Who is this person?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Is he a person we (the average Lincoln/CW "nerd") "should" know? (Somehow in those old b/w pics almost everyone looks familiar, maybe due to less color, clothing and hairdo varieties.)

Was he a president of a company or an institution? Or a different country?

Does "no friend of Lincoln" mean unknown to, or enemy?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Birmingham Young?

[L Verge]

If Eva means Brigham Young of the Mormon Church, then I agree with her.

[AussieMick]

Sorry, Eva and Laurie. Not Brigham Young.

An enemy of Lincoln would certainly be correct. As for president, thats tricky. Obviously not President with a capital 'P' of the USA. But he was president of an organisation (I think that's the best way to put it) of states.

Would Lincoln 'nerds' know him? Yes (although I only came across him by chance ... but then I'm not .... er, I'll let it go there).    

[AussieMick]

Late? Its early here. This man was helpful to President Buchanan ... but much less helpful to the new administration.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Breckinridge?

[AussieMick]

No, sorry Eva. But I can see where you're coming from.
That hint about theory and slavery ... it relates to a quote that this man is quite famous for.

[Warren]

Just a quick stab - Judah P. Benjamin?

[AussieMick]

Warren, sorry. No its not Benjamin. But reading about him I can see he would have been a great choice for a question. What a character!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_P._Benjamin

The man I have chosen was different to Benjamin in at least one major strategic way ... Benjamin came to the conclusion that slaves should be armed and used to fight for the South. My man was strongly opposed to that. Hence the "theory" quote about slavery.

[Gene C]

Robert Hunter ?, a Secretary of State for the Confederate Gov't and later a Confederate Senator

[AussieMick]

No, Gene. Not Hunter ... but my man like Hunter was also Speaker of House of Reps at one stage.

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This man had a plantation (destroyed by Sherman "Spare Nothing") near the town which was close to where short story writer Flannery O'Connor died.

[RJNorton]

Thomas S. Bocock?

[AussieMick]

No, Roger. Our man was speaker of the U.S. House of Reps (not the Confederate)

[AussieMick]

It could be reasonably asserted that he preceded Jefferson Davis

[AussieMick]

This man is a character in the opera Appomattox