luck. He knows the sea and seems to have a real knack for the weather and handling the ship.

After the War of 1812 ends the owners retain him to re-convert the ship for mercantile trade. Mostly this is coastal work, but he goes to Caribbean islands on a regular basis and most years does at least one transatlantic crossing. Here, he learns about the commercial side of shipping. Again, he always seems to be a bit ahead of events. He seems to get into a port with a cargo just as that cargo is in peak demand. These five years take him from being a comfortably prosperous privateer to a modestly wealthy sea captain.

For some reason he leaves the sea and settles in the area of Savannah. Georgia, just missing an epidemic of yellow fever. He buys a plantation (and slaves) and marries. As time goes by his family grows to four sons and three daughters, of which all but one son and one daughter make it to adulthood. Likewise his commercial interests prosper. He expands his plantation, buys steam tugs for use in the narrow port of Savannah, warehouses, a dry good business, and a piece of a bank. He also bought a second home in Augusta to which he took his family every summer to avoid the fevers of the coastal plain. Buying low and selling high seem to come as naturally as breathing to Morton. As a businessman, Alexander is a fanatic about cash flow and rarely leverages himself greatly. His family - though wealthy - live a middle-class lifestyle.

All the same, he does cultivate local and statewide political figures, although he never personally enters the game.

In a spectacularly prescient move, he liquidates almost all his holdings for specie in 1836. Not a year later, the Panic of 1837 drives many of his competitors and neighbors to the wall and since he is holding specie, he buys up their properties at fire-sale prices. By time the Panic ends he has multiplied his wealth yet again. He has become one of the wealthiest men in Georgia and few even know who he is.

Two of his children die in childhood - a remarkably low number for the day, but one year he delays moving them to Augusta and yellow jack takes his wife. In addition. two of the boys become midshipmen as he did (political connections help) and the girls marry off. After the youngest joins the Navy and somehow is dismissed, following the sea as a merchant sailor, albeit a very well educated sailor, the Morton house becomes lonely.

In the early 1840s prospects in the Navy look grim, and the two eldest sons move back into Savannah and take up parts of the family commercial empire. They seem to have inherited their father's commercial knacks and the family businesses do well.

Alexander Morton dies in his sleep in 1845 at the age of 57. His offspring have eyes on other places and the Georgia empire is liquidated. The sons cannot stand their brothers-in-law and after the girls get a share the three sons move to different parts of the country but remain in touch.

All three sons are involved in water transportation, either at sea or on the western rivers.

Each brother becomes enmeshed in the national crisis.

Morton Family Time Line

1788 Alexander Morton born in Gloucester, Massachusetts

1803 Alexander Morton becomes midshipman on USS Constitution under Captains Edward Preble, Stephen Decatur, and John Rodgers Serves during Barbary War. Shows special aptitude for gunnery.

1808 Commissioned as Lieutenant in Navy. Various sea and shore duties

November 1812 Assigned to USS Chesapeake as gunnery lieutenant

May 1813 Squabbles with new captain Laurence about mix of long guns and carronades. Lt. Morton is relieved and put on the beach

June 1813 Resigns commission and moves to Baltimore

July 1813 Becomes first mate of privateer Raven and cruises in Caribbean

Waters. Successful cruise.

November 1813 Master of Raven dies of natural causes. Morton takes command

and seizes numerous prizes.

October 1814 End of cruises of Raven. His share of prize money makes Morton

a rather wealthy man.

December 1814 Treaty of Ghent

January 1815 Battle of New Orleans. End of War of 1812.

February 1815 Owners of Raven refit ship as fast merchant and retain Morton as

Master. Ship operates in both coastal and transatlantic trade.

March 1820 Morton leaves the Raven and moves to Savannah. Morton buys a small plantation. Morton is not touched by yellow fever epidemic in Savannah that year

December 1820 Alexander Morton marries Alice Stowe - daughter of a local merchant.

September 1821 Achilles Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

December 1822 Ajax Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

May 1823 Penelope Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

Alexander Morton expands plantation and diversifies crops.

Alexander Morton begins making political friends in state and

local arenas.

