George William Brent facts for kids

George William Brent (1821–1872) was an important person in Virginia. He was a lawyer and a politician. He also served as an officer for the Confederate side during the American Civil War. He represented Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties in the Virginia Senate. He also represented Alexandria, Virginia at the Virginia Secession Convention in 1861.

Early Life and Family

George William Brent was born in Alexandria, Virginia in August 1821. His father, George F. Brent, worked as a tax collector for the Port of Alexandria. His mother was Elizabeth Parsons Brent.

George studied law at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. He finished his studies and graduated in 1842.

He married Cornelia D. Wood in 1844. Sadly, she passed away in 1848. Later, in 1851, Brent married Lucy Goode. They had eight children together. Lucy and their eight children survived him when he passed away.

His Work as a Politician

In 1851, people in Fauquier County, Virginia and Rappahannock County, Virginia chose Brent to be their representative in the Virginia Senate. He served for one year. He also helped lead the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia in 1852 and 1853.

By 1860, Brent had moved back to his hometown of Alexandria, Virginia. In 1861, the people of Alexandria elected him to represent them at the Virginia Secession Convention. This was a meeting where Virginia decided whether to leave the United States. Brent was against Virginia leaving, but he promised to support his state's decision.

His Role in the Civil War

After Virginia decided to leave the Union, George William Brent joined the Confederate Army. On May 2, 1861, he became a major in the 17th Virginia Infantry. He fought in the Battle of Shiloh with the Army of Tennessee.

Most of his time in the army was spent as a staff officer. This meant he helped generals plan and manage their troops. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and then to full colonel. Brent worked for important Confederate Generals like Braxton Bragg, P. G. T. Beauregard, and Joseph E. Johnston.

By 1864, he was helping General Beauregard by working to fix Georgia's railroads. He also checked on the hospitals in Richmond. Brent surrendered with General Johnston's troops in Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 26, 1865. This was near the end of the Civil War.

Later Life and Passing

In 1870, George William Brent was hurt when a floor collapsed in a building in Richmond, Virginia. He recovered from these injuries. However, about a year later, he became sick with typhus and pneumonia. He passed away at his home in Alexandria in January 1872, at the age of 51. He was buried at Old St. Mary's Church in Alexandria.