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Kane, Thomas L. (Thomas Leiper), 1822-1883

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1822 - 1883

biographical statement

Thomas L. Kane (1822-1883) was lawyer, abolitionist, Civil War soldier, frontiersman, and advocate for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Thomas Leiper Kane was born January 27, 1822 in Philadelphia to Judge John Kintzing Kane and Jane Duval Leiper. He attained the bar in 1846, after studying law with his father. He served as clerk in his father's court until 1850, at which point he resigned due to a moral conflict with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. He went on to become an active member of the Underground Railroad. Kane became interested in the migration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the West, and was crucial in securing government aid for the movement. His friendship with Brigham Young is credited with the non-violent resolution of the Utah War. At the advent of the Civil War Kane organized a volunteer Union Army regiment known as the "Bucktails" and served as lieutenant-colonel of that outfit. He later was brevetted the rank of major-general for his service at Gettysburg. After his military service he retired to found the town of Kane, Pennsylvania. In 1853 Kane married Elizabeth Dennistoun Wood, and together they had four children: Harriet Amelia Kane (1854-1896); Elisha Kent Kane (1856-1935); Evan O'Neill Kane (1861-1932); and Thomas Leiper Kane, Jr. (1863-1929). Kane died of pneumonia in Philadelphia on December 26, 1883.

Citation:
Dict. of American Biog. Vol. X, 1928: p. 258 (educated by his father, founded Civil War regiment called "The Bucktails, brevetted rank of Major General for service at Gettysburg, participated in Underground Railroad, peacefully negotiated the end of the Utah War, married Elizabeth Dennistoun Wood in 1853, died of pneumonia in 1883)

Story of John Kane of Dutchess County, New York, 1921: p. 4-5 (children named Harriet Amelia Kane; Elisha Kent Kane; Evan O'Neill Kane; and Thomas Leiper Kane, Jr., founded Kane, Pennsylvania)

Ancestry.org, Jan. 29, 2013: (four children: Harriet Amelia Kane (1854-1896); Elisha Kent Kane (1856-1935); Evan O'Neill Kane (1861-1932); and Thomas Leiper Kane, Jr. (1863-1929))

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Kane family drawing, map, and other material, 1862

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3190 Series 9
Scope and Contents Contains a large printed drawing, map, and photocopies related to the Kane family. The pictures depicts of Thomas L. Kane leading his Civil War regiment "The Bucktails" in an attack on Confederate troops led by Stonewall Jackson. The map has no title, but features several landmarks including Stafford Church, Kane's Landing, and Old Aquia Village. The photocopies are facsimilies of the handwritten manuscript of Elizabeth Wood Kane's two volume work History of the Settlement of Kane,...
Dates: Other: 1862
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 3190, Kane family collection

Thomas L. Kane papers, 1840-1908

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3190 Series 2
Scope and Contents Contains materials related to the life and activites of Kane. These include two bound volumes, a pocketbook, and a variety of papers, botanical pressings, and letters. The bound volumes contain anecdotes and histories in English and French about Thomas's family. The papers mostly concern the relationship between Thomas and the Mormon Church, including a letter from Brigham Young, a patriarchal blessing given to him by John Smith, and a cipher to be used while referring to Mormon leaders over...
Dates: Other: 1840-1908
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 3190, Kane family collection

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