JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
Young woman, photo taken by Brady at Aiken's House, Varina's Lading on the James River, Virginia. She has remained unnamed, her reason to be there unknown. The house was HQ for Butler and other officers, surely must have held wounded at some point and for us, a recognizable landmark. We do not know why she went to war-but she did.
Once did a thread, " Women In Weird Places ". Intent was to show how our women of the war permeated its fabric, so pervasive was their presence. For all the talk of staying home, awaiting word from some distant battlefield many just, plain did not. We continually catch sight of them however fleetingly. Nameless, mostly, sometimes obviously an officer's wife still, they were there.
It's important as part of our History to include them- when we think of the ACW, we must develop memories long enough and comprehensive enough to contain our wives and mothers and sisters. Aiken's House, Varina's Landing, James River an important name in the war.
“ The present brick house was built in 1857 by Albert M. Aiken and was the headquarters of General B,F. Butler while he was digging the Dutch Gap Canal. Called Aiken's Landing, Varina was a place for the exchange of prisoners; the brick bam (?) was used as a detention station. “
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/vaguide/tour24.html
A collection of staff and people in residence
Two different photos showing women and children on the porch. One article states after 1864, when ships used Aiken's, women and children could no longer live at the house but I'm not sure this wasn't taken when the famous double turret monitor photo was.
“ In the year 1864 the scene was no longer so peaceful at Aiken's Landing, once used as a place of exchange. Union vessels occasionally steamed as far up the river as this point. The queer-looking craft in the center of the river is the double-turreted monitor Onondaga "
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2001.05.0112%3Achapter%3D1.4
“ These convalescent colored troops are resting at Aiken's Landing after a march. On the right is A. M. Aiken's house, on the brow of the hill overlooking the river. The scene was much the same when this was a point of exchange in 1862, but there were no colored troops in the Union armies until the following year. These men are evidently exhausted; they sit or lie upon the ground without taking the trouble to remove their knapsacks. This appears to be only a temporary halt; the wayfarers will shortly march out on the pier to a boat waiting to take them down the James. “
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2001.05.0112%3Achapter%3D1.4
" Varina's Landing ", and it was called this well before the war, and Aiken's were the same place, a little confusing- this pontoon bride photo showing a removable section for James River traffic ( albeit seems close to shore and small- must have been a larger section further out for ships ) was in front of the house, pretty much.
Another woman, on the porch is in this photograph- she's wearing a light dress so easily missed.
And a hat! It does make you wonder who they were, what their function was- and why they went to the war instead of staying home.
Like I said, it's important we know these women, whether or not we ever know their names or why they were there. If anyone has any, other images of women at Aiken's House during the war, happy to see them.