Abbott Hall Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Abbott Hall Brisbane was a prominent South Carolinian
whose accomplishments included an extensive military career, engineering work, a professorship, authorship of a major Roman Catholic inspirational novel, and eventually, in retirement, a slave-holding plantation owner before the U.S. Civil War.The Brisbanes, pp.175 ff. at 179-180. South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine Vol. XIV:4, October, 1913. Charleston: South Carolina Historical Society (1912-1913 bound together). Accessed April 16, 2009.
On March 26, 1829, he married Adeline E. White, herself born in Charleston January 17, 1807, the "daughter of the distinguished painter John Blake White."Brisbane Family Genealogy. Accessed April 16, 2009. They had one son together, who died in infancy, "and his loss nearly broke his father's heart." According to a family member, as a result of the comfort and counseling they received from Bishop John England after this tragedy, both John and Adeline converted to Roman Catholicism. A researcher revisiting the issue over 170 years later attributes his conversion to his admiration of the Irish Catholics who served with him in the Seminole War. As anti-Catholicism was seriously on the rise in the 1830s and 1840s, this conversion - to which they both remained faithful to the end of their lives - was particularly remarkable.Thorp, Willard. Catholic Novelists in Defense of Their Faith, 1829-1865. New York: Arno Press, A New York Times Company (1978).
Though he had no children of his own who survived to adulthood, Brisbane's niece Mary Catharine Brisbane Hickox (1832–1913) wrote a brief reflection about his life. Her report of their married life reveals a very affectionate and balanced relationship, with Adeline "calm and self-reliant as a man" and having the good spirits to lift Brisbane from depression. "He always called her ‘Wifie’ and she called him Mr. Brisbane as did most of the wives at that time in Charleston. I don’t know what the custom was elsewhere....Fortunately for him he died some years before she did, just after the opening of the civil war in 1861. I am sure he could never have lived without her protecting love." Hickox writes that Brisbane was about to engage in the "War of Secession" — the U.S. Civil War — at the time of his death.Hickox, Mary Catharine Brisbane. Abbott Hall Brisbane 1804 - 1861
After Brisbane died, his widow traveled first to Albany to settle family financial affairs. In 1870, Adeline moved back to South Carolina into the Ursuline
Convent in Columbia
. Although some sources reported that she became a nun, her niece stated that her aunt merely lived there without taking vows: "She contemplated taking the black veil, but I am not sure that she ever did. We heard afterwards that she did not do so." However, a diocesan archivist wrote in 2002 that she had uncovered records indicating that Adeline E. White Brisbane took vows with the Ursulines after her 1870 return, becoming "Sister Borgia" until her death in 1872.
He was made a colonel of the South Carolina Volunteers on February 7, 1836. He then served in Florida in the Seminole Wars
under General Scott. In the campaign of 1835-36, he was involved in a skirmish at Tomoka
on March 10, 1836, which had a strong positive impact on his reputation. He was promoted to Brigadier General
when he returned to Charleston. He mustered out honorably on May 7, 1836.
He then spent four years as "Constructing Engineer" for the proposed Charleston & Cincinnati Railroad
. In 1841, he traveled north to New York to hire Irish workers for the Flint & Ocmulgee Line in Savannah, Georgia
, promising "good pay" of $2.25 per day.DeLorme, Rita H. Railroads Drew Irish Catholics To The South in The Southern Cross, March 28. 2002, p. 3. PDF format. The workers were paid in scrip that could only be redeemed at company stores; to speed the project, Brisbane needed cash. To get it, he approached Bishop John Hughes
of New York and Bishop Ignatius A. Reynolds
of Charleston for loans, as well as support from the City of Savannah. Although some funds were forthcoming, the lack of progress by 1843 made Hughes retreat from his commitment. This left Brisbane with nothing to pay the workers who took him and his wife hostage in their own cabin until rescued by armed horsemen.
After that episode, the Brisbanes moved to Albany, becoming the first Catholic family there. They continued to try to raise money for the Flint & Ocmulgee Line, even from European investors, until returning to Charleston in 1847.
In 1847-48, Brisbane took a position as supervising engineer for the construction of an artesian well for the City of Charleston. The same year, he became a professor at The Citadel
and taught history, belles lettres, and ethics until his retirement in 1853.
Prior to that time, while surveying land in Georgia
, Brisbane spent all the money he had to speculate on eight miles of land where he thought a railbed would be placed. The project did not take place as planned, and at one point, the Brisbanes lacked even sufficient funds to pick up a postage-due letter which had been sent to offer them a loan. Brisbane never lost faith in the land purchase, and continued to pay taxes on it until he died.
