Civil War Couples

John Weaver, 35th Iowa, and wife Joanna... married March the 17, 1862 in Cedar Co., Iowa.
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Accompanying this image, tucked in the case back behind, is the following handwritten note:
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my dear husband remember me when I am gone and in my grave fore I always love you better than anyone in the world. and my blessings go with you there forever only never forget me while you live on earth.

You can get married as soon as you please, but remember me these is my dying words. Always keep this whare it is now in under this likeness. Whoever sees this pleees can’t take it out. From Joanna A. Weaver to John Weaver.
 
John Weaver, 35th Iowa, and wife Joanna... married March the 17, 1862 in Cedar Co., Iowa.
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Accompanying this image, tucked in the case back behind, is the following handwritten note:
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my dear husband remember me when I am gone and in my grave fore I always love you better than anyone in the world. and my blessings go with you there forever only never forget me while you live on earth.

You can get married as soon as you please, but remember me these is my dying words. Always keep this whare it is now in under this likeness. Whoever sees this pleees can’t take it out. From Joanna A. Weaver to John Weaver.

I'm feeling very sorry. Because of the strange appearance of the husband I wanted to mock them in your other thread, but now that I have read the letter of the wife, her last words written with her very liveblood, I'm sorry that I had these thoughts. How incredibly sad. And how touching that this strange fellow was "loved better than anyone in the word" by his loving wife.
May both rest in peace.
 
I'm feeling very sorry. Because of the strange appearance of the husband I wanted to mock them in your other thread, but now that I have read the letter of the wife, her last words written with her very liveblood, I'm sorry that I had these thoughts. How incredibly sad. And how touching that this strange fellow was "loved better than anyone in the word" by his loving wife.
May both rest in peace.
No worries FF... I think his hair rocks too!! Plus there's a happy ending to this story... she did not die from whatever ailment she had when she wrote that note, and he survived the war. They went on to raise a family together and lived to a ripe old age... (she actually outlived him...):
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Unto John and Joanna Weaver the following children were born : Sarah, who became the wife of Joseph F. Parsons and is now deceased ; Susan, deceased ; Sylvanus F., deceased ; Martha E., the wife of George F. Stretch, of Newburg, Oregon ; Fannie L., now Mrs. Charles Messick, of Monument, Kansas ; Arthur J., our subject ; Minnie E. and Ervin, twins, the former now the wife of H. W. Vincent, of Letts, Iowa, and the latter who died at the age of three years ; and Isiah C., the wife of J. M. Sipe, of Chicago. (History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911)
 
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No worries FF... I think his hair rocks too!! Plus there's a happy ending to this story... she did not die from whatever ailment she had when she wrote that note, and he survived the war. They went on to raise a family together and live to a ripe old age... (she actually outlived him...):
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Unto John and Joanna Weaver the following children were born : Sarah, who became the wife of Joseph F. Parsons and is now deceased ; Susan, deceased ; Sylvanus F., deceased ; Martha E., the wife of George F. Stretch, of Newburg, Oregon ; Fannie L., now Mrs. Charles Messick, of Monument, Kansas ; Arthur J., our subject ; Minnie E. and Ervin, twins, the former now the wife of H. W. Vincent, of Letts, Iowa, and the latter who died at the age of three years ; and Isiah C., the wife of J. M. Sipe, of Chicago.
Aw, that is just great.
I had never thought that hearing from a couple that is long gone about a long life lived together could make me happy one day. And I bet they would have never, never thought that either.
Private Watkins, you have just put a smile on my face!
 
As this thread was mentioned in another Civil War couples thread, I thought I could bump it up.

And while again looking at the photos, I came to think about the poses. If there is only one chair for the couple, it is sometimes the woman, sometimes the man who is standing. Judging from chivalry, I would have thought that the gentleman would offer the chair for the lady, but apparently it works also the other way round.
Why would the lady stand? To show respect for her husband and provider? Or is it an indication for a wounding of the soldier husband? Or just random?
Could it be to equalize their heights a bit? Usually the women were shorter, so it might make sense for the wife to stand while the taller husband decreased his height a little by sitting.

Then there are the Lincolns -- of whom there is no genuine portrait of the couple together. The height difference between the two of them was SO pronounced that Mary was self-conscious and thought any portrait of the two of them together would look ridiculous.
 
It might be like McClellan, who was shorter than his wife so she stood and he sat. Or that the man was so tall that the photographer made made the man sit to get better proportion to the composition. It might also be an indication of the male's hierarchy in society, with the wife standing meekly behind him. Or her corsets were so tight she couldn't sit comfortably.:giggle:

Could it be to equalize their heights a bit? Usually the women were shorter, so it might make sense for the wife to stand while the taller husband decreased his height a little by sitting.

Then there are the Lincolns -- of whom there is no genuine portrait of the couple together. The height difference between the two of them was SO pronounced that Mary was self-conscious and thought any portrait of the two of them together would look ridiculous.

Thanks to both of you, I think you will be right, if you compare the height of the ladies to the armrest or backrest of the chairs, they really seem to be pretty short.
Or more charming: petite.
 
One of the great things about Pinterest is the amount of photographs you can delight in, downside being so many, many become parted from their identities. They can be forever in our imagination as they appear here, from anywhere we like, village, city, woodland cabin in any state from Maine to Florida to territory, with any long lived future ahead.

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Some very interesting portraits in that assortment. I seem to have missed it the first time around. I'm glad it was brought back up today.
 
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