Lincoln's Greatest Case.

• Author: Mandell, David
• Position: Book review

Lincoln's Greatest Case

By Brian McGinty

One hundred fifty years after his passing, Abraham Lincoln still resonates. Although remembered for his leadership during the Civil War and the emancipation proclamation, Lincoln was a busy lawyer before his presidency. Arizona attorney Brian McGinty has uncovered a valuable contribution Lincoln made as a lawyer. His participation in a civil case before his presidency helped turn a largely rural nation into an industrial giant. Although it is almost forgotten now, the suit, Hurd et. al. v. The Railroad Bridge Company, played a key role in the economic development of the country.

For much of America's first century, steamships enjoyed a near monopoly on transporting goods long distances and their owners were keen on keeping it. With the development of the railroad their monopoly was threatened. McGinty recounts how the shipping industry tenaciously fought construction of railroad bridges, which allowed trains to transport goods anywhere. The first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi River, the Rock Island Bridge, connected Rock Island, Illinois with Davenport, Iowa. McGinty uncovered some amazing coincidences in its development. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, the future confederate president, bitterly opposed the bridge, but was overruled. Robert E. Lee then serving the federal army, made a survey of the upper Mississippi.

When the Effie Afton, a ship plying the Mississippi River, struck the bridge and was destroyed, its owners saw a chance to stop...