Alexander St. Clair-Abrams
Encyclopedia
Alexander St. Clair-Abrams (March 10, 1845–1931) was a writer who owned newspapers and railroads in the Southern United States and also published under the names A.S. Abrams and A. Sinclair Abrams.
During the American Civil War
, he served in Company A, Withers' Light Artillery (in Carter L. Stevenson
's division), as a private at the Siege of Vicksburg. In September, 1862 he was discharged from the army on account of sickness and being unable to return to his home, New Orleans, obtained a position in the office of the Vicksburg Whig where he remained until its destruction by fire in the early part of May, 1863, and was taken prisoner and paroled after the surrender when he moved on briefly to Mobile, Alabama
then to Atlanta where he quickly settled.
At first in Atlanta he was associated with Jared Whitaker
's Daily Intelligencer
and using their presses published in late 1863 an eighty page description of Vicksburg's capture and then a novel called The Trials of the Soldier's Wife. In 1864, he again soldiered to protect a city under siege, this time Atlanta and fought the Battle of Jonesboro where he was wounded and no longer fit to bear arms.
and in December 1865 he moved to New York City
with his wife and infant son to join the New York Herald
. There he was schooled by the best, editor James Gordon Bennett, Sr.
, and promoted quickly through the ranks.
By 1870, he was the foreign editor and handled all dispatches from the Franco-Prussian War
.
By the time of the surrender at the Battle of Sedan
, he maintained rooms at the Astor House
across the street from the Herald to receive encrypted dispatches to which he held the only key.
At this point his health broke and James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
offered him positions in either California or Georgia. He chose Georgia and moved back with his family where his wife owned printing equipment stored on Forsyth St. which he used to found the Daily Herald. Soon after Robert Alston
and Henry W. Grady
joined the business; Abrams was managing editor, Grady was general editor and Alston the business manager.
Abrams' writing apparently never caught on in Atlanta which Grady explained by saying he had a certain coldness that "in small cities, there must be provincial touches in the journal – concessions that the journalist must make to circumstances" and when he ended up running the Atlanta Constitution, Grady made sure his personality shined unlike his former colleague. But back in 1872, Abrams maintained a feud with former governor Joseph E. Brown
, denouncing the policy of the state leasing the Western and Atlantic Railroad
and associated business deals with free rides but was pressured to relinquish control of the paper with a threatened foreclosure of a $5,000 mortgage by Citizens Bank
unless he ceased the attacks on Brown. He sold his interests and moved south.
.
He founded Tavares, Florida
in 1880 and hoped to make it the state capital and while that didn't happen, in 1887 it was made the seat of Lake County
. In Tavares he constructed a sawmill, hotel, office building, and opera house.
In 1883 two companies he was a part-owner of — Peninsular Land, Transportation and Manufacturing Company
and the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad
— were chartered by the state. By 1897, Abrams, Sr. was in Jacksonville
where he successfully defended Edward Pitzer in the murder trial of Louise Gato in dramatic fashion (he fainted while making his concluding statement). His home there was built in 1914 and designed by Henry John Klutho
, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1985.
Abrams wife died in Atlanta in late 1901, her remains were dispatched to Jacksonville where he built a family mausoleum in the St. Mary's section of Evergreen Cemetery
was designed by Klutho in 1901. In 1914, he argued before the United States Supreme Court in FLORIDA EAST COAST R. CO. v. U S, 234 U.S. 167 .
In 1928, he described himself in a letter to the Constitution as "84 years of age, feeble and crippled, but with my mental faculties unimpaired". He died in Jacksonville
in 1931 at the age of 86.
Civil War
Born in New Orleans, he was known as a "volcanic Creole".During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he served in Company A, Withers' Light Artillery (in Carter L. Stevenson
Carter L. Stevenson
Carter Littlepage Stevenson, Jr. was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army in several antebellum wars and then in the Confederate States Army as a general in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Stevenson was born to a prominent family in...
's division), as a private at the Siege of Vicksburg. In September, 1862 he was discharged from the army on account of sickness and being unable to return to his home, New Orleans, obtained a position in the office of the Vicksburg Whig where he remained until its destruction by fire in the early part of May, 1863, and was taken prisoner and paroled after the surrender when he moved on briefly to Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
then to Atlanta where he quickly settled.
At first in Atlanta he was associated with Jared Whitaker
Jared Whitaker
Jared Irwin Whitaker was a Georgia newspaperman and politician who served as the 14th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, during the early days of the American Civil War....
's Daily Intelligencer
Daily Intelligencer
The Daily Intelligencer was first published on June 1, 1849 as the young city of Atlanta's first successful daily newspaper.The founders were Benjamin Bomar, Z.A. Rice, Jonathan Norcross and I.O...
and using their presses published in late 1863 an eighty page description of Vicksburg's capture and then a novel called The Trials of the Soldier's Wife. In 1864, he again soldiered to protect a city under siege, this time Atlanta and fought the Battle of Jonesboro where he was wounded and no longer fit to bear arms.
Newspaper man
After the war, he took the loyalty oathLoyalty oath
A loyalty oath is an oath of loyalty to an organization, institution, or state of which an individual is a member.In this context, a loyalty oath is distinct from pledge or oath of allegiance...
and in December 1865 he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his wife and infant son to join the New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
. There he was schooled by the best, editor James Gordon Bennett, Sr.
James Gordon Bennett, Sr.
James Gordon Bennett, Sr. was the founder, editor and publisher of the New York Herald and a major figure in the history of American newspapers.-Biography:...
, and promoted quickly through the ranks.
By 1870, he was the foreign editor and handled all dispatches from the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
.
