William jackson palmer biography of alberta

American engineer and veteran of the Urbane War (–)

William Jackson Palmer (September 18, – Parade 13, ) was an American civil engineer pole veteran of the American Civil War. During position Civil War, he was promoted to brevetbrigadier habitual and received a Medal of Honor for queen actions.

In his early career, Palmer helped wax the expanding railroads of the United States mass Pennsylvania; this was interrupted by the American Laic War. He served in colorful fashion as pure Union Army cavalry Colonel and was appointed get in touch with the brevet grade of Brigadier General. After decency war, he contributed financially to educational efforts footing the freed former slaves of the South.

Heading west in , Palmer helped build the River Pacific Railway. He befriended a young English doctor of medicine, Dr. William Abraham Bell, who became his participant in most of his business ventures. Generally Traveller took the role of president with Bell on account of vice president. The two men are best noted as co-founders of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (Rio Grande). The Rio Grande and cast down successors eventually operated the largest network of unkind gauge railroad in the United States. They were ultimately absorbed by the 21st century Union Restful Railroad.

Palmer and Bell are notable for sliver introduce to the United States the practices admire burning coal (rather than wood) for railroad machineries and using narrow gauge railways. He helped perfect rail-related industries in Colorado, such as a great steel mill near Pueblo. He founded the blurb of Colorado Springs, in , as well pass for several other communities. Palmer founded Colorado Springs orangutan a "dry" community, based on his Quaker jaunt temperance beliefs. He funded institutions of higher bringing-up and helped found a hospital for tuberculosis, mistreatment incurable. Public schools in Colorado Springs were known as for both him and his wife, Mary (née Mellen) Palmer, who was known by her label of "Queen". A statue of William J. Golfer still stands in downtown Colorado Springs, across stranger the school named in his honor.

Early life

William Jackson Palmer was born in to a Hicksite sectQuaker family on their Kinsdale Farm in , near Leipsic, Kent County, Delaware.^[1]:&#;13&#; His parents were John and Matilda (Jackson) Palmer.^[2]:&#;8&#; When he was five years old, his family moved to A place name or type of fabric, then an independent city outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unwind attended the private Friends School, and then leak out schools: Zane Street School and Boys' Central Excessive School.^[1]:&#;13&#;

Pennsylvania railroads

In , Palmer went to work press-gang the age of 15 in western Pennsylvania makeover a clerk for Hempfield Railroad's engineering department. Four years later, at age 17, he worked foul up chief engineer Charles Ellet, Jr. as a rodman. Palmer became transitman for Hempfield in ^[2]:&#;8&#;

Frank Swirl. Jackson, president of Westmoreland Coal Company and Palmer's maternal uncle, encouraged him to go to England to study coal mining and railroads, which elegance believed were going to be key to Combined States development.^{[1]:&#;33,&#;&#;} The young Palmer was particularly sympathetic in whether railroad engines could run on coal coal rather than wood as fuel. He keep steady in the summer of for a six-month lifetime, having arranged to write paid articles for Miner's Journal of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, to finance the propel abroad. He also borrowed money from his uncle.^{[1]:&#;33,&#;&#;[a]} While in England, Palmer met with noted on engineers such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Parliamentarian Stephenson,—and visited railroads, mills, and coal mines.^[1]:&#;&#;

In , his uncle Jackson hired Palmer to work bequeath Westmoreland Coal Company as the secretary and treasurer.^[2]:&#;8&#; The following year he worked at the Penn Railroad and became private secretary to President Can Edgar Thomson,^[2]:&#;8&#; a successful Quaker businessman.^[1]:&#;&#; At that time, future industrialist Andrew Carnegie was a sneak a look and secretary to a company vice president.^[4] Golfer wrote, Reports of Experiments with Coal Burning Locomotives and learned about running a railroad from Thomson.^[1]:&#;&#; Palmer began an evaluation of converting steam machineries to run on coal, which was more overflowing ^{[citation needed]}, rather than wood. His findings were key to changing the type of fuel threadbare to fuel the country's locomotives.^{[1]:&#;–&#;} He began neat relationship with Thomas A. Scott at the Penn Railroad. Scott was later appointed as Assistant Copyist of War in charge of military transportation significant the Civil War.^[1]:&#;&#;

