Durant, Thomas J. (Thomas Jefferson), 1817-1882

Resident of New Orleans and Washington, D.C.; attorney and Louisiana state senator.

From the description of Thomas Jefferson Durant papers, 1862-1881 (bulk 1870-1879). (New York University). WorldCat record id: 58781793

Lawyer, politician; New Orleans, Louisiana and Washington, D.C.

From the description of Letterpress copies, 1844-1865 (bulk 1844-1847, 1860-1865). (New York University, Group Batchload). WorldCat record id: 58663758

Thomas Jefferson Durant was a lawyer and Louisiana state senator, and one of the few prominent Southerners who supported the Union during the Civil War. After the war he practiced in Washington D.C.

From the description of Letters to Thomas J. Durant, 1869-1879. (New-York Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 708221468

Thomas Jefferson Durant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 8, 1817, the son of John Waldo Durant and Sarah Heyliger. Around 1831, Durant moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was a lawyer, a prominent supporter of the Democratic Party, a district attorney, and a state senator. He briefly served in the Confederate Army until the Union capture of New Orleans, though he supported the Union cause; he initially worked with Benjamin Butler and Nathaniel Banks to establish a loyal Louisiana government, serving as attorney general. He resigned around early 1864, expressing his opposition to the military government. In 1866, Durant moved to Washington, D.C., where he continued his legal career, often arguing in front of the United States Supreme Court. In 1867, he declined an offer of the governorship of Louisiana. Thomas J. Durant died on February 3, 1882.

Charles West Hornor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1813, the son of Joseph Potts Hornor and Jane West. He later lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he founded a legal firm with Thomas J. Durant. From 1848-1850, Hornor remained in Louisiana while Durant lived in Washington, D.C. After the Civil War, Hornor returned to Philadelphia and then moved to Washington, D.C., where he and Durant reestablished their partnership. Charles W. Hornor died in Philadelphia on July 8, 1905.

From the guide to the Durant-Hornor correspondence, 1848-1850, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)