He retired to his plantation, Accabee, located outside of Charleston. The 1860 Slave Schedules of the U.S. Census list him as owner of 59 black slaves, from infants to age 85, in Ward 2 of Charleston city, and another 30 black slaves in St. Andrew's Parish in Charleston County, ranging from infants to age 90.A.H. Brisbane, Ancestry.com online subscription database, 1860 Slave Schedules. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1438 rolls.
He died in the community of Summerville on September 28, 1861.
[inspirational] novel from the deep South" in the first half of the 1800s. Ralphton; The Young Carolinian of 1776, A Romance on the Philosophy of Politics, was published in Charleston by Burgess and James in 1848. The book uses the character of Father Duane, a Jesuit, to expound Brisbane's own economic philosophies which the expert describes as:
Brisbane's niece had a strong opinion of her own:
This apparently began with the very first word in the title, which she spelled incorrectly in her memoir. In his preface to the novel, Brisbane states he has modeled the character of Father Duane on Father John Carroll
, the Jesuit who became the first (and, at the time, the only) bishop of the United States in 1789.
Despite his array of other professions, it is primarily for this novel that Brisbane is remembered.
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
whose accomplishments included an extensive military career, engineering work, a professorship, authorship of a major Roman Catholic inspirational novel, and eventually, in retirement, a slave-holding plantation owner before the U.S. Civil War.The Brisbanes, pp.175 ff. at 179-180. South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine Vol. XIV:4, October, 1913. Charleston: South Carolina Historical Society (1912-1913 bound together). Accessed April 16, 2009.
Family
Abbott Hall Brisbane was born the son of John S. Brisbane on December 4, 1804. Although he is famed for his devotion to Roman Catholicism, "Abbott" was a traditional name in his family and not an ecclesiastical title.On March 26, 1829, he married Adeline E. White, herself born in Charleston January 17, 1807, the "daughter of the distinguished painter John Blake White."Brisbane Family Genealogy. Accessed April 16, 2009. They had one son together, who died in infancy, "and his loss nearly broke his father's heart." According to a family member, as a result of the comfort and counseling they received from Bishop John England after this tragedy, both John and Adeline converted to Roman Catholicism. A researcher revisiting the issue over 170 years later attributes his conversion to his admiration of the Irish Catholics who served with him in the Seminole War. As anti-Catholicism was seriously on the rise in the 1830s and 1840s, this conversion - to which they both remained faithful to the end of their lives - was particularly remarkable.Thorp, Willard. Catholic Novelists in Defense of Their Faith, 1829-1865. New York: Arno Press, A New York Times Company (1978).
Though he had no children of his own who survived to adulthood, Brisbane's niece Mary Catharine Brisbane Hickox (1832–1913) wrote a brief reflection about his life. Her report of their married life reveals a very affectionate and balanced relationship, with Adeline "calm and self-reliant as a man" and having the good spirits to lift Brisbane from depression. "He always called her ‘Wifie’ and she called him Mr. Brisbane as did most of the wives at that time in Charleston. I don’t know what the custom was elsewhere....Fortunately for him he died some years before she did, just after the opening of the civil war in 1861. I am sure he could never have lived without her protecting love." Hickox writes that Brisbane was about to engage in the "War of Secession" — the U.S. Civil War — at the time of his death.Hickox, Mary Catharine Brisbane. Abbott Hall Brisbane 1804 - 1861
After Brisbane died, his widow traveled first to Albany to settle family financial affairs. In 1870, Adeline moved back to South Carolina into the Ursuline
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
Convent in Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
. Although some sources reported that she became a nun, her niece stated that her aunt merely lived there without taking vows: "She contemplated taking the black veil, but I am not sure that she ever did. We heard afterwards that she did not do so." However, a diocesan archivist wrote in 2002 that she had uncovered records indicating that Adeline E. White Brisbane took vows with the Ursulines after her 1870 return, becoming "Sister Borgia" until her death in 1872.
Career
In 1821, Abbott Hall Brisbane applied to and was accepted by the from the U.S. Military Academy, now commonly known as West Point. In 1825, at the age of 21, he graduated. In the Third Regiment of Artillery of the South Carolina Volunteers, he was promoted: "Brevet Second Lieut. Abbott H. Brisbane, to be Second Lieut., 1st July, 1825. He resigned from that service on January 1, 1828U.S. Army Historical Register and Dictionary, 1789-1903, Vol. 1, p. 246He was made a colonel of the South Carolina Volunteers on February 7, 1836. He then served in Florida in the Seminole Wars
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
under General Scott. In the campaign of 1835-36, he was involved in a skirmish at Tomoka
Tomoka River
The Tomoka River is a north-flowing river in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It drains an area of about and is the longest river in Volusia County , with a length of .- Geography :...
on March 10, 1836, which had a strong positive impact on his reputation. He was promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
when he returned to Charleston. He mustered out honorably on May 7, 1836.
