Golden Thread Generals At A Younger Age

Pension brides were a feature of, especially, the years of the Great Depression, but also common before that in areas like the South with its depressed agricultural economy. It was considered a plum if a younger woman or girl could snag a veteran with his guaranteed pension income, however small. ( And remember that even if the Federal government didn't award pensions to ex-Confederates, the states of the former Confederacy DID. )
So, was this considered a good thing or a bad thing or did it depend on which end of the stick you were holding. Your post makes it sound as if it was considered to be a proper thing to do, while Diane's makes it sound rather scheming and cold-blooded.
 
So, was this considered a good thing or a bad thing or did it depend on which end of the stick you were holding. Your post makes it sound as if it was considered to be a proper thing to do, while Diane's makes it sound rather scheming and cold-blooded.

Likely what you said.

Edit: As long as the veteran in question was happy, likely nobody much cared!
 
So, was this considered a good thing or a bad thing or did it depend on which end of the stick you were holding. Your post makes it sound as if it was considered to be a proper thing to do, while Diane's makes it sound rather scheming and cold-blooded.

Lol! Not necessarily - although some were like that. My grandfather was in his late 70s and married my grandma in her mid-30s. He was a well off rancher who needed someone to leave it all to and she had left a mean husband and her ten children by him - that guy wanted a brood mare to produce work hands, they were all a year apart. May not have been a love story for the ages but it was practical - he needed a kid and she needed protection. From what I can gather, they took good care of each other. Only thing was, granddad sure didn't expect her to die before he did! :eek:
 
Pension brides were a feature of, especially, the years of the Great Depression, but also common before that in areas like the South with its depressed agricultural economy. It was considered a plum if a younger woman or girl could snag a veteran with his guaranteed pension income, however small. ( And remember that even if the Federal government didn't award pensions to ex-Confederates, the states of the former Confederacy DID. )

My dad's paternal grandfather didn't have a pension, but he did have some oil royalties and property from his second wife. You guessed it....hired a woman to cook and take care of the kids, and ended up marrying her....and none of his kids got a penny. The funny part is--he was born in 1858 or 57 and she had the gall to apply for a pension for him (old liar is what he was--I've seen the census records). I hope she was sorely disappointed when it was denied!
 
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Second Lieutenant Philip Sheridan, c. 1853.

Source.

Photo used to make this engraving:

BrevetLtPhilipSheridan.jpg


Source.
 
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Joseph Wheeler, class of 1859
I posted this previously in another thread, but this seems the more appropriate place for it. :thumbsup:
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from Alabama Department of Archives and History
Joseph Wheeler (c 1855) as a school boy at Cheshire Academy, Connecticut, ca. 1855. While his immediate family lived in Georgia, Wheeler lived with relatives in New York and Connecticut while he received his education.
 
My dad's paternal grandfather didn't have a pension, but he did have some oil royalties and property from his second wife. You guessed it....hired a woman to cook and take care of the kids, and ended up marrying her....and none of his kids got a penny. The funny part is--he was born in 1858 or 57 and she had the gall to apply for a pension for him (old liar is what he was--I've seen the census records). I hope she was sorely disappointed when it was denied!

Had the same thing, almost exactly with the exception she had a son who somehow married the deaf and dumb daughter of the house, too. The most hysterical, fall-down funny aspect of this long-ago melodrama? Her descendents became extremely hostile with me over my grgrgrandfather's grave, on Find-A-Grave, and defensive on the old story, which they seemed well versed on! I was laughing too hard to take it seriously which did not help, thought it would defuse things- OHHHHH no. Was so absurd I was supposed to take up this old feud. Tempting, gosh! If I'm ever bored, will just go back there, refer to this poor, deceased woman as a goldigger, wait for the kaboom.
 
Wow! I would not have recognized him, but now that you are telling it.... yes, it could be him ... but the photo is stretched, I think. I have tried to compress it a bit, and now I think it might really be him. Great find!

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpGZUkMOvJYJk1r7CtPIVvDtlU7nWH20olGXfBp0M43ZELCnY0.jpg
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Edit: strange, when I try to round it, I can do that, but as soon as I hit the post reply button, it seems to be stretched again! Will have another try ...
No, it does not work. but if you do it for yourselves, you will see that it is probably him.
 
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Hahaaa, how embarassing for me!!!
I just tried to prove that it is him. Thanks again! But Longstreet was very affectionate towards Goree, maybe he recognized himself in him (weak attempt to justify my false judgement ... :D)
A Goree/Longstreet connection from wikipedia:!Thomas Jewett "TJ" Goree (November 14, 1835 – March 5, 1905) was a Confederate Captain in the First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. By the end of the War he was promoted to the rank of Captain. He was one of Lt. General James Longstreet's most trusted aides. (Emphasis added.)
 
Hahaaa, how embarassing for me!!!
I just tried to prove that it is him. Thanks again! But Longstreet was very affectionate towards Goree, maybe he recognized himself in him (weak attempt to justify my false judgement ... :D)
No embarrassment necessary!! I was legitimately wondering if it could possibly be Longstreet as well... = )
Does make me wonder what he would have looked like without his beard. I think I recall that Moxley Sorrel said he had fine features with the exception of his mouth, but that was covered by the beard, etc.
 
Well maybe not... I think it's T.J. Goree, one of Longstreet's aides... as I found the same photo labeled with Goree's name. View attachment 71601
So instead of a young Longstreet, it's an old Goree... makes sense cause it really didn't look much like Old Pete.
Here's a great article on Goree: http://tjgoree.blogspot.com/

A while ago I posted part of one of his letters home describing Col. Micah Jenkins at the Battle of Glendale.
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/col-micah-jenkins-at-the-battle-of-glendale.113579/

His letters have been published in book form: Longstreet's Aide: The Civil War Letters of Major Thomas J. Goree
 
The current issue of Civil War Times features diary entries for Spring and Summer 1865 during Longstreet's & Goree's trip by ambulance and horseback from Virginia to Mississippi on their way to Texas. They had a small retinue that included a couple of Longstreet's former slave body servants.
 
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