inn ati ▁rail road ▁companies ▁in ▁Illinois , ▁Indiana , ▁and ▁Missouri . ▁Although ▁successful ▁at ▁first ▁he ▁lost ▁his ▁fortune ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁economic ▁crash ▁and ▁During ▁the ▁economic ▁pan ic ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁Daw es ▁fell ▁into ▁bank rupt cy ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁but ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁start ▁up ▁again , ▁dealing ▁in ▁rail road ▁supplies ▁like ▁o ils ▁and ▁iron . ▁He ▁also ▁worked ▁developing ▁coal ▁fields ▁in ▁Southern ▁Illinois . ▁So on ▁Daw es ▁started ▁up ▁a ▁size able ▁and ▁prosper ous ▁trade ▁in ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁and ▁Chicago ▁and ▁soon ▁became ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁and ▁Big ▁M ud dy ▁Co al ▁Company , ▁one ▁among ▁the ▁biggest ▁min ing ▁companies ▁in ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁Historical ▁research ▁and ▁writ ings ▁As ▁a ▁veter an ▁who ▁had ▁witness ed ▁many ▁batt les ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Daw es ▁was ▁inher ently ▁interested ▁in ▁its ▁history ▁and ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁research ▁and ▁writing ▁about ▁the ▁many ▁episodes ▁that ▁occurred ▁during ▁that ▁war , ▁publishing ▁and ▁often ▁speaking ▁at ▁various ▁organizations ▁about ▁the ▁many ▁Civil ▁War ▁subjects . ▁▁ ▁Though ▁Daw es ▁had ▁received ▁a ▁serious ▁w ound ▁to ▁his ▁j aw ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁gift ed ▁speaker ▁and ▁was ▁in ▁constant ▁demand ▁for ▁speaking ▁at ▁local ▁and ▁political ▁campaign s . ▁His ▁speech es ▁and ▁addresses , ▁most ▁not ably ▁at ▁a ▁ban quet ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁in