Edward A. Burke
By war's end Burke had reached the rank of major with a duty assignment as Quartermaster and Chief Inspector of Field Transportation, District of Texas.
[3][4] Burke tried to revitalize his fortunes by being elected the Chief Engineer of Galveston's volunteer fire department.
Burke may have been trying to establish a new life in New Orleans and the minor name change may have helped him avoid Galveston creditors and distance himself from the alcohol tax scandal.
He informed local New Orleanians, that he was in town to attend the convention and he was from the engineering firm of Stoddart & Burke.
[8] In his newly adopted city Burke developed a friendship with Louis A. Wiltz, at the time, a politically ambitious banker.
[3] Burke became deeply involved within Democratic Conservative and white supremacist political circles in New Orleans.
The nomination of an independent candidate split the conservative vote allowing a Republican to win the post.
In September 1874 Burke was one of the key figures in the uprising and attempted coup d'état against the racially integrated elected government, known as the Battle of Liberty Place.
In October, at a New Orleans intersection, Burke attempted to assault the then Governor William Pitt Kellogg.
Burke and Charles T. Howard, spokesperson and the ipso facto power within the Louisiana Lottery, conspired to financially undermine the Democrat.
The Democrat, unable to satisfy its creditors and facing bankruptcy, was sold to a consortium, consisting of Burke, Howard, and others.
A governing body of thirteen directors was provided, six of whom were named by the President on the recommendation of the association and seven by him on that of a majority of the subscribers in the city in which the event was sponsored.
When $325,000 in pledges had been achieved the committee directors offered Burke the position of the exposition's director-general with a salary of $25,000.
Burke finally accepted when the committee directors appealed to his southern pride by hinting that they might have to include in their search — a Northerner.
[13] Burke, once in command, proceeded to expand the idea of a merely local or even national exhibition into one which should embrace the entire world.
[3][13] Burke went to Washington in May, 1884, and succeeded in having a bill in Congress passed loaning $1,000,000, to be paid from the receipts of the exposition, if there were any surplus over expenses.
The space allotted in advance for these state exhibits was soon found to be inadequate for the elaborate displays which resulted from the momentum given to this feature by the $5,000 appropriation, and it became necessary to erect a second building as large as the first.
[13] Despite the generous donation from Congress, cost overruns and an aura of funding misappropriations contributed to the financial failure of the exposition.
Burke, foreseeing the inevitable, resigned his directorship three weeks before the enterprise was forced to an early closing on June 2, 1885.
While their display was modest in comparison to others, their exhibit was highlighted by a personal visit to the exposition by Honduran President Luis Bográn.
The time Burke had used in connection with his position as state treasurer was now applied to develop his mining ventures.
While in London his successor, William Henry Pipes, discovered significant discrepancies in amount of funds available in the state treasury.
From London, Burke denied these allegations and stated he intended to return to New Orleans to confront his accusers.
[20][23] In early December, Burke decided not to return to New Orleans and was later personally welcomed by President Bográn to Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Burke had to contend with a number of financial panics in both London and Paris which caused investors to back out.
In November 1893 Burke supported the losing side in a series of military skirmishes against Policarpo Bonilla.
In June 1904, Burke accepted a position as the assistant superintendent and auditor of the Honduras Interoceanic Railway, one of the government's nationalized railroads.
In 1895, Lindsey had volunteered for service in the Force Publique in the Congo Free State, where he was commissioned as a lieutenant.
About a year later, he was killed when he and three other officers were leading a contingent of fifty men to suppress an uprising of African natives.
The men scattered, when natives ambushed their party; Lindsey, with the other three officers, fought until they were hacked down and slashed to pieces.
