Thomas H. Dudley

Professor Brainerd Dyer is an authority on the Civil War and Reconstruction period of American history. He contributes "Today in American History" daily in the Los Angeles Times. He has published widely in historical journals and has written Zachary Taylor and The Public Career of William M. Evarts. Thomas H. Dudley BRAINERD DYER although Thomas Haines ouDLEY was actively interested in public affairs sfor half a century and served his country with exceptional skill and energy as consul at the busy port of Liverpool for eleven years, during a period of strained Anglo-American relations, he has been largely neglected by historians and is a little-known figure today. Neither the Dictionary of American Biography nor its precursors include any sketch of him. Without so much as giving his full name, secondary works on Great Britain and the American Civil War usually make some general reference to Consul Dudley as one who assisted the American Minister in gathering evidence to submit to the British government; but they fail to recognize that he was the principal figure in this work and that this was but one of the many problems with which he was confronted during these years. Nowhere is there any explanation as to how he happened to be chosen for this important post — who he was, where he came from, or what became of him. Thomas Haines Dudley was born in Burlington County, New Jersey, October 9, 1819. His father, Evan Dudley, and his mother, Ann Haines Dudley, were both descended from English Quakers who settled in this country during the Colonial period. The family was primarily interested in agriculture and young Thomas Haines Dudley grew up on the farm which his mother continued to operate when her husband died only a few montiis after the birth of Thomas. He was educated at the district schools and after a brief experience as a school teacher, studied law in the office of William N. Jeffers of Camden, New Jersey. He was admitted to the bar in 1845 and the following year married Emaline Matlack, a Camden girl. Even before these important events in his life, Dudley commenced an active participation in the political life of his community. In the summer 401 402BRAINERD DTEB of 1843 he served as secretary of a Whig meeting in Camden, and during the presidential canvass of the following year he was treasurer of the Camden County Clay Club. His interest in the local organizations of his party continued, and in 1852 he became a member of the Whig State Executive Committee and was active in Winfield Scott's campaign. During the next eight years, he took an increasingly important part in the state affairs, first of the Whig and then of the Republican Party. In 1860 he was chosen as one of the delegates-at-large from New Jersey to the Republican National Convention at Chicago, where he contributed significantly to the nomination of Lincoln; and as a member of the resolutions committee helped to formulate the protective tariff plank of the party. The day before the formal opening of the Convention, a New England committee, headed by Governor John A. Andrew of Massachusetts, visited the delegations from Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. These four states, with conservative views on the slavery question, had been carried by the Democrats in 1856, and, if carried by them again, would make defeat for the Republican candidate almost certain. The New Englanders informed the delegations from these doubtful states that although they preferred Seward, their first concern was victory, and diat, therefore, if the four delegations could agree on some one candidate, they — the New Englanders — would vote for him. Subsequently, at Dudley's suggestion, a committee of twelve, three from each of the four states, was appointed to seek an agreement as to a candidate. Dudley was one of the New Jersey members of this committee and took a leading part in its work. He was thoroughly committed to the candidacy of William L. Dayton, New Jersey's favorite son, and vice-presidential candidate in 1856; but when, at die close of a five hour session, this committee concluded diat Lincoln was die strongest candidate, Dudley...