Mississippi Road Trial

Spanning from northern Minnesota to New Orleans, man quickly realized the Mississippi river could be used to transport cargo and people. With the invention of the steamboat, this idea quickly came into fruition, allowing cargo and people to travel long distances. But the river proved hazardous to traverse, with sandbars, reefs, and hanging branches especially the Upper Mississippi. Later, the construction of the Louisville and Portland canal helped expand commerce, allowing travel from Pittsburg to New Orleans. Abraham Lincoln at a young age became interested in steamboats, due to a childhood experience of earning money ferrying people across the river. This experience also got him interested in law, after being arrested for not having a license.

His most important witness was Seth Gurney, the main operator of the bridge. With record of steamboats that crossed the bridge, the jury was informed that of 958 boats, only 7 had been seriously damaged trying to cross. Others like John B. Jervis, William D. Gilbert, and Edward H. Tracy, were all engineers who upheld the integrity of the bridges location and construction. As with the plaintiffs, more than 80 witnesses were called to the courtroom to defend the Rock Island bridge. Then came Judds ace up his sleeve: how much cargo and passengers crossed the bridge. With 125,860 tons of cargo and 74,179 passengers, it was hard to undermine the effect the bridge had on commerce. After all witnesses were called, the lawyers were to give their closing arguments on Monday September 21. Wead stated by assuring the court that his clients only wanted to regain their money from the damages. After Knox’s statement, Lincoln stated to talk. He captivated the jury by showing his excellent memory and understanding of difficult subjects. The jury ended on a 9-3 verdict, meaning the case would have to be re-tried. Lincoln left the team after the trial and the bridge was challenged three more times, all upheld the