, ▁which ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁Assembly ▁retained ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁author ize ▁construction ▁of ▁other ▁rail ro ads ▁between ▁Richmond ▁and ▁Freder icks burg , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁original ▁char ter ▁of ▁the ▁R F & P ▁only ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁transport ation ▁of ▁passengers . ▁The ▁decision ▁of ▁the ▁court ▁was ▁appe aled ▁and ▁eventually ▁reached ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁in ▁Richmond , ▁Freder icks burg ▁and ▁Pot om ac ▁Rail road ▁Company ▁v . ▁Louis a ▁Rail road ▁Company , ▁which ▁ruled ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁Louis a ▁Rail road , ▁u ph old ing ▁the ▁state ▁court ' s ▁decision . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Louis a ▁Rail road ▁was ▁Frederick ▁Over ton ▁Harris , ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁Louis a ▁County , ▁who ▁served ▁until ▁ 1 8 4 1 . ▁ ▁After ▁Harris ' ▁term , ▁Charles ▁Y . ▁Kim br ough , ▁also ▁from ▁Louis a , ▁served ▁until ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁when ▁Edmund ▁Font aine ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁office ▁upon ▁Kim br ough ' s ▁death . ▁ ▁Edmund ▁Font aine ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Louis a ▁Rail road ▁and ▁its ▁successor ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁Further ▁expansion ▁as ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Central ▁While ▁the ▁Blue ▁R idge ▁Mountain ▁section ▁was ▁being ▁bre ached , ▁the ▁Louis a ▁Rail road ▁was ▁busy ▁building ▁west ward ▁from ▁the ▁western ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁mountains , ▁across ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley ▁to ▁Sta