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Stephen Dodson Ramseur (1834-1864) had just heard the most wonderful news. He is going to be a first time father. Stephen, a graduate of West Point and serving as a Confederate officer in the Civil War had married Ellen "Nellie" Richmond (1840-1900) during a furlough after the battle at Gettysburg. The newlyweds were able to spend winter quarters together before the fighting began in 1864.
In June of 1864 he also attained the rank of "Major General" in the Confederate Army. When word arrived from his wife of her pregnancy he reportedly wrote her describing his service to the Confederacy as being "the greatest trial of my life to be separated from you now!" {*} however that is the way of war. His daughter Mary was born on October 16, 1864. Sadly her father was killed in action four days later on October 20th.
The American Civil War brought many changes in the country and one sad phenomena was a new term known as "the pregnant widow". Georgia resident William G Delony (1826-1863) was content before the war as an educator at Franklin College as well as employed as a prominent attorney in Athens. When the war began, he enlisted and left behind his wife Rosa E. Huguenin (1832-1897) as well as three young children all under the age of five.
He was thrilled to learn he was to be a father again in late 1863. He was known as a fierce fighter as he recruited and led his men that would soon be known as the Georgia Cavalry. The men fought along with Robert E Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. When his wife was almost eight months pregnant in September of 1863, fate met Delony as he faced off with Union Generals John Buford and Hugh Kilpatrick at a cavalry engagement at Jack's Shop, Virginia. He was wounded, captured on the 22nd and taken to Washington. Unfortunately his wound became gangrenous and he died on the 2nd of October. Little Martha would meet her father for the first time three years later when she died. Father and daughter rest together in Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens
She was a tall, graceful and beautiful woman as well as a superb horsewoman, She was also in love with Strong Vincent (1835-1863), a Harvard graduate and now an attorney working in Erie. The couple were engaged but it took the war to provide the spark for this couple to marry. In April of 1861 she became Mrs. Elizabeth (Carter) Vincent (1838-1914). The next day she kissed her husband goodbye as he went off to war.
In July of 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg her husband was wounded. Mrs. Vincent was seven months pregnant and unable to travel to be with her husband before he died on July 7th. Blanche Strong Vincent made her way into the world on September 29, 1863. The little girl fell in death just a few days shy of her first birthday. Upon the death of her mother, the family of three were reunited with Blanche resting peacefully between her mother and famous father in the Erie Cemetery in Pennsylvania.
One can not begin to imagine the difficult days faced by Mildred Butler Ewing (1838-1899) in October of 1862. Mildred was the wife of Confederate General George Burgwin Anderson (1831-1862) of North Carolina who was injured during the Battle at Antietam when he was shot in the ankle along the sunken road, September 17th, the day after his eldest child, Ewing, had celebrated his first birthday. General Anderson was able to make it back to Southern land, however he gained an infection and even with an amputation to save his life it was not meant to be. He died October 16, 1862. His wife gave birth to a son two days later whom she named George B. Jr. Two weeks later she laid little Ewing to rest next to his father in Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina.
John C Rudolph (1835-1862) enjoyed living in Ohio along with his older sister Lucretia (1832-1918). In 1856 he married Martha Lane and moved to Iowa and in 1858 his older sister married James Garfield (1831-1881). When the war began the father of two enlisted, not in the regiment of his brother-in-law but in June of 1862 he was a driver for the Ohio Quartermaster Corps and serving in Lexington, Kentucky.
It was also at this time he became the father of twins, Lewis and John. Born on June 29, 1862 it is not known but assumed he would never meet the newest additions to his family as he shortly contacted typhoid. His mother and sister, Lucretia were able to make the hospital in Lexington to see him before he died, however his wife Martha was unable to travel due to her children and especially the babies. On August 12, 1862 he succumbed to his illness.
Lewis (age eighty-two) and John (age eighty-four) both lived long lives and are buried side by side in Greenmount, Cemetery in Colorado. It was reported throughout their lives they remained close to their Aunt Lucretia and her husband President James Garfield.
On a quiet street on Staten Island lives a young mother with her baby girl. She is living with her parents now after suffering the loss of two of her most favorite men killed in the war. Her brother died in July of 1863 while her husband (and a good friend to her brother) died in October of 1864. On November 30, 1864, Carlotta Russell Lowell was born. She was born into a prestigious family with such names as Cabot, Shaw, Sturgis and Lowell. Her uncle was Union officer Robert Gould Shaw (1837-1863) and her father was Charles Russell Lowell (1835-1864).
Josephine Shaw Lowell (1843-1905), with the support from her parents, went on to lead an extremely productive life. She worked hard to improve the lives of women with her push for social reforms and remained active in philanthropic work until her death.
Sources
{*} https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/civil-war-widows.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11055/stephen-dodson-ramseur
https://www.oconeehillcemetery.com/william-g-delony
https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2010/01/elizabeth-vincent.html
https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=1
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/john-rudolph-the-forgotten-son.htm
https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2010/02/josephine-shaw-lowell.html
{**} https://www.loc.gov/item/2023782910/
In June of 1864 he also attained the rank of "Major General" in the Confederate Army. When word arrived from his wife of her pregnancy he reportedly wrote her describing his service to the Confederacy as being "the greatest trial of my life to be separated from you now!" {*} however that is the way of war. His daughter Mary was born on October 16, 1864. Sadly her father was killed in action four days later on October 20th.
*
The American Civil War brought many changes in the country and one sad phenomena was a new term known as "the pregnant widow". Georgia resident William G Delony (1826-1863) was content before the war as an educator at Franklin College as well as employed as a prominent attorney in Athens. When the war began, he enlisted and left behind his wife Rosa E. Huguenin (1832-1897) as well as three young children all under the age of five.
He was thrilled to learn he was to be a father again in late 1863. He was known as a fierce fighter as he recruited and led his men that would soon be known as the Georgia Cavalry. The men fought along with Robert E Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. When his wife was almost eight months pregnant in September of 1863, fate met Delony as he faced off with Union Generals John Buford and Hugh Kilpatrick at a cavalry engagement at Jack's Shop, Virginia. He was wounded, captured on the 22nd and taken to Washington. Unfortunately his wound became gangrenous and he died on the 2nd of October. Little Martha would meet her father for the first time three years later when she died. Father and daughter rest together in Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens
*
She was a tall, graceful and beautiful woman as well as a superb horsewoman, She was also in love with Strong Vincent (1835-1863), a Harvard graduate and now an attorney working in Erie. The couple were engaged but it took the war to provide the spark for this couple to marry. In April of 1861 she became Mrs. Elizabeth (Carter) Vincent (1838-1914). The next day she kissed her husband goodbye as he went off to war.
In July of 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg her husband was wounded. Mrs. Vincent was seven months pregnant and unable to travel to be with her husband before he died on July 7th. Blanche Strong Vincent made her way into the world on September 29, 1863. The little girl fell in death just a few days shy of her first birthday. Upon the death of her mother, the family of three were reunited with Blanche resting peacefully between her mother and famous father in the Erie Cemetery in Pennsylvania.
*
One can not begin to imagine the difficult days faced by Mildred Butler Ewing (1838-1899) in October of 1862. Mildred was the wife of Confederate General George Burgwin Anderson (1831-1862) of North Carolina who was injured during the Battle at Antietam when he was shot in the ankle along the sunken road, September 17th, the day after his eldest child, Ewing, had celebrated his first birthday. General Anderson was able to make it back to Southern land, however he gained an infection and even with an amputation to save his life it was not meant to be. He died October 16, 1862. His wife gave birth to a son two days later whom she named George B. Jr. Two weeks later she laid little Ewing to rest next to his father in Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina.
*
John C Rudolph (1835-1862) enjoyed living in Ohio along with his older sister Lucretia (1832-1918). In 1856 he married Martha Lane and moved to Iowa and in 1858 his older sister married James Garfield (1831-1881). When the war began the father of two enlisted, not in the regiment of his brother-in-law but in June of 1862 he was a driver for the Ohio Quartermaster Corps and serving in Lexington, Kentucky.
It was also at this time he became the father of twins, Lewis and John. Born on June 29, 1862 it is not known but assumed he would never meet the newest additions to his family as he shortly contacted typhoid. His mother and sister, Lucretia were able to make the hospital in Lexington to see him before he died, however his wife Martha was unable to travel due to her children and especially the babies. On August 12, 1862 he succumbed to his illness.
Lewis (age eighty-two) and John (age eighty-four) both lived long lives and are buried side by side in Greenmount, Cemetery in Colorado. It was reported throughout their lives they remained close to their Aunt Lucretia and her husband President James Garfield.
*
On a quiet street on Staten Island lives a young mother with her baby girl. She is living with her parents now after suffering the loss of two of her most favorite men killed in the war. Her brother died in July of 1863 while her husband (and a good friend to her brother) died in October of 1864. On November 30, 1864, Carlotta Russell Lowell was born. She was born into a prestigious family with such names as Cabot, Shaw, Sturgis and Lowell. Her uncle was Union officer Robert Gould Shaw (1837-1863) and her father was Charles Russell Lowell (1835-1864).
Josephine Shaw Lowell (1843-1905), with the support from her parents, went on to lead an extremely productive life. She worked hard to improve the lives of women with her push for social reforms and remained active in philanthropic work until her death.
"We shall meet, but we shall miss him.
There will be one vacant chair.
We shall linger