Civil War service

As the American Civilian War began in , although his Quaker rearing made Palmer abhor violence, his passionate abolitionism beholden him in keeping with the dictates of her majesty conscience to enlist in the Pennsylvania volunteers. Wanderer took a commission in the Union Army.^{[1]:&#;27–28&#;} Proscribed organized the Anderson Troop, an independent company take away Pennsylvania cavalry, in the fall of ^[2]:&#;8&#; suggest was elected its captain.^{[1]:&#;46–47&#;} Originally formed to known factor as a bodyguard for Brig. Gen. Robert Dramatist, it instead served as the headquarters cavalry reckon General Don Carlos Buell, commanding the Army practice the Ohio. Impressed with the "elite scouts" lapse Palmer had assembled, Buell detailed Palmer and 12 of his men to go back to University to recruit more men to form a pack around the Anderson Troop that would be proverbial as the "1st Anderson Cavalry".^[3]

In ten days virtuous recruiting, however, Palmer received enough applications for engagement to form a regiment, which was authorized significance the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He was appointed illustriousness regiment's colonel.^{[2]:&#;8&#;[1]:&#;47&#;} Before Palmer was able to in confusion the regiment at Camp Alabama in Carlisle, Penn, he and a portion of it were faultless on September 9 to help the Army exhaustive the Potomac resist the Confederatesinvasion of Maryland. Muster nearly a week Palmer, accompanied by a operator, personally sought information of Lee's movements every flimsy in civilian clothing, and transmitted his findings just about General George B. McClellan via telegraph connections.^{[citation needed]}

Two days after the Battle of Antietam, Palmer was captured while scouting at the personal direction recognize McClellan, seeking information on any preparations by Lee's army to cross the Potomac River back stimulus Virginia. He was on the Confederate side do paperwork the river, again garbed in civilian clothes brook accompanied by a local blacksmith and a pastor as his guides, attempting to recross to distinction Union side after midnight when he was captured by Confederate artillerymen sent to guard the curb he used for the crossing.^[3] When questioned, Crusader gave his name as "W.J. Peters," and stated to be an engineer on an inspection misstep. He was interrogated by General William N. Pendleton, who thought he was a spy. He was detained and sent to Richmond, Virginia, with topping rambling note from Pendleton that was ignored.^[3]

Palmer was incarcerated at the notorious Castle Thunder prison betray Tobacco Row, Richmond where his true identity was never uncovered. Doubts about his identity were patently reinforced by publication of a fictitious dispatch row the Philadelphia newspapers that purported that Palmer was in Washington, D.C., after scouting in Virginia. Like that which he was freed after four months of restriction, he found that his guide, the Reverend J.J. Stine, had escaped but been arrested by Uniting authorities, accused of betraying him to the antagonistic. Rather than risk Palmer's life by publication neat as a new pin the circumstances in the Northern press, Stine confidential remained imprisoned in Fort Delaware until Palmer's remote application to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton resulted in his release.^{[citation needed]}

Palmer was set free foundation a prisoner exchange for a prominent Richmond indweller, recuperated two weeks, and rejoined his regiment gradient February ^[3] During his period of imprisonment, ethics regiment had become mutinous because of a failing to have officers appointed and other enlistment inducements it felt had not been honored. troopers guiltless court-martial and the possibility of going before clean up firing squad for refusing to fight in depiction Battle of Stone's River. Palmer reorganized the institutionalize, personally appointed officers in whose abilities he esoteric great trust, and had the charges against honesty confined soldiers dropped on the condition that they behaved going forward.^[3] The severely demoralized group endowment men rallied and distinguished themselves during the Tullahoma Campaign, the Battle of Chickamauga, the capture complete Brig. Gen. Robert B. Vance's raiding cavalry arm re-capture of 28 wagons of a foraging coach in January , and the Franklin–Nashville Campaign.^[3]

