Chamberlain Cousin Annie

[suzenatale]

After falling in love with Fanny while in college at Bowdoin, Chamberlain went on to Bangor Theological Seminary while Fanny moved to Georgia to work. They were separated for about three years.

During this time apart Chamberlain spent a lot of his free time with his cousin Annie.

(Fannie returned home to Maine on October 8th, 1855.)

Annie to JLC Oct 24, 1855.
"...Why do you ask me to forgive if you have ever 'made me sin or Sorrow for knowing you'? Why will you distress me so - by asking me so often? You know how that question comes to me! My Darling - you have made me love you - if that is sinning - then you have made me sin deeply - Oh! how deeply! But you have never taught me to call that sin- Do you think it a sin - Tell me -"Your griefs you cannot tell me! Can you tell anybody? If I cannot know your sorrows and try at least to help you - then- I can be nothing to you of course - It is what I must not know? What i must not? You ought not to be very unhappy now - with Fanny to help you - I would of course have excused you for not writing - and would not have worried so - had I know she were with you - You must not be grieved now dear..."

(JLC marries Fanny Dec 7th)

Annie to JLC Dec 8th, 1855
"Yes you did not write to me last dear Lawrence - a whole month ago! In a letter you said 'I will write again soon' .....
I cannot write much now only beg you to come and see me before you are married - Do come"

Annie to JLC Jan 5th, 1856
"As it was I looked for you day after day until you letter came last Saturday. It brought me rather a surprise as you may judge and of course I can look for you no more so I will do all that is left me to do and as you wished me I will write to wish you a 'Happy New Year' and to tell you how sorry I am not to have seen you here once...

From "Joshua L. Chamberlain a life in Letters" pages 115 - 133

 

[suzenatale]

What do you guys think? I think it would be hard to be faithful to someone you hadn't seen in three years. People can change so much. It must have been hard to jump into a marriage after all that time.

 

[donna]

Interesting. Like to know more about Annie. Did she ever marry? Is there picture of her? It is obvious she was in love with him.

Many people at that time had long distance relationships or had to wait to marry. It would seem that Chamberlain must have had feelings for both women.

 

[FarawayFriend]

Poor Annie!
I think she really loved Lawrence and he seemed to love her also - but in the end he loved Fanny more. I think it's quite impressive that Annie did not quarrel with him but accepted that she was only second in line. And as for him ... no I would not accuse him in any way. Life is not only black or white - maybe Annie striked things in him that Fanny did not. It was not an easy situation for all the three of them, I think. And without revealing too much I may say that these things do happen still and it has not in the least become easier for anyone involved!

 

[Chattahooch33]

I never knew Fannie lived in Georgia for a while. What did she do? Where did she stay?
Are there any records of her thoughts on the South?

 

[FarawayFriend]

As far as I know she lived in Milledgeville and gave piano and singing lessons at a girl's school.
But suzenatale is the expert, she will know better.

 

[Chattahooch33]

As far as I know she lived in Milledgeville and gave piano and singing lessons at a girl's school.
But suzenatale is the expert, she will know better.

Perhaps Emory University? It opened in the early 1830's, closed during the war, and reopened in Atlanta afterwards.

 

[FarawayFriend]

Here is the article about Fanny Chamberlain from Wikipedia, it doesn't name Emory University. But it's quite interesting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Chamberlain

 

[suzenatale]

Interesting. Like to know more about Annie. Did she ever marry? Is there picture of her? It is obvious she was in love with him.

Yes she did marry. I'm really glad you asked that because in looking up her last name I said to myself,
"Annie Chamberlain Smiley, why I know that name!"
She wrote this poem. http://www.joshualawrencechamberlain.com/witherell.php
I'll have to add that in the note I wrote about it.
(Edit according to "Fanny and Joshua" pg 311, she was first Mrs Annie Keene, widowed in 1870 and became Annie Smiley.)
I don't remember ever seeing a photo of her.