He then spent four years as "Constructing Engineer" for the proposed Charleston & Cincinnati Railroad
South Carolina Rail Road
The South Carolina Railroad was the direct successor of the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, which had operated its 136-mile line from Charleston, South Carolina, to Hamburg, South Carolina, since 1833...
. In 1841, he traveled north to New York to hire Irish workers for the Flint & Ocmulgee Line in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, promising "good pay" of $2.25 per day.DeLorme, Rita H. Railroads Drew Irish Catholics To The South in The Southern Cross, March 28. 2002, p. 3. PDF format. The workers were paid in scrip that could only be redeemed at company stores; to speed the project, Brisbane needed cash. To get it, he approached Bishop John Hughes
John Hughes (archbishop)
John Joseph Hughes , was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, serving between 1842 and his death in 1864....
of New York and Bishop Ignatius A. Reynolds
Ignatius A. Reynolds
Ignatius Aloysius Reynolds was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston from 1844 until his death in 1855....
of Charleston for loans, as well as support from the City of Savannah. Although some funds were forthcoming, the lack of progress by 1843 made Hughes retreat from his commitment. This left Brisbane with nothing to pay the workers who took him and his wife hostage in their own cabin until rescued by armed horsemen.
After that episode, the Brisbanes moved to Albany, becoming the first Catholic family there. They continued to try to raise money for the Flint & Ocmulgee Line, even from European investors, until returning to Charleston in 1847.
In 1847-48, Brisbane took a position as supervising engineer for the construction of an artesian well for the City of Charleston. The same year, he became a professor at The Citadel
The Citadel (military college)
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also known simply as The Citadel, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States...
and taught history, belles lettres, and ethics until his retirement in 1853.
Prior to that time, while surveying land in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Brisbane spent all the money he had to speculate on eight miles of land where he thought a railbed would be placed. The project did not take place as planned, and at one point, the Brisbanes lacked even sufficient funds to pick up a postage-due letter which had been sent to offer them a loan. Brisbane never lost faith in the land purchase, and continued to pay taxes on it until he died.
He retired to his plantation, Accabee, located outside of Charleston. The 1860 Slave Schedules of the U.S. Census list him as owner of 59 black slaves, from infants to age 85, in Ward 2 of Charleston city, and another 30 black slaves in St. Andrew's Parish in Charleston County, ranging from infants to age 90.A.H. Brisbane, Ancestry.com online subscription database, 1860 Slave Schedules. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1438 rolls.
He died in the community of Summerville on September 28, 1861.
Novel
As noted above, Brisbane and his wife converted to Catholicism after the death of their infant son, and in widowhood, Adeline moved into a convent and possibly took vows there. Brisbane himself was extremely devout, and authored what on expert described as "the only CatholicBrisbane's niece had a strong opinion of her own:
This apparently began with the very first word in the title, which she spelled incorrectly in her memoir. In his preface to the novel, Brisbane states he has modeled the character of Father Duane on Father John Carroll
John Carroll
-People:*John Carroll , American actor*John Carroll , Australian neoconservative writer*Sir John Carroll , British scientist*John Carroll -People:*John Carroll (actor) (1906–1979), American actor*John Carroll (author) (born 1944), Australian neoconservative writer*Sir John Carroll (astronomer)...
, the Jesuit who became the first (and, at the time, the only) bishop of the United States in 1789.
Despite his array of other professions, it is primarily for this novel that Brisbane is remembered.
Further reading
- Brisbane, Abbott Hall. Ralphton; The Young Carolinian of 1776 full text
- Scoggin, James. West Pointers and The Citadel's First Decade, unpublished typescript, 13 pp. Charleston: The Citadel Archives (1998).
- Drake, Francis S. Drake's Dictionary of American Biography. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co., (1872).
- Johnson, Rossiter, ed. The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. 10 volumes. Boston: The Biographical Society, (1904).
- Knight, Lucian Lamar, ed. Biographical Dictionary of Southern Authors. Atlanta: Martin & Hoyt Co., (1929). Originally published as Library of Southern Literature in Volume 15, Biographical Dictionary of Authors.