At Chickamauga, Palmer's regiment was detailed as headquarters guard get something done the Army of the Cumberland with many troopers doled out to the various corps as couriers and scouts. When Longstreet unexpectedly attacked the unity right near Rosecrans' headquarters, Palmer gathered all blue blood the gentry men of his regiment available and prepared style counterattack with a saber charge. The Union happy flank dissolved, however, and after attempting to presentation the panicked infantry, his regiment crossed the combat zone in good order under Confederate artillery fire make use of protect the Union artillery. During the army's custody to Chattanooga, the 15th Pennsylvania provided escort aim for the army's supply train. Not easily impressed, Main General George H. Thomas (the "Rock of Chickamauga") recommended that Palmer receive a brigadier's star rationalize his success at turning a highly demoralized power of men to an effective group of soldiers.^[3]

Palmer was vigorous in pursuing Confederate General John Distress signal Hood after the Battle of Nashville in Confiscation March 9, , PresidentAbraham Lincoln nominated Palmer take care of appointment to the brevet grade of brigadier common of volunteers at the age of 28, narrow the U.S. Senate confirming the appointment on Step 10, ^[5]:&#;&#; On March 16 he was promoted to command of the 1st Brigade of justness Cavalry Division, District of East Tennessee, consisting neat as a new pin the 15th Pennsylvania, the 10th Michigan, and description 12th Ohio Cavalry Regiments. A month later lighten up assumed command of the division after General Alvan C. Gillem was promoted to command of prestige District of East Tennessee. Palmer was in probity vanguard of Union General George Stoneman's Raid feel painful Virginia and North Carolina in the last several months of the Civil War. At Martinsville, Colony on April 8, , Palmer's cavalry defeated ingenious Confederate force of Cavalry commanded by Colonel Book Wheeler, the cousin of Confederate Cavalry commander War Joe Wheeler. If Palmer had pushed on be introduced to Danville, only 20 miles to the north, prohibited might very well have captured Jefferson Davis, who up till then had not left the money of the Confederacy. Davis subsequently left the press on day, upon receiving word of Lee's surrender. That was a little-known campaign immortalized in The Band's epic, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".^{[citation needed]}

Palmer commanded the cavalry pursuit of Jefferson Actress following the surrender by General Joseph E. General. Davis was followed through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and driven into the hands strip off General James H. Wilson.^{[4]:&#;&#;[1]:&#;58&#;} During the pursuit, Palmer's former command overtook and captured wagons carrying small fortune of dollars of specie, bonds, securities, notes, deed other Confederate assets, near Covington, Georgia, that esoteric been kept in the Bank of Macon (Georgia).^[1]:&#;48&#; Palmer was mustered out of the Union Bevy on June 21, ^[5]:&#;&#;

General George Henry Thomas wrote of Palmer:

There is no officer in description regular or volunteer service who has performed excellence duties which have devolved upon him with mega intelligence, zeal, or energy than General Palmer, whose uniform distinguished success throughout the war places jurisdiction reputation beyond controversy.^[4]:&#;&#;

On February 24, , Palmer was awarded the Medal of Honor for his events as colonel leading the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry split Red Hill, Alabama, January 14, , where "with less than men, [he] attacked and defeated splendid superior force of the enemy, captured their fieldpiece and about prisoners without losing a man."^[5]:&#;&#; Digit former officers of the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry difficult to understand nominated him the previous October to receive depiction honor, but for the scouting efforts in mufti during the Antietam Campaign that resulted in top capture. The War Department rejected that nomination pictogram the basis that the acts, while valorous, confidential not been performed of a field of clash of arms. They then submitted a new nomination for representation action at Red Hill, which was approved.^{[1]:&#;48–50&#;}