By the time of the surrender at the Battle of Sedan
Battle of Sedan
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on 1 September 1870. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his troops and for all intents and purposes decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French...
, he maintained rooms at the Astor House
Astor House
The Astor House was a fine hotel in New York City, that opened in 1836 and soon became the most famous hotel in America.-History:The Astor House was originally built by John Jacob Astor, who assembled the building lots around his former house until he had purchased the full block in the heart of...
across the street from the Herald to receive encrypted dispatches to which he held the only key.
At this point his health broke and James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
James Gordon Bennett, Jr. was publisher of the New York Herald, founded by his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr., who emigrated from Scotland. He was generally known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father....
offered him positions in either California or Georgia. He chose Georgia and moved back with his family where his wife owned printing equipment stored on Forsyth St. which he used to found the Daily Herald. Soon after Robert Alston
Robert Alston
Robert John Alston, CMG, QSO, DL is a retired British diplomat.Alston was educated at Ardingly College and New College, Oxford. He is presently Chairman of Governors at Ardingly College...
and Henry W. Grady
Henry W. Grady
Henry Woodfin Grady was a journalist and orator who helped reintegrate the states of the former Confederacy into the Union after the American Civil War....
joined the business; Abrams was managing editor, Grady was general editor and Alston the business manager.
Abrams' writing apparently never caught on in Atlanta which Grady explained by saying he had a certain coldness that "in small cities, there must be provincial touches in the journal – concessions that the journalist must make to circumstances" and when he ended up running the Atlanta Constitution, Grady made sure his personality shined unlike his former colleague. But back in 1872, Abrams maintained a feud with former governor Joseph E. Brown
Joseph E. Brown
Joseph Emerson Brown , often referred to as Joe Brown, was the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, and a U.S. Senator from 1880 to 1891...
, denouncing the policy of the state leasing the Western and Atlantic Railroad
Western and Atlantic Railroad
The Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia' is a historic railroad that operated in the southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee....
and associated business deals with free rides but was pressured to relinquish control of the paper with a threatened foreclosure of a $5,000 mortgage by Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank may refer to:Financial institutions:*Citizens Bank of Canada, a virtual bank headquartered in British Columbia*Citizens Bank International Ltd., a bank in Nepal...
unless he ceased the attacks on Brown. He sold his interests and moved south.
In Florida
In Florida, he was a prominent lawyer representing large companies such as Seaboard Air Line RailroadSeaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
.
He founded Tavares, Florida
Tavares, Florida
Tavares is a city in central Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Lake County. The population was 9,700 at the 2000 census. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 13,746. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1880 and hoped to make it the state capital and while that didn't happen, in 1887 it was made the seat of Lake County
Lake County, Florida
Lake County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 210,528. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 307,243. Its county seat is Tavares...
. In Tavares he constructed a sawmill, hotel, office building, and opera house.
In 1883 two companies he was a part-owner of — Peninsular Land, Transportation and Manufacturing Company
Peninsular Land, Transportation and Manufacturing Company
Florida state law chapter 3507, approved March 5, 1883, incorporated the Peninsular Land, Transportation and Manufacturing Company, owned by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, S. B. Harrington and J. L. Bryan. Among its powers was the right to open and operate a line of steamboats on the waters of the St...
and the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad
Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad
Florida state law chapter 3499, approved March 5, 1883, incorporated the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad Company, owned by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, W. R. Anno, Nat Poyntz and J. L. Bryan of Orange County, Florida; L. H. Davis of New Jersey; John P...
— were chartered by the state. By 1897, Abrams, Sr. was in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
where he successfully defended Edward Pitzer in the murder trial of Louise Gato in dramatic fashion (he fainted while making his concluding statement). His home there was built in 1914 and designed by Henry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho was an American architect of the "Prairie School" style. He helped in the reconstruction of Jacksonville, Florida after the Great Fire of 1901—the largest-ever urban fire in the Southeast—by designing many of the new buildings built after the disaster. This period lasted until...
, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1985.
Abrams wife died in Atlanta in late 1901, her remains were dispatched to Jacksonville where he built a family mausoleum in the St. Mary's section of Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery may refer to:In the United States* Evergreen Cemetery * Evergreen Cemetery , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Cochise County, Arizona...
was designed by Klutho in 1901. In 1914, he argued before the United States Supreme Court in FLORIDA EAST COAST R. CO. v. U S, 234 U.S. 167 .
In 1928, he described himself in a letter to the Constitution as "84 years of age, feeble and crippled, but with my mental faculties unimpaired". He died in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
in 1931 at the age of 86.
Family
His only son Alfred was prosecuting attorney of Lake County when he surrendered to the shooting death of railroad man, E.C. Tucker, who had beat him in a run for state legislature in 1896. Alfred was freed and later that year sought a divorce from his wife who had had an affair with Tucker and another man.Remembrances
- In 1887, the Dickson Manufacturing CompanyDickson Manufacturing CompanyDickson Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of boilers and steam engines used in various industries but most known in railway steam locomotives...
named a 4-4-04-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
locomotive with serial number 574 after Abrams. - The major perpendicular road to Main Street in downtown Tavares is named St Clair Abrams Ave
- His Great Floridian plaque is located at the St. Clair-Abrams House, 305 New Hampshire Avenue, Tavares
- Alexander St. Clair-Abrams House, 1649 Osceola St., Jacksonville
Writings
- Full and Detailed History of the Siege of Vicksburg (1863), Intelligencer Steam Power Presses, Atlanta
- The Trials of the Soldier's Wife: A Tale of the Second American Revolution (1864), Intelligencer Steam Power Presses, Atlanta
- Manual and Biographic Register of the State of Georgia, 1871-1872 (1872), Plantation Press, Atlanta