Morris tribune., 1886-10-06
Rich EX-COnfederates

Washington Letter to Philadelphia Times.
General Marcus J. Wright, Chief OF
the Confederate Records office, is pre-
pairing a biographical work in which
the fortunes of the ex-Confederate
Generals will be traced up to date
According to the information collected
by him, good many of them, South
ern leaders who found themselves pen
niless after the war, have carved out
new fortunes for themselves, some Of
them even ranking among the million
aires. General Malone of Virginia is
the richest of them. After the sur.
render at Appomatix he owned a
horse, some war trappings and his
box of surveying instruments which
he had before war used as civil
engineer.
In less than a week after the last
gun had been 6red-he was employed
by the Orange & Alexandria Railroad
at civil engineering. He bought stock
with the savings from his salary, sold
it opportunity, invested in other Vir-
ginia railroads, and in few years re-
tired from the civil engineering to take
the position of Vice-President on the
Danville Road. From that position
he graduated to the Presidency Of the
Norfolk 4 Tennessee Road. After ten
years had passed he was the railroad
prince OF Virginia, and is now mil
lionaire. His fortune IS estimated at
SIS, 100000, and he is adding to it
daily by shrewd investments.
The two senators from Louisiana,
Gibson and Eustis, rank next to Ma
hone in wealth. Gibson was confed-
crate general and served throughout
the war. At it's close he had several
hundred acres OF land which had not
been titled for four years, and had
musty law Office in New Orleans which
he had not entered since his brigade
was ordered to the front. With Dor
rowed money he set to work planting,
and at the same time began once more
the practice of his profession. Now,
after the lapse of twenty years, he
ranks among the wealthiest planters
in Louisiana, is at the head of the
bar in New Orleans and is worth con.
siderably over half million of dol
lars. This will be increased eventual
ly to q million or more, as his wife
will come into g. large fortune at the
death of her mother, Mrs. Montgome-
ry. His colleague, Eustis, after fight.
ing under Johnston till the close of the
war, turned his attention to law and
sugar, and between them had eked out
several hundred thousand dollars.
He Is regarded as the shrewdest man
in the New Orleans Sugar Exchange,
and although not a broker, always
has the clips" He was the candidate
of the sugar men for the United States
Senate, and, it is said has a hand in
the Louisiana Lottery Company.
Nearly as wealthy as the foregoing
is General Brown of Tennessee, twice
Governor of that State since the war
and now the receiver of the Texas
Pacific Railroad. General Brown,
like so many of his associates, took
to civil engineering and railroading
when he laid down his arms. After
constructing several small roads in
Tennessee he entered the service of the
Texas Pacific at salary of $4,000
year, and has his headquarters at
Dallas. AS result of his rail-
road adventures he is worth near
ly 100000, and is increasing
his fortune yearly. General Rosser
of the Northern Virginia cavalry, now
living in retirement at Charlottesville
has an estate valued at over $780,
600. He made it all since the war
and at railroading. After surveying
for several years in the Western States
he became connected with the Northern
Pacific Railroad and was elected it's
Vice-President eight years ago. His
estate is almost adjoining the old
homestead OF Thomas Jefferson at
Monticello, and is generally conceded
to be the finest in Virginia.
General Trimble, who lives in Balti-
more, found fortune in liquor after
the war. The whiskey which bears
his name found it's way into popular
ity at once, and has so far yielded
the General more than half million.
He owns extensive distilleries near
Baltimore, and although very old he
superintends their operation.
General Wheeler of Alabama, now
Congressman from the Eighth District,
after gaining the reputation of being
the most daring cavalry leader of the
South after j. E. B. Stuart, stepped
from the saddle into the cotton field
and from poverty has risen to be the
richest man in his State. His estate
is valued at nearly million.
General Gordon of Georgia made
fortune since the war, but lost it re-
Gently through injudicious specula.
ton. Five years ago he was million
aire, to-day he is literally not worth
a dollar. General Johnston, United
States Railroad Commissioner, has
snug fortune, and few other ex Con
federate Generals are worth 100000
or more-all made after laying down
their arms.