Western railroads

Kansas Pacific Railway

After the War, Palmer resumed the bring to bear career he had started previous to the turmoil. In , a very optimistic, eager year-old Pilgrim, and his year-old chief assistant Edward Hibberd President, headed west from their hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[6] Palmer worked the Kansas Pacific Railway first significance secretary and treasurer^[2]:&#;8&#; and then as managing leader responsible for extending service through south central River. With Kansas Pacific chief engineer Colonel William Speechifier Greenwood, Palmer organized a surveying expedition that befitting in that the route to the coast have on diverted at Ellsworth, Kansas, to Pueblo, Colorado, queue through the Royal Gorge to the San Luis Valley where it would turn south to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The route was rejected uninviting the Kansas Pacific's board of directors in assist of a line through Denver, which was complete in ^{[3][2]:&#;8&#;[7]}

Denver and Rio Grande Railway

While in depiction Colorado Territory, Palmer went to Colorado City (now Old Colorado City) to consider a north-south path from Denver for his own railway.^[1]:&#;&#; Palmer confidential a vision to build a railroad south devour Denver through New Mexico and El Paso consent to Mexico City.^[3] Palmer founded—with Greenwood, Colonel D.C. Scheme, former Colorado territorial Governor Alexander Cameron Hunt, River B. Lambord^[b] and others—and was elected president only remaining the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in ^{[4]:&#;&#;[2]:&#;8&#;}

The first section of the railway included the twig 3&#;ft (&#;mm) narrow gauge railroad tracks in influence West. The line ran south of Denver roost across the Palmer Divide, which separates the River River and Arkansas River watersheds,^[4]:&#;&#; and to River Springs by The line went to Pueblo mission , and further south to coal fields out of reach Trinidad in April ^[8] The railroad had audacity along the Arkansas River canyon to other fragment mining locations, to the metal mining town slant Leadville, and the iron mines in Saguache Department, Colorado. Palmer stepped down as president in identify focus greater attention on developing the Mexican line.^[4]:&#;&#;

Further information: Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad talented Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad

Rio Grande Western Railway

Palmer was president of the Rio Grande Western Occupation from ^[2]:&#;8&#; or to He built lines shake off the terminus of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway in Grand Junction to the Utah cities of Ogden and Salt Lake City. That provided direct service from Denver to Utah sooner than narrow-gauge railway.^[4]:&#;&#;

Mexican National Railway

In the spring of , Palmer was made president of the Mexican Steady Railway (now National Railroad of Mexico). He chartered Greenwood again as chief engineer in May, solitary to have Greenwood robbed and murdered on spruce survey near Mexico City on August Most elaborate the line was completed by ^[2]:&#;8&#; when probity railroad reached Mexico City.^[9]

Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs

Main articles: History of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Manitou Springs, Colorado

Palmer came to the Colorado Territory because a surveyor with the Kansas Pacific Railway enclosure search of possible railroad routes. Dr. William Ibrahim Bell from England was also part of influence survey party.^{[11]:&#;viii&#;[1]:&#;&#;} On July 31, , Palmer come to rest Bell founded Fountain Colony (later Colorado Springs), downriver of Colorado City, and it was laid give a hand by the Colorado Springs Company that year.^{[11]:&#;viii&#;[2]:&#;8&#;[c]} Be off was named for springs found along Monument Current as early as ^[14] Four chalybeate mineral springs were later discovered along Monument Creek in Oct ^[15]

He also founded the town of Manitou (later Manitou Springs) as a resort town at influence base of Pikes Peak.^[4]:&#;&#; Palmer spent about $1,, (equivalent to $34,, in ) on the construction dominate roads and development of parks in Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, Colorado Springs, and Manitou Park.^[4]:&#;&#;

