Inventory of Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers

Lucas, Daniel Bedinger, 1836-1909

Papers, 1812-1924, n.d., Ms95-012, 1.8 cu. ft.

Introduction:

Daniel Bedinger Lucas, lawyer and poet, was born March 16, 1836, at "Rion Hall" in Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia). He attended the University of Virginia, and then studied law under Judge John W. Brockenbrough of Lexington, Virginia. In 1859 he began practicing law at Charleston but moved the next year to Richmond. At the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 he joined the staff of General Henry A. Wise and took part in the Kanawha Valley campaign, but his physical disability from a childhood spine injury kept him from active service in the last years of the war. Toward the end of the war he ran the blockade to defend his friend John Yates Beall, accused of being a Confederate spy, but was unable to defend him against the charges. Beall was executed on Governors Island, New York.

Barred from the practice of law until 1871, Lucas turned to literature and became co-editor of the Baltimore Southern Metropolis. Many of his poems were published in this magazine. He reentered the practice of law in 1871 and took a prominent role in the Democratic party politics of West Virginia, acting as Democratic elector in the elections of 1872 and 1876, to the legislature in 1884 and 1886, and as a member of the supreme court of appeals from 1889 to 1893.

Lucas's volumes of poetry include The Wreath of Eglantine (1869) and Ballads and Madrigals (1884). He wrote three plays about the Civil War. His books include The Memoir of John Yates Beall (1865) and Nicaragua, War of the Filibusters (1896). He was known as the "poet of the Shenandoah Valley." He died at Rion Hall on June 24, 1909.

Scope and Contents:

The Daniel Bedinger Lucas papers consist of scrapbooks, correspondence, poems and essays, newspapers, and other materials collected and created by Lucas, including several items created by his daughter, Virginia Lucas, also a poet. Topics include Lucas's defense of John Yates Beall, the exploits of adventurer William Walker, the origin of General Robert E. Lee's horse Traveler; and West Virginia politics. There are examples of Lucas's poetry scattered throughout the papers. The 1860 scrapbook includes several interesting pressed flower designs.

Provenance:

The Daniel Bedinger Lucas papers were donated by Mrs. Virginia Bondurant of Roanoke, Virginia, in May 1995. Processing of the papers was completed by Laura Katz Smith in July 1995. Additions to the collection were given in September 1995 and incorporated into the collection in October 1997 by Gina Ellis, student assistant, and Laura Katz Smith, Manuscripts Curator.

Contents List:

