 Along with Democrats John Stuart Williams , William Lindsay , and J. Proctor Knott , and Republican Robert Boyd , McCreary was nominated for a U.S. Senate seat in 1878 . Democrats were divided by sectionalism and initially unable to unite behind one of their four candidates . After more than a week of caucusing among Democratic legislators , the nominations of McCreary , Knott , and Lindsay were withdrawn , and Williams was elected over Boyd . Historian Hambleton Tapp opined that the withdrawals were likely a part of some kind of deal among legislators , although the details of the deal , if it ever existed , were not made public . 
