Who is this person?

[Steve]

"Pitchfork" Ben Tillman of South Carolina.

[RJNorton]

You are a winner, Steve.

However, the man I am asking about planned a much larger amount of potential deaths. Who was he and what state elected him governor?

[L Verge]

(02-27-2019 06:52 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  You are a winner, Steve.

However, the man I am asking about planned a much larger amount of potential deaths. Who was he and what state elected him governor?

Thanks to Dr. Greene of this forum, I think I know the answer! Dr. Luke Blackburn, who was elected Governor of Kentucky.

I just ordered Dr. Greene's new book on Blackburn and his Yellow Fever Conspiracy for sale in the Surratt House Museum's gift shop.

[RJNorton]

Yes, Laurie, you are correct. The answer I was looking for is indeed Dr. Luke Blackburn. His plan to terrorize the North with yellow fever did not work out as yellow fever cannot be spread through distributing the clothing of deceased yellow fever victims. If Dr. Blackburn's plan had worked, it is possible that thousands, if not millions, of Northern civilians would have been killed. President Lincoln, himself, was also a target of Dr. Blackburn, but this plan did not work either.

Dr. Leon Greene is a member here and is a retired cardiologist. I think his book is fascinating, and I was particularly taken aback by the closing sentence of its last paragraph:

"Blackburn's devotion to the heritage and traditions propelled him into a scheme that would ultimately bring him shame. He had a passion, a goal, and a method to aid the South, and to his detriment he sought valiantly to support his chosen cause. Dedicated in the extreme, he focused on an outcome to be achieved at all costs. He elevated his love of Southern society above universal love of man, giving the South a misbegotten gift of love in the form of hatred toward the North. His one fault emerged as his view of the injustice of the North drove him to attempt the unthinkable - germ warfare. In today's parlance, he sought to distribute a "weapon of mass destruction." He tried to send a gift of yellow fever, with misguided love, from Bermuda. His actions will forever serve as an example of indecent medical conduct. Fortunately for him, the techniques he used could never have been productive. But had he succeeded in finding clothing contaminated by smallpox, a disease transmissible by such methods, then..."

[Leon Greene]

(02-27-2019 11:42 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Yes, Laurie, you are correct. The answer I was looking for is indeed Dr. Luke Blackburn. His plan to terrorize the North with yellow fever did not work out as yellow fever cannot be spread through distributing the clothing of deceased yellow fever victims. If Dr. Blackburn's plan had worked, it is possible that thousands, if not millions, of Northern civilians would have been killed. President Lincoln, himself, was also a target of Dr. Blackburn, but this plan did not work either.

Dr. Leon Greene is a member here and is a retired cardiologist. I think his book is fascinating, and I was particularly taken aback by the closing sentence of its last paragraph:

"Blackburn's devotion to the heritage and traditions propelled him into a scheme that would ultimately bring him shame. He had a passion, a goal, and a method to aid the South, and to his detriment he sought valiantly to support his chosen cause. Dedicated in the extreme, he focused on an outcome to be achieved at all costs. He elevated his love of Southern society above universal love of man, giving the South a misbegotten gift of love in the form of hatred toward the North. His one fault emerged as his view of the injustice of the North drove him to attempt the unthinkable - germ warfare. In today's parlance, he sought to distribute a "weapon of mass destruction." He tried to send a gift of yellow fever, with misguided love, from Bermuda. His actions will forever serve as an example of indecent medical conduct. Fortunately for him, the techniques he used could never have been productive. But had he succeeded in finding clothing contaminated by smallpox, a disease transmissible by such methods, then..."

Not unlike some politicians today, when Blackburn was running for Governor of Kentucky, his sordid past became an issue of the campaign. Rather than answer directly the questions posed to him about the yellow fever conspiracy, Blackburn simply said that such accusations were so outlandish that he would not dignify them with a response.

[RJNorton]

This question is "different" in that I am not looking for this person's name. If you can simply say a few words relating to who he is then you get the question right.

[Eva Elisabeth]

I relate this to Robert. It's not Jack, no? Or another of his lineage?

[RJNorton]

Eva, there is a relationship to Robert; however, this is not the answer I am looking for. (Robert's children are not the answer.)

The person pictured has no relationship to Robert.

[RJNorton]

Hint#1: There is another person in the complete photo whose name is known. The person in the cropped photo which I posted is looking at this other person.

[Joe Di Cola]

(03-09-2019 06:24 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  This question is "different" in that I am not looking for this person's name. If you can simply say a few words relating to who he is then you get the question right.

The person is unidentified and is looking at Wiliam Harlan, Mary Harlan Lincoln's younger brother. The photo was taken by Leisenring Bros in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The photo of William was long-identified as the "last photo of Tad", but this is not the case.

[RJNorton]

Kudos, Joe! You nailed it. You win complete freedom from any leftover shoulder pain after your operation last October. We all hope you are doing well and regaining strength.

For many, many years I believed the last photo of Tad Lincoln was taken in Iowa after he and Mary returned from Europe in 1871. A couple of books I own indicated that Tad was very ill and thin for this photo. But all of that is wrong as the boy who is writing is not Tad, but rather it's Mary Harlan Lincoln's brother, William Harlan. The other person's name is not known.

There is an explanation here:

http://lincolncollection.tumblr.com/post...n-identity

[L Verge]

Let's try this one without Mr. Google: What famous showman traveled with a pet eagle named for Mr. Lincoln? (P.S. Steve - I know you will be the first to get it, so please hold off for a while.)

[RJNorton]

P.T. Barnum?

[AussieMick]

Buffalo Bill?

[L Verge]

Sorry, guys - both are very good and very logical answers, but not the one I'm looking for.