Charles Patton Dimitry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 31, 1837 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | November 10, 1910 (aged 73) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Pen name | Tobias Guarnerius Jr. Braddock Field |
| Occupation | Poet Novelist Historian |
| Education | Saint Charles Parish |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University |
| Period | Realism |
| Genre | Southern Literature |
| Years active | 1863-1911 |
| Notable works | The House in Balfour Street |
| Spouse | Nannie Elizabeth Johnston |
| Relatives | John Bull Smith Dimitry Ernest Lagarde Marianne Celeste Dragon George Pandely Theodore John Dimitry Jr. |
| Father | Alexander Dimitry |
| Family | Dimitry Family (Creoles) |
Charles Patton Dimitry (July 31, 1837 – November 10, 1910) was an American author, poet, journalist, inventor, historian and Confederate soldier. He was mixed race Creole and the second son of author and diplomat Alexander Dimitry and also the grandson of Marianne Celeste Dragon. His catalog features a massive amount of literary publications one of his most notable works was The House in Balfour Street published in 1868. The author used two pseudonyms Tobias Guarnerius Jr. or Braddock Field his father Alexander used the pseudonym Tobias Guarnerius in some of his works. Charles worked for newspaper publications across the country including New Orleans, New York City, and Washington DC.[1][2]
Charles was born in Washington D.C. along with his brother John Bull Smith Dimitry and sister Virginia Dimitry Ruth. They were educated in New Orleans by their father Alexander. Charles and his brother John eventually attended Georgetown University. Their father was the first person of color to attend the same institution. Charles wrote fictional and non-fictional works throughout his life. Toward the end of his life, he published historical content about New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.[3]
Charles was a member of the Louisiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and became the state historian of the society. On January 16, 1888, he filed for a patent for the improvement to indelible ink which he invented.[4] Charles won many awards for his writing. In June 1863, The Magnolia Weekly awarded Charles the $500 prize for best original serial story entitled Guilty or Not Guilty. In another instance, the Committee on Prose Compositions of the Press Convention on February 26, 1884, in New Orleans awarded Charles a prize of $50 for his essay The Massacre of St. Andre.[5] He died in New Orleans at 73 years old.[6][7]
- ^ Staff Writers (July 26, 2023). "Record Group 145 Charles Patton Dimitry Papers" (PDF). New Orleans, Louisiana: State of Louisiana. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Beach et al. 1888, p. 10.
- ^ Fiske & Wilson 1888, pp. 179–180.
- ^ Breneman 1887, p. 178.
- ^ "The Press Convention" (PDF). The Opelousas Courier, Vol. XXXL, No. 22 (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La ), Page 1. Library of Congress. March 1, 1884. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Alderman, Smith & Metcalf 1901, p. 120.
- ^ Smith et al. 1917, p. 202.