Brent (Joseph Lancaster) Papers, 1850-1939

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Summary

Title:
Joseph Lancaster Brent papers
Dates:
1850-1939
Creators:
Brent, Joseph Lancaster, 1826-1905
Abstract:
A collection of material related to the personal and professional life of Joseph Lancaster Brent, American lawyer, politician, and soldier.
Extent:
10.5 Linear Feet (9 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Joseph Lancaster Brent papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of 460 items from 1850 to 1936, which consists of letters, documents, and manuscripts related to the life and activities of Joseph Lancaster Brent. Subject matter includes Brent's experiences and life in Southern California from 1850 to 1861; social and business affairs in California, Louisiana, and Maryland; the Civil War and the Confederate war effort in particular; the capture of the U.S. ironclad, "Indianola;" Brent's military promotions; United States foreign affairs, national defense, and economy. Significant persons represented in the collection include: Ignacio Del Valle, Winfield Scott Hancock, John Bankhead Magruder, Ygnacio Sepulveda, Richard Taylor, and Benjamin Davis Wilson.

Biographical / historical:

Joseph Lancaster Brent (1826-1905) was born in Maryland; he studied law and became an attorney in Louisiana, then moved to San Francisco in 1851 before finally settling in Los Angeles. Brent was twice elected to the California State Legislature from 1856 to 1860; he was also a Los Angeles city councilman from 1851 to 1852, city attorney from 1852 to 1854, and superintendent of schools from 1853 to 1854. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Brent joined the Confederate Army and served under John Bankhead Magruder in the 1862 Peninsular Campaign; he was then assigned to Richard Taylor's district of Western Louisiana. In mid-February of 1863 he led an expedition up the Mississippi River that resulted in the capture of the Union ironclad steamer "Indianola." The following year he was appointed brigadier general and commanded Brent's Cavalry Brigade until the end of the war. After the war Brent practiced law in Maryland until he married Frances Rosella Kenner, daughter of Louisiana sugar planter and U.S. Congressman Duncan Farrar Kenner; after their marriage, he managed his father-in-law's sugar plantations in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Brent returned to Baltimore in 1889 and spent the last years of his life practicing law and writing essays about foreign affairs, the United States economy, and a memoir of the Civil War.

Acquisition information:
Gifts of Duncan Kenner Brent, June 1966, March 1969, December 1974.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff, 1971-1974. Finding aid encoded by Charla M. DelaCuadra in July 2020.

Arrangement:

Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence and manuscripts; 2. Newspaper clippings; 3. Printed matter; 4. Addenda.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Charla M. DelaCuadra
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-07-05 09:12:40 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Joseph Lancaster Brent papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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