MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI, COLUMBIA THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI The State Historical Society of Missouri, heretofore organized under the laws of the State, shall be the trustee of this State-Laws of Missouri, 1899, R.S. of Mo., 1969, chapter 183, as revised 1978. OFFICERS, 1998-2001 LAWRENCE O. CHRISTENSEN, Rolla, President JAMES C OLSON, Kansas City, First Vice President SHERIDAN A. LOGAN, St. Joseph, Second Vice President VIRGINIA G. YOUNG, Columbia, Third Vice President NOBLE E. CUNNINGHAM, JR., Columbia, Fourth Vice President R. KENNETH ELLIOTT, Liberty, Fifth Vice President ROBERT G. J. HOESTER, Kirkwood, Sixth Vice President ALBERT M. PRICE, Columbia, Treasurer JAMES W. GOODRICH, Columbia, Executive Director, Secretary, and Librarian PERMANENT TRUSTEES FORMER PRESIDENTS OF THE SOCIETY H. RILEY BOCK, New Madrid ROBERT C. SMITH, Columbia LEO J. ROZIER, Perryville Avis G. TUCKER, Warrensburg TRUSTEES, 1996-1999 BRUCE H. BECKETT, Columbia JAMES R. MAYO, Bloomfield CHARLES B. BROWN, Kennett W. GRANT MCMURRAY, Independence DONNA HUSTON, Marshall THOMAS L. MILLER SR., Washington TRUSTEES, 1997-2000 JOHN K. HULSTON, Springfield ARVARH E. STRICKLAND, Columbia JAMES B. NUTTER, Kansas City BLANCHE M. TOUHILL, St. Louis BOB PRIDDY, Jefferson City HENRY J. WATERS III, Columbia DALE REESMAN, Boonville TRUSTEES, 1998-2001 WALTER ALLEN, Brookfield VIRGINIA LAAS, Joplin CHARLES R. BROWN, St. Louis EMORY MELTON, Cassville VERA F. BURK, Kirksville DOYLE PATTERSON, Kansas City DICK FRANKLIN, Independence JAMES R. REINHARD, Hannibal EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Eight trustees elected by the board of trustees, together with the president of the Society, consti­ tute the executive committee. The executive director of the Society serves as an ex officio member. ROBERT C. SMITH, Columbia, Chairman LAWRENCE O. CHRISTENSEN, Rolla WALTER ALLEN, Brookfield JAMES C. OLSON, Kansas City H. RILEY BOCK, New Madrid Avis G. TUCKER, Warrensburg VERA F. BURK, Kirksville VIRGINIA G. YOUNG, Columbia MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW VOLUME XCIV, NUMBER 1 OCTOBER 1999 JAMES W. GOODRICH LYNN WOLF GENTZLER Editor Associate Editor SUKANYA DUTTA-WHITE AMY L. NORD Information Specialist Information Specialist The MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW (ISSN 0026-6582) is published quarterly by the State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201-7298. Receipt of the MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW is a benefit of membership in the State Historical Society of Missouri. Phone (573) 882-7083; fax (573) 884-4950; e-mail <[email protected]>; web site <www.system.missouri.edu/shs>. Periodicals postage is paid at Columbia, Missouri. POSTMASTERS: Send address changes to MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201-7298. Copyright © 1999 by The State Historical Society of Missouri COVER DESCRIPTION: Eating Up the Lights, by Missouri artist Gary R. Lucy, depicts the technique used by nineteenth-century steamboat crews to determine a safe channel in an inland waterway when traveling by night. To mark a safe passage, crewmen preceded the boat in a skiff, took depth read­ ings, and placed lighted candles on pieces of wood anchored by a stone attached to a string. As the steamboat advanced, it would glide over the floating markers, consuming their light under the bow- thus the term "eating up the lights." Lucy, a resident of Washington, Missouri, will speak about his work as an artist and the influ­ ence of historic interpretation in art at the Society's annual meeting on October 23. Selected works depicting scenes of life on the inland waterways of North America by the artist are on exhibit in the Society's art gallery through December. [Cover illustration courtesy of the artist] EDITORIAL POLICY The editors of the Missouri Historical Review welcome submission of articles and documents relating to the history of Missouri. Any aspect of Missouri history will be con­ sidered for publication in the Review. Genealogical studies, however, are not accepted because of limited appeal to general readers. Manuscripts pertaining to all fields of American history will be considered if the subject matter has significant relevance to the history of Missouri or the West. Authors should submit two double-spaced copies of their manuscripts. The footnotes, prepared according to The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed., also should be double-spaced and placed at the end of the text. Authors may submit manuscripts on disk, preferably in Microsoft Word. Two hard copies still are required. Originality of subject, general interest of the article, sources used, interpretation, and style are criteria for acceptance and publica­ tion. Manuscripts, exclusive of footnotes, should not exceed 7,500 words. Articles that are accepted for publication become the property of the State Historical Society of Missouri and may not be published elsewhere without permission. The Society does not accept responsi­ bility for statements of fact or opinion made by the authors. Articles published in the Missouri Historical Review are abstracted and indexed in Historical Abstracts, America: History and Life, Recently Published Articles, Writings on American History, The Western Historical Quarterly, and The Journal of American History. Manuscript submissions should be addressed to Dr. James W. Goodrich, Editor, Missouri Historical Review, State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201-7298. BOARD OF EDITORS LAWRENCE O. CHRISTENSEN ALAN R. HAVIG University of Missouri-Rolla Stephens College Columbia WILLIAM E. FOLEY VIRGINIA J. LAAS Central Missouri State University Missouri Southern State College Warrensburg Joplin SUSAN M. HARTMANN DAVID D. MARCH Ohio State University Kirksville Columbus ARVARH E. STRICKLAND University of Missouri-Columbia CONTENTS "A HIGH WALL AND A DEEP DITCH": THOMAS HART BENTON AND THE COMPROMISE OF 1850. By John D. Morton 1 MEMORY, MYTH, AND MUSTY RECORDS: CHARLES WOODSON'S MISSOURI CAVALRY IN THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, PART 1. By Thomas F. Curran 25 ISIDOR BUSH AND THE BUSHBERG VINEYARDS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY. By Siegmar Muehl 42 THE PRESIDENT AND THE EMPEROR: HOW SAMUEL SPAHR LAWS FOUND AN ELEPHANT AND LOST HIS JOB. By Maurice M. Manring 59 HISTORICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS Society to Hold Annual Meeting on October 23 80 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration Scheduled for 2004-2006 81 News in Brief 82 Local Historical Societies 84 Gifts Relating to Missouri 93 Missouri History in Newspapers 95 Missouri History in Magazines 100 In Memoriam 106 BOOK REVIEWS 108 Mitchell, Franklin D. Harry S. Truman and the News Media: Contentious Relations, Belated Respect, Savage, Sean J. Truman and the Democratic Party; De Luna, Phyllis Komarek. Public versus Private Power during the Truman Administration: A Study of Fair Deal Liberalism. Reviewed by James N. Giglio. Kemm, James O. Rupert Hughes: A Hollywood Legend. Reviewed by Alan R. Havig. Carnahan, Jean. If Walls Could Talk: The Story of Missouri's First Families. Reviewed by Lynn Wolf Gentzler. BOOK NOTES 115 Rothwell, Dan A. A Guide to Chesterfield's Architectural Treasures. Images of the Ozarks. Donley, Paul, comp. Tracks to the Past: A Pictorial History of Aurora, Missouri. Scheel, Gary L. Rain, Mud & Swamps: The Story of the 31st Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Jobe, Sybil Shipley. A History of Newton County, Missouri, As Portrayed in the Courthouse Mural. Claycomb, William B. Pettis County, Missouri: A Pictorial History. Derendinger, Elaine, Melba Fleck, and La Vaughn Miller, comps. and eds. Stories of Howard County, Missouri: "The Mother of Counties." Giangreco, D. M., and Kathryn Moore. Dear Harry . Truman's Mailroom, 1945-1953. Ponder, Jerry. General Sterling Price's 1864 Invasion of Missouri. James, Larry A., comp. The Monark Towns and Surrounding Villages. Ponder, Jerry. Major General John S. Marmaduke, C.S.A. CONTRIBUTORS TO MISSOURI CULTURE: JOHN G. NEIHARDT Inside back cover Diet. Amer. Ports. Engr. John Rogers "A High Wall and a Deep Ditch": Thomas Hart Benton and the Compromise of 1850 BY JOHN D. MORTON* Privately conceding his doubts about the likelihood of a resolution of the nation's mounting sectional crisis, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton wrote in January 1850 to a friend in St. Louis: "For all the purposes of ben­ eficial legislation, we are already nearly in a state of disunion." Southern extremists, continued Benton, had begun "organizing a Southern Convention at Nashville, without waiting any further action of congress on the slave question."1 During the ensuing months, Benton's policy decisions con­ form D. Morton is currently a Ph.D. candidate in history at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He received his B .A. and M.A. degrees from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and the University of Virginia respectively. 1 Thomas H. Benton to John O'Fallon, 17 January 1850, John O'Fallon Papers, Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis. 2 Missouri Historical Review tributed decisively to the eventual passage of the Compromise of 1850, which managed to stave off national disintegration for another decade. Emphasizing Benton's patriotism as the primary motive behind his legisla­ tive behavior that year, historians have overlooked the powerful influence of the Democratic senator's electoral goals.2 Senator Benton's actions in 1850 illustrate the relationship between party politics and policymaking in nineteenth-century America. During the 1820s and 1830s, the young republic's political leaders formed elaborate