Lucas, Daniel Bedinger, Papers Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers, 1812-1924, n.d. Ms.1995.012

Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers, 1812-1924, n.d. Ms.1995.012


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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech

Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu

Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Identification
Ms.1995.012
Title
Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers 1812-1924, n.d.
Quantity
1.8 Cubic Feet, 4 boxes
Creator
Lucas, Daniel Bedinger, 1836-1909
Creator
Lucas, Virginia (Virginia Bedinger), 1838-1865
Language
The materials in the collection are in English.
Abstract
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 sister, Virginia Lucas, also a poet.

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Alternate Form Available

One of the scrapbooks in this collection has been digitized and is available online .

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers, Ms1995-012, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers were donated to Special Collections in May 1995. Additional materials were donated in September 1995. An addtional letter was purchased in 2014.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers, commenced and was completed in July 1995. Additional materials were processed in October 1997. The 2014 addition was processed in 2017.


Biographical Note

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.

In 1869, Lucas married Lena Tucker Brooke, of Richmond. Their only child, Virginia, was born in 1873. Barred from the practice of law until 1871, due to restrictions on the service of ex-Confederates, 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), with poems of his sister, Virginia, 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 sister, 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.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically. Undated materials are at located in boxes 3 and 4.

Related Material

Virgina Lucas Letter, 1861 (Ms2018-021). Finding aid for this collection is available online.

Subjects and Indexing Terms


Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

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Container List

box-folder 1 folder: 1
Issue of the National Intelligencer of Washington City (Washington, D.C.),
March 4, 1812.
box-folder 1 folder: 2
Manuscript copy (made in 1880) of "The Cossack Celebration at Shephardstown, Jefferson County, Virginia" (now West Virginia),
July 28, 1814.
box-folder 1 folder: 3
"A Study of the Literature of West Virginia" written by Mary Meek Atkeson, Ph.D.
1822-1922.
box-folder 1 folder: 4
Article, "A Blister Plaster, for the Cure of Cacoethes Scribendi" by John S. Gallaher,
April 1, 1828.
box-folder 1 folder: 5
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,
March 1, 1828.
box-folder 1 folder: 6
Issue of The Hagerstown Mail of Hagerstown, Maryland.
May 1, 1829.
box-folder 1 folder: 7
Appendix to the Congressional Globe , February 1844, pp. 337-352,
1844.
box-folder 1 folder: 8
Two letters to William Lucas in Charleston, Virginia, (now West Virginia),
1844.
box-folder 1 folder: 9
Issue of Spirit of Jefferson , newspaper of Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia),
July 23, 1850.
box-folder 1 folder: 10
Article from Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia) newspaper, written by Lucas,k
March 4, 1856.
box-folder 1 folder: 11
Poem written to Lucas, author is an unidentified sibling of Lucas (probably his sister Virginia),
January 10, 1859.
box-folder 1 folder: 12
Scrapbook of poetry, newspaper clippings, and pressed flowers (likely by his sister, Virginia)
1860?
box-folder 1 folder: 13
Manuscript copy of an article from the New York Herald 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,"
October 4, 1860.
box-folder 1 folder: 14
Letter from Daniel B. Lucas, writing from the Quarter Master General's Office in Richmond, Virginia, to his brother,
April 30, 1861.
box-folder 1 folder: 15
One page from the Daily Enquirer of Richmond, Virginia,
1862.
box-folder 1 folder: 16
Photographs of General Turner Ashby and Daniel Lucas,
1862, n.d.
box-folder 1 folder: 17
Issue of American and Commercial Advertising of Baltimore, Maryland,
December 1, 1863.
box-folder 1 folder: 52
Letter to "John" (John Yates Beall)
1864
Scope and Contents

Letter to John [Yates Beall], dated July 30, 1864 from Richmond. Lucas talks about recent personal and military events. Lucas defended Beall when was tried as a Confederate guerrilla and spy, but Beall was executed on February 4, 1865.