Box 1

Folder 1: 1812--March 14, 1912, issue of the National Intelligencer of Washington City (Washington, D.C.)
Folder 2: [1814]--Manuscript copy (made in 1880) of "The Cossack Celebration at Shephardstown, Jefferson County, Virginia" (now West Virginia), July 28th, 1814.
Folder 3: 1822-1922--"A Study of the Literature of West Virginia" written by Mary Meek Atkeson, Ph.D.
Folder 4: 1828--April 15, 1828, article, "A Blister Plaster, for the Cure of Cacoethes Scribendi" by John S. Gallaher.
Folder 5: 1828--March 1, 1828, one page of The Register, of Shephardstown, West Virginia. Article written by Dr. Harry T. McDonald about the Armory and Arsenal at Harper's Ferry.
Folder 6: 1829--May 1, 1829, issue of The Hagerstown Mail of Hagerstown, Maryland.
Folder 7: 1844--Appendix to the Congressional Globe, February 1844, pp. 337-352.
Folder 8: 1844--Two letters to William Lucas in Charleston, Virginia, (now West Virginia).
Folder 9: 1850--July 23, 1850, issue of Spirit of Jefferson, newspaper of Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia).
Folder 10: 1856--March 4, 1856, article from Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia) newspaper, written by Lucas.
Folder 11: 1859--January 19, 1859, poem written to Lucas, author is an unidentified sibling of Lucas.
Folder 12: 1860(?)--Scrapbook of poetry, newspaper clippings, and pressed flowers.
Folder 13: [1860]--Manuscript copy of an article from the New York Herald, October 4, 1860, about the September 1860 court martial and execution of William Walker, whose military and political expeditions in Central America gained him the reputation as the "greatest American filibuster."
Folder 14: 1861--Letter from Daniel B. Lucas, writing from the Quarter Master General's Office in Richmond, Virginia, April 30, 1861, to his brother.
Folder 15: 1862--One page from the Daily Enquirer of Richmond, Virginia.
Folder 16: 1862, n.d.--Photographs of General Turner Ashby and Daniel Lucas.
Folder 17: 1863--December 1, 1863, issue of American and Commercial Advertising of Baltimore, Maryland.
Folder 18: 1865--Letter written on March 12, 1865, from Daniel B. Lucas in Canada, to his cousin Virginia. Mentions death of John Yates Beall.
Folder 19: 1865--August 22, 1865, Receipt from Gibb Company, Merchants Tailors, in Montreal to Lucas.
Folder 20: 1866--One page from the October 31, 1866, Winchester Times, with an article about the dedication of the Stonewall Cemetery.
Folder 21: 1867--Two issues, August 1 and August 22, 1867, of the National Intelligencer.
Folder 22: 1868-69--Letters written on May 13, 1868, and May 21, 1868, from R. N. Engle at Elston Bank to Lucas about the tract of land he received.
Folder 23: 1868--A statement of Daniel Lucas' account after the addition of Edward Lucas' estate.
Folder 24: 1869-76--Scrapbook of newspaper clippings. Topics include the death of John Yates Beall, politics, the Civil War, and speaking engagements of Daniel Lucas.
Folder 25: 1869--April 10, 1869, issue of The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science, and Art.
Folder 26: 1869--August 17, 1869, Check written by Lucas to Charles J. Faulkner for $200.00.
Folder 27: 1869--One page from the Winchester Times, in which Lucas wrote an article.
Folder 28: 1871--Issue of Virginia Free Press-The Old Family Journal.
Folder 29: 1872--January issue of the Westminister Review.
Folder 30: 1872--January 22, 1872, letter and statement of account from P. H. Kennedy to Daniel Lucas about Edward Lucas' estate.
Folder 31: 1876(?)--Essay (or speech) in praise of the Democratic Party.
Folder 32: 1876-93--Scrapbook with newspaper clippings about William Lucas, Daniel Lucas, politics, and the Civil War.
Folder 33: 1878--Robert Lucas' Survivor's Pension from the U.S. Department of Interior for serving in the Virginia Militia.
Folder 34: 1878--December 7, 1878, issue of The Morgan Mercury, from Berkley Springs, West Virginia
Folder 35: 1880--July 19, 1880, issue of the Weekly New Mexican.
Folder 36: 1882--January 25, 1882, letter from A.W. Kerchival to Daniel Lucas.
Folder 37: 1884--"Ballads and Madrigals," a book of poems written by Daniel Lucas.
Folder 38: 1888(?)--Scrapbook of newspaper clippings of poetry, songs, witticisms, essays, etc., compiled by Virginia Lucas.
Folder 39: 1888--June 12, 1888, issue of Spirit of Jefferson, a Charleston, West Virginia, newspaper.
Folder 40: 1889--Ribbon from a Memorial Day celebration and Confederate reunion in Norfolk, Virginia.
Folder 41: 1889--December 24, 1889, Letter from Okey Johnson to Lucas.
Folder 42: 1893--April 7, 1893, Letter from Marcus Wright, War of Records Office, War Department of Washington, to Lucas.
Folder 43: 1894--October 31, 1894, notebook of household accounts and poetry in manuscript by Lena Lucas from Rion Hall.
Folder 44: 1895--"Walker in Nicaragua," a typescript essay by Daniel B. Lucas.
Folder 45: 1895-99--Letters between Joseph M. Broun and J. Johnston about how General Robert E. Lee obtained his horse Traveler.
Folder 46: 1897--February 17, 1897, issue of The Winchester Times.
Folder 47: 1897--"The Last Confederate Pay-roll" by Joseph M. Broun of Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia. Manuscript essay.
Folder 48: [1897]--"The Last Confederate Pay-roll" by Joseph M. Broun. Typescript copy of essay (paper copy and file on disk).
Folder 49: 1898--July 22, 1898, Letter from Marcus J. Wright to Lucas.
Folder 50: 1900--January 6, 1900, Program of the Eleventh Annual Reunion of the Charlestown Society, song written by Lucas.
Folder 51: 1913--"Dramatic Works of Daniel Bedinger Lucas", a book of plays by Lucas.

Box 2

Folder 1: 1913--"The Land Where We Were Dreaming," a book of poems by Daniel Lucas.
Folder 2: 1921--July 31, 1921, issue of The Washington Post.
Folder 3: 1923-30--Pages from a scrapbook with topics about forestry and trees; includes miscellaneous poetry. Compiled by Virginia Lucas.
Folder 4: 1924--Life of John Brown, by Michael Gold.
Folder 5: n.d.--Newspaper account of the 1865 death of John Wilkes Booth. Newspaper unknown.
Folder 6: n.d.--Drawing of the Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina colonies (1745-56) with a line showing Washington's journey in 1751.
Folder 7: n.d.--Notebook of manuscript poems written by Daniel B. Lucas, with an index to the poems.
Folder 8: n.d.--Argument as to why Jefferson County, West Virginia, should have been considered part of the Union under the act of July 4th, 1864. Author unknown, though probably Daniel B. Lucas.
Folder 9: n.d.--Account in an unidentified newspaper about the "Last Days of the War" (Confederate view).

Box 3

Folder 1: n.d.--Miscellaneous papers.
Folder 2: n.d.--Miscellaneous correspondence.
Folder 3: n.d.--Miscellaneous poetry.
Folder 4: n.d.--Notebook of miscellaneous poetry.
Folder 5: n.d.--Miscellaneous papers about John Yates Beall.
Folder 6: n.d.--Framed photograph of Daniel Lucas.

Box 4

Folder 1: n.d.--Notebook of manuscript notes, presumably written by Lucas.
Folder 2: n.d.--Newspaper article about General Robert E. Lee's description of Traveller, his horse, newspaper unknown.
Folder 3: n.d.--"List of Relics Contributed to the World's Fair Exposition" by Daniel Lucas.
Folder 4: n.d.--A notebook of poems written in manuscript by an unidentified person.

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