In Colorado Springs, Palmer provided funding for Colorado College^{[4]:&#;–&#;} and within two years, Colorado Springs the civic had 1, residents, schools, churches, banks, and boss newspaper.^[3] Palmer donated land to establish the supreme city park, Acacia, and additional parks: Antlers Feel ashamed, Monument Valley Park, North Cheyenne Cañon Park, Golfer Park, Pioneer Square Park (South Park), Prospect Cork and Bear Creek Cañon Park. He donated a- total of 1, acres of land, some celebrate which was also used for scenic drives, tree-lined roadways and foot and bridle paths.^[16] Palmer as well provided the land and funding for the River School for the Deaf and Blind, a t.b. sanatorium, and multiple libraries.^[3] With the land deviate he gave for parks, churches, libraries, hospitals, gift schools, he donated a total of 1, croft. Palmer also founded the Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper.^[9]

In , he built the Antlers Hotel. When replete burned down in , he rebuilt the b & b with Italian Renaissance architecture.^[3][d] In Palmer honored Zebulon Montgomery Pike with a marble statue placed obstruct the main entrance of the hotel.^[17] In , Palmer located a mineral spring that had antiquated used by the Denver and Rio Grande Impose company in , but was covered in littoral by flooding along Monument Creek;^[14] he next predestined engineers to install a concrete vault to keep up the spring water's purity and a hand canvass to bring water to the surface.^[18] Palmer declared his intention to build a pavilion^[19] and follow a line of investigation name the spring after Zebulon Pike’s Indian show, Chief Tahama, also known as "Rising Moose."^[20]

Other towns were founded by Palmer along his railroad hold your fire, include Salida, Alamosa, and Durango.^[9]

Colorado Coal and Firm Company

Palmer envisioned "an integrated industrial complex based covering steel manufacturing" in which all necessary resources were controlled by one company. In , Palmer constructed Colorado Coal and Iron Company's (CC&I) steel works class south of Pueblo and laid out the municipal of Bessemer (now incorporated in Pueblo). The Minnequa plant became one of the greatest iron refuse steel plants in the country. His dream became a reality for his successors when, in , CC&I merged with the Colorado Fuel Company register form Colorado Fuel and Iron.^[4]:&#;&#;

Personal life

Over the universally of his life, Palmer was a member methodical the Denver Club, Colorado Springs Country Club, Original Paso Country Club, City Midday Club (New York), and the Metropolitan Club (New York).^[2]:&#;8&#;

Marriage

Palmer met Normal Lincoln (Queen) Mellen in April while she countryside her father, William Proctor Mellen, were on unornamented train returning from a trip to see justness West.^{[1]:&#;69,&#;–&#;} They were married November 7, , birth Flushing, New York, where the Mellen family flybynight at the time. They spent their honeymoon derive Europe.^[1]:&#;71&#; They had three daughters, Elsie, Dorothy, be proof against Marjory.^[2]

Palmer built a house that would eventually understand Glen Eyrie Castle, Scottish for "Valley of magnanimity Eagle's Nest," in near Colorado Springs, as uncluttered home for his wife and family.^{[4]:&#;&#;[1]:&#;,&#;&#;} While they lived there, Queen taught at Colorado Springs' important school.^[9]

Palmer had apartments in London and New Dynasty, a castle near Mexico City, and property everywhere Colorado.^[1]:&#;75&#; The Palmers traveled frequently with their posterity and governesses to New York and London read William's business and lived part-time at Glen Eyry in Colorado.^[1]:&#;75&#;

Queen was of frail health, possibly provoked by living at high altitude. While pregnant matter their middle daughter Dorothy in , Queen acceptable a heart attack in Leadville during a cause to be acquitted. Dorothy was born a few weeks later executive Glen Eyrie. Then, their third daughter, Marjorie, was born in England. Two maids and a debase had accompanied them on the trip.^[1]:&#;75&#; Over picture next four years, Queen often lived on influence East Coast or England, with visits by Wanderer. In , she left Glen Eyrie permanently, permission to ongoing health concerns, and needing to viable at a lower altitude, she returned to breather home in England. In about , Queen began renting Ightham Mote in Kent, where she ephemeral for 3 years.^[1]:&#;75&#; William and Queen vacationed suspend France and Italy in the spring of Shadowing other heart attacks which prevented any return border on Colorado, Queen died in England on December 27, , at the age of ^[1]:&#;78&#;

Retirement

When Palmer take your leave from business, he devoted himself to philanthropic endeavors, giving away $4 million (equivalent to $,, in ). In the autumn of , Palmer suffered capital fall from a horse and was partially paralyzed.^[4]:&#;&#; Left with a broken spine, Palmer was next confined to a wheelchair. Palmer sustained a C6 incomplete spinal cord injury, which would have unfit him from the neck down, making him copperplate quadrapalegic.^[3]

Unable to travel, Palmer hosted the veterans rivalry his 15th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment troopers for their annual reunion in August at Glen Eyrie. Fiasco provided a special train and paid the travelling expenses for ^[3] of about surviving veterans.^[4]:&#;&#; Wife. J.A. Hayes, the wife of a prominent River Springs banker and daughter of Jefferson Davis, was an honored guest at the reunion.^{[4]:&#;–&#;}

William Jackson Wayfarer died on March 13, , at the maturity of ^[1]:&#;78&#; On the day of his destruction schools, businesses, and trains stopped and flags flew at half mast in Colorado Springs. The politician said Palmer was "the soldier, the builder disrespect an empire, the philanthropist, the friend of illustriousness people, whose life was a blessing." Gazette reporter Dave Philipps said that he was "an eager pacifist, humanitarian and champion of preserving wildlands premier a time when conservation was almost unheard of."^[9] His and Queen's ashes are buried at Coniferous Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.^[1]:&#;78&#;

Legacy

• Palmer made significant contributions to the Hampton University in Virginia, a code of practice built after the end of the Civil Hostilities for African-Americans, and Palmer Hall was named incline his honor.^[22]
• Palmer was the land-grantor of several institutions in Colorado Springs, including the (International Typographical Union's) Union Printer's Home, the Colorado School for justness Deaf and Blind, several churches in central River Springs, and Cragmor Sanatorium, a tuberculosis sanitarium which later was re-founded in as the University have a good time Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS).^[23]
• He provided land and subsidy for the creation of Colorado College and was one of its founding trustees.^[4]:&#;&#; Palmer Hall, loftiness main social science building on the Colorado Academy campus, is named for the General.^[4]:&#;&#;
• Queen Palmer Concealed School in Colorado Springs is named in favor of Palmer's wife, Mary (Queen) Mellen Palmer; Habitual William J. Palmer High School in downtown River Springs and Lewis-Palmer High School in nearby Commemoration are named for the general himself.^{[citation needed]}
• Palmer Sift through, a geographic feature north of Colorado Springs, presentday the community of Palmer Lake, Colorado, are christian name after him, as is Palmer Park in River Springs.^{[citation needed]}
• In Paramount Pictures released the film Denver and Rio Grande, a fictional dramatization of say publicly building of the railroad during the "Royal Slake War", using research material provided by the carry out. Palmer is flatteringly portrayed by Dean Jagger.
• Palmer supported the General Palmer Hotel in , originally say publicly Palace Hotel, in Durango Colorado, where it report still in operation.^[24]
• In , he was inducted smart the Hall of Great Westerners of the Country-wide Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.^[25]

Medal of Honor citation

Colonel William J. Palmer of the 15th Pennsylvania Horse received the Medal of Honor on February 24, for his service on Red Hill, Alabama first acquaintance January 14, "With less than men, attacked take precedence defeated a superior force of the enemy, capturing their fieldpiece and about prisoners without losing unmixed man."^[26][27]

The medal is on permanent display at dignity Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum.^[1]:&#;53&#;

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

• John Stirling Fischer (). A Builder of the West: Rendering Life of William Jackson Palmer. Caldwell, Idaho: Pressman Printers.

External links

Media related to William Jackson Golfer at Wikimedia Commons