January 1825 Lysander Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

April 1825 Alexander Morton buys two warehouses at port of Savannah

November 1825 Alexander Morton buys two steam tugs for use in Savannah port

May 1826 Helen Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

October 1826 Alexander Morton buys small plantation near Augusta, Georgia

Alexander and Alice Morton build summer home at the Augusta plantation to provide refuge from yellow fever.

November 1827 Alexander Morton buys a dry goods store and another steam tug

November 1828 Cassandra Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

February 1829 Alexander Morton buys one-third interest in a local bank.

June 1829 Alexander Morton buys three plantations in foreclosure and

consolidates his agricultural holdings.

May 1830 Telemachus Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

June 1831 Alexander Morton buys rest of bank.

August 1831 Helen Morton dies of a fever.

November 1831 Hector Morton is born to Alexander and Alice Morton.

March 1832 Alexander Morton begins massive retirement of personal and commercial debt.

December 1834 Alexander Morton retires last of personal and commercial debts.

July 1835 Achilles Morton enters US Navy. Serves on two ships under three Captains as a midshipman.

July 1836 Ajax Morton enters US Navy. Serves under four Captains as a midshipman.

August 1836 Alexander Morton sells his banking, shipping and retail holdings and reduces the slave population at his plantations. Reduces crops to subsistence levels.

May 1837 Panic of 1837. Every New York bank stopped payment in specie. Beginning of a five-year depression.

December 1837 Foreclosures begin on businesses in Savannah area.

April 1838 Alexander Morton begins buying local businesses for pennies on the dollar because he pays in specie.

June 1838 Penelope Morton marries a cotton planter from southern Georgia.

July 1839 Lysander Morton joins the US Navy as a midshipman.

August 1839 Telemachus Morton dies of pneumonia.

April 1840 Achilles Morton is commissioned as lieutenant in the US Navy, and is assigned sea duty.

December 1840 Alexander Morton has tripled his net worth. He is now the fourth-wealthiest man in Georgia.

May 1841 Ajax Morton is commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Navy and is assigned sea duty along the African coast.

August 1841 Alice Morton dies of yellow fever. As a result, Alexander becomes depressed.

December 1841 Lysander Morton is dismissed as a naval midshipman. Rather than go home and face his father, Lysander signs on as an able seaman on a merchant ship.

June 1843 Cassandra Morton marries a lawyer from Milledgeville.

September 1843 As a result of ships being put in ordinary, both Achilles and Ajax Morton leave the Navy. Both return to Georgia to take over aspects of their father's business. Achilles takes over the plantations and the tug operation. Ajax takes over the merchant and banking aspect.

December 1843 Lysander's ship visits Savannah and Lysander meets with the older brothers. A reconciliation with their father is arranged, but Lysander remains on his ship.

January 1845 Alexander Morton dies suddenly. The elder brothers send for Lysander.

April 1845 Lysander Morton leaves his ship and returns to Savannah. Their father's estate is liquidated as each sees greater opportunity elsewhere.

June 1845 Achilles buys a sugar plantation in Louisiana and twelve steam tugs in New Orleans.

July 1845 Ajax buys four merchant ships, several mercantile operations and an interest in a Charleston SC railroad, moving to Charleston.

July 1845 Lysander becomes a cotton trader and sea captain operating out of the growing port of Mobile.

September 1845 Achilles marries Martha Dwyer of New Orleans.

October 1845 Ajax marries Bridget O'Neal of Charleston.

July 1846 Martha Morton dies of yellow fever in New Orleans.

September 1846 Bridget Morton gives birth to Leonidas Morton.

December 1846 Achilles buys a riverboat and begins plying the lower Mississippi.

Ajax sells his railroad interest and buys an interest in two riverboats operating out of Memphis.

May 1847 Achilles and Ajax form a holding company and buy three more riverboats. Both men spend the summer as riverboat captains.

October 1847 Bridget Morton gives birth to Athena Morton.

July 1848 Achilles again spends the yellow fever season on the river, away from coastal New Orleans. Achilles joins the confederate cause as a privateer.

Ajax spends one month on the river but returns to Charleston as the national crisis deepens. Ajax sells his mercantile interests in Charleston.