box-folder 1 folder: 18
Letter from Daniel B. Lucas in Canada, to his cousin Virginia. Mentions death of John Yates Beall,
March 12, 1865.
box-folder 1 folder: 19
Receipt from Gibb Company, Merchants Tailors, in Montreal to Lucas,
August 22, 1865.
box-folder 1 folder: 20
One page from the Winchester Times , with an article about the dedication of the Stonewall Cemetery,
October 31, 1866.
box-folder 1 folder: 21
Two issues of the National Intelligencer ,
August 1 and August 22, 1867.
box-folder 1 folder: 22
Letters from R. N. Engle at Elston Bank to Lucas about the tract of land he received,
May 13 and May 21, 1869.
box-folder 1 folder: 23
A statement of Daniel Lucas' account after the addition of Edward Lucas' estate,
1868.
box-folder 1 folder: 24
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings. Topics include the death of John Yates Beall, politics, the Civil War, and speaking engagements of Daniel Lucas,
1869-1876.
box-folder 1 folder: 25
Issue of The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science, and Art ,
April 10, 1869.
box-folder 1 folder: 26
Check written by Lucas to Charles J. Faulkner for $200.00,
August 17, 1869.
box-folder 1 folder: 27
One page from the Winchester Times , in which Lucas wrote an article,
1869.
box-folder 1 folder: 28
Issue of Virginia Free Press-The Old Family Journal ,
1871.
box-folder 1 folder: 29
January issue of the Westminister Review ,
1872
box-folder 1 folder: 30
Letter and statement of account from P. H. Kennedy to Daniel Lucas about Edward Lucas' estate,
January 22, 1872.
box-folder 1 folder: 31
Essay (or speech) in praise of the Democratic Party,
1876(?).
box-folder 1 folder: 32
Scrapbook with newspaper clippings about William Lucas, Daniel Lucas, politics, and the Civil War,
1876-1893.
box-folder 1 folder: 33
Robert Lucas' Survivor's Pension from the U.S. Department of Interior for serving in the Virginia Militia,
1878.
box-folder 1 folder: 34
Issue of The Morgan Mercury , from Berkley Springs, West Virginia,
December 7, 1878.
box-folder 1 folder: 35
Issue of the Weekly New Mexican ,
July 19, 1880.
box-folder 1 folder: 36
Letter from A.W. Kerchival to Daniel Lucas,
January 25, 1882.
box-folder 1 folder: 37
"Ballads and Madrigals," a book of poems written by Daniel Lucas,
1884.
box-folder 1 folder: 38
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings of poetry, songs, witticisms, essays, etc., compiled by Virginia Lucas,
1888(?).
box-folder 1 folder: 39
Issue of Spirit of Jefferson , a Charleston, West Virginia, newspaper,
June 12, 1888.
box-folder 1 folder: 40
Ribbon from a Memorial Day celebration and Confederate reunion in Norfolk, Virginia,
1889.
box-folder 1 folder: 41
Letter from Okey Johnson to Lucas,
December 24, 1889.
box-folder 1 folder: 42
Letter from Marcus Wright, War of Records Office, War Department of Washington, to Lucas,
April 7, 1893.
box-folder 1 folder: 43
Notebook of household accounts and poetry in manuscript by Lena Lucas from Rion Hall,
October 31, 1894.
box-folder 1 folder: 44
"Walker in Nicaragua," a typescript essay by Daniel B. Lucas,
1895.
box-folder 1 folder: 45
Letters between Joseph M. Broun and J. Johnston about how General Robert E. Lee obtained his horse Traveler,
1895-1899.
box-folder 1 folder: 46
Issue of The Winchester Times ,
February 17, 1897.
box-folder 1 folder: 47
"The Last Confederate Pay-roll" by Joseph M. Broun of Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia. Manuscript essay,
1897.
box-folder 1 folder: 48
"The Last Confederate Pay-roll" by Joseph M. Broun. Typescript copy of essay,
[1897].
box-folder 1 folder: 49
Letter from Marcus J. Wright to Lucas,
July 22, 1898.
box-folder 1 folder: 50
Program of the Eleventh Annual Reunion of the Charlestown Society, song written by Lucas,
January 6, 1900.
box-folder 1 folder: 51
"Dramatic Works of Daniel Bedinger Lucas," a book of plays by Lucas,
1913.
box-folder 2 folder: 1
"The Land Where We Were Dreaming," a book of poems by Daniel Lucas,
1913.
box-folder 2 folder: 2
Issue of The Washington Post ,
July 13, 1921.
box-folder 2 folder: 3
Pages from a scrapbook with topics about forestry and trees; includes miscellaneous poetry. Compiled by Virginia Lucas,
1923-1930.
box-folder 2 folder: 4
Life of John Brown , by Michael Gold,
1924
box-folder 2 folder: 5
Newspaper account of the 1865 death of John Wilkes Booth.
box-folder 2 folder: 6
Drawing of the Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina colonies (1745-56) with a line showing Washington's journey in 1751.
box-folder 2 folder: 7
Notebook of manuscript poems written by Daniel B. Lucas, with an index to the poems.
box-folder 2 folder: 8
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.
box-folder 2 folder: 9
Account in an unidentified newspaper about the "Last Days of the War" (Confederate view).
box-folder 3 folder: 1
Miscellaneous papers.
box-folder 3 folder: 2
Miscellaneous correspondence.
box-folder 3 folder: 3
Miscellaneous poetry.
box-folder 3 folder: 4
Notebook of miscellaneous poetry.
box-folder 3 folder: 5
Miscellaneous papers about John Yates Beall.
box-folder 3 folder: 6
Framed photograph of Daniel Lucas.
box-folder 4 folder: 1
Notebook of manuscript notes, presumably written by Lucas.
box-folder 4 folder: 2
Newspaper article about General Robert E. Lee's description of Traveller, his horse, newspaper unknown.
box-folder 4 folder: 3
"List of Relics Contributed to the World's Fair Exposition" by Daniel Lucas.
box-folder 4 folder: 4
A notebook of poems written in manuscript by an unidentified person.