Many people at that time had long distance relationships or had to wait to marry. It would seem that Chamberlain must have had feelings for both women.

I imagine at first he thought his actions were innocent with Annie, until he realized he was in too deep.
In his letters to Fanny he begged her to come back, but she was insistent on earning enough money to pay back her own debts.

As far as I know she lived in Milledgeville and gave piano and singing lessons at a girl's school.
But suzenatale is the expert, she will know better.

Oh gosh, I don't know if I can say I'm a Fanny expert. I rely on Diane Smith's book "Fanny and Joshua."

Fanny had studied music with George Frederick Root, the author of Battle Cry of Freedom. Wanting to pay her father back for the cost of her training, she found a job, with the help of professor Root, at "Miss Lucia Bass' Female Academy, Milledgeville, GA.

Perhaps Emory University? It opened in the early 1830's, closed during the war, and reopened in Atlanta afterwards.

Fanny did try to get Lawrence (as the girls call him) a job as professor at Athens College, aparently he was considering it.

 

[Chattahooch33]

Yes she did marry. I'm really glad you asked that because in looking up her last name I said to myself,
"Annie Chamberlain Smiley, why I know that name!"
She wrote this poem. http://www.joshualawrencechamberlain.com/witherell.php
I'll have to add that in the note I wrote about it.
(Edit according to "Fanny and Joshua" pg 311, she was first Mrs Annie Keene, widowed in 1870 and became Annie Smiley.)
I don't remember ever seeing a photo of her.

I imagine at first he thought his actions were innocent with Annie, until he realized he was in too deep.
In his letters to Fanny he begged her to come back, but she was insistent on earning enough money to pay back her own debts.

Oh gosh, I don't know if I can say I'm a Fanny expert. I rely on Diane Smith's book "Fanny and Joshua."

Fanny had studied music with George Frederick Root, the author of Battle Cry of Freedom. Wanting to pay her father back for the cost of her training, she found a job, with the help of professor Root, at "Miss Lucia Bass' Female Academy, Milledgeville, GA.

Fanny did try to get Lawrence (as the girls call him) a job as professor at Athens College, aparently he was considering it.

The University of Georgia is in Athens. Is that the Athens College I wonder?

 

[suzenatale]

The University of Georgia is in Athens. Is that the Athens College I wonder?

Good question, I shall look....

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00D17F73955147B93C5AB1789D95F468584F9

Yup. That was a tricky one, Wikipedia was no help as usual.

 

[suzenatale]

I never knew Fannie lived in Georgia for a while. What did she do? Where did she stay?
Are there any records of her thoughts on the South?

Here is the house Fanny stayed at.
http://goo.gl/maps/9wLex
and
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/meta/html/dlg/larc/meta_dlg_larc_jlc0924.html?Welcome


I'm guessing this is the church where she played the organ, the original building is gone.
http://www.fpchurch.org/who-we-are/our-history/

She wrote to her sister Charlotte of her first encounter with slavery:
"a fine queenly, black woman with a very stylish turban disposed in a picturesque manner upon her heard, came up towards the window of the car where I sat; her whole face beaming with joy, and then suddenly turning away again. I heard her muttering to herself 'O! if I did'nt think that was my dear, old Missis come from Savannah! and I thought maybe she'd be so pleased just to see her old Martha once more!"
Fanny pointed out to Charlotte,
"Some people would have made it all tell on the score of the happiness of slaves with and their attachment to their masters"
She was astonished by the damp cold she found in Georgia, for not only had she expected more moderate temperatures that far south, but she noted that even the nicest houses were not built well for keeping out the chill....
Fanny gratefully realized the kindness of her hostess, for Abby Orme looked after her young relation with motherly care. And thoughts of home came to Fanny when she discovered a much-thumbed first edition of Uncle Tom's Cabin on the mantelpiece in the Orme home.

From Fanny and Joshua pg 34