“Preface” in “T. Butler King of Georgia”
Preface
STUDENTS of the past frequently focus their attention on the most outstanding political and military leaders, to the exclusion of those men in public and private life whose roles were less than heroic. Yet the lives of these supporting actors can contribute to our knowledge; they may even restore a perspective otherwise lost. Thomas Butler King achieved prominence in several fields of activity. As a cotton planter, Whig politician, railroad promoter, and Confederate propagandist, he kept in the forefront of the economic and political scene. Although he was a spokesman for the cotton planters of Georgia, his greatest legislative triumphs promoted the maritime interests of the nation. He began to extol railroads when they were novelties, and in the middle years of the century he was an ardent supporter of a transcontinental line. As a propagandist for the Confederacy he had no superior.
This study is an attempt to follow King’s career and assess his leadership. It was begun at the suggestion and under the guidance of Dr. Fletcher M. Green, for whose supervision and counsel I wish to express my gratitude. I take this opportunity to extend my thanks to Dr. Isaac Copeland, Nashville, Tennessee; and Dr. Milton S. Heath, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for reading portions of the manuscript and suggesting improvements. The late Mrs. Margaret Davis Cate, Sea Island, Georgia, very kindly gave me access to otherwise unobtainable material in her possession relating to Thomas Butler King, as did Dr. Alexander Heard, Nashville, Tennessee.
For the many courtesies afforded me over the course of several years, I wish to express my appreciation to members of the staffs of the following institutions and organizations; Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California; Buffalo Historical Society, Buffalo, New York; Bureau of Railway Economics, Washington, D. C.; California State Library, Sacramento, California; Duke University Library, Durham, North Carolina; Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia; Library of the Georgia State College for Women, Milledgeville, Georgia; Henry E. Huntington Memorial Library, San Marino, California; Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.; Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville, Kentucky; National Archives, Washington, D. C.; Edwin Smith Historical Museum, Westfield, Massachusetts; Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Library of the University of North Carolina; Library of West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.
EDWARD M. STEEL, JR.
Morgantown, West Virginia
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