U.S. Minister Isaac P. Christiancy

Isaac Peckham Christiancy was born in Johnstown, New York in 1812. In 1836 he moved to Michigan where he studied law and entered politics. In 1872 he served as Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. In 1875, he began a term in Congress as a U.S. senator.

Newly arrived in Washington, he became involved with a young woman, Miss Lillie Lugenbeel, a a 20 year-old clerk in the Treasury Department. It is here that the story becomes difficult to follow. He claims he was forced to marry her to avoid a claim of "breach of promise", although he discouraged her because of the difference in their ages. There are stories that she left him the day after the marriage. He claims that the day after the wedding, she realized she was in love with someone else and wanted a divorce. To avoid further disgrace or according to other accounts, because of failing health, he took the position of U.S. Minister to Peru in 1879. Another report says that he took her to Peru to get her away from bad influences.

She however did not go to Peru with him, but came down at a later time reportedly at his request, taking passage on the same steamship as George Haight, one of the torpedo men. It was rumored that they struck up a romantic relationship on board ship which continued after their arrival in Peru. This caused considerable conflict between the couple and she returned to New York, where apparently she spread negative remarks about him that reached the U.S. newspapers, charges which included incompetency and habitual use of stimulants and narcotics.

A letter to I.P. Christiancy dated May 7th, 1880 attested to his professional demeanor in an effort to refute those charges and was signed , among others, by associates of Henry Meiggs, such as Charles S. Rand, William M. Bush, and William H. Cilley. (IP Christiancy papers) Its significance is that it helps to identify a fraction of the Americans in Peru at that time and, perhaps, the established alliances. A little more about these signatories:

Charles S. Rand served as a director of the Public Works and Development Company formed in March of 1874. The directorate included Henry Meiggs, president, and Francisco Garcia Calderon, vice president (Henry Meigg's lawyer and a pallbearer at his funeral). Charles S. Rand is also listed in Henry Meigg's will as one of those responsible to take over Henry Meigg's contracts.

William M. Bush was the chief clerk of Meigg's office in Lima and is also listed in Henry Meigg's will as a potential executor of Meigg's contracts.

William H. Cilley, a friend of Charles Flint and from New Hampshire, was in charge of the Oroya line beginning some time around the fall of 1871 and later worked on the development of the mines at Cerro de Pasco. He was a director of the Public Works and Development Company, and was a pallbearer at Meigg's funeral and listed in his will as one of those responsble for taking over Henry Meigg's contracts.

John L. Thorndike was born in New York in 1835. He built railroads in the U.S. and Canada, leaving for Chile in 1857 to help build the Santiago-Valparaiso Railway. He was on the directorate of the Public Works and Develpment Company and was a pallbearer at Henry Meigg's funeral. He surveyed and directed the building of the Arequipa-Puno line. He married a Peruvian, and remained in Lima, where he still lived in 1936. (Stewart, 1946, pg. 87)

Edward C. Dubois was a pallbearer at Henry Meigg's funeral and was later operator of the northern railroad.

Four possible signatories were Jorge Johnston, Cesar Rivero, Russell Keith, and Charles F. Davis who also appear to have attended the opening festivities for the Arequipa railroad line.

Resources:

Isaac Peckham Christiancy Papers. Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.

Stewart, Watt. 1946. Henry Meiggs: Yankee Pizarro. Durham, N.C.: Duke University. 370 pp.