Waldo, James Curtis

Submitted by Mike Miller

Waldo, James Curtis, writer and journalist, son of James Elliot and Eveline Almira (Cobb) Waldo; born at Meredosia Ill., Dec. 10, 1835; died at New Orleans, La., Aug. 28, 1901; his mother died in his early infancy and he was sent to live with an uncle, Rev. Josiah Waldo, at Troy, N. V., where he attended the Troy academy; came to New Orleans in 1848 and after courses at local schools entered his father's firm; removed to New York in 1857, where he engaged in wholesale mercantile business up to the opening of the Civil war, when he came South and entered the Confederate army; served only 1 year when he was honorably discharged on account of extreme illness; was offered lucrative appointments by Gen. Butler and the Federal authorities during the occupation of New Orleans and the reconstruction period, all of which he declined; after the Civil war entered journalism as a pursuit and was identified one time or another and in an editorial capacity with practically every democratic and anti-carpet bag newspaper or publication in New Orleans; his writings and the bitter denunciations by him of carpet bag politicians brought him into frequent conflicts with those in authority during the reconstruction period; was one of the organizers of the White League, the organization mainly responsible for restoring white rule in Louisiana; took a conspicuous part in the events immediately preceding and which followed the battle of the 14th Sept., 1874, in which conflict he was an active participant; he is best known and remembered for his poems published under the nom de plume of "Tim Linkenwater"; "A Christmas Carol," originally written for the newsboys of the New Orleans Times, has been translated into eight languages; within 3 weeks of the publication in the New Orleans Picayune of "An Old Heirloom," it had been copied by newspapers and periodicals from coast to coast; he was the moving spirit of several carnival organizations and was one of the 8 founders of the Carnival Court; married Margaret Mary Woods; children, Janey Waldo Marks (Mrs. Sumter Davis Marks), Eveline A., Harry J., James Curtis 2nd (died in infancy), Catherine Woods, Margaret (died in infancy), Anna (died in infancy), James Curtis 3rd, and Benjamin Taylor.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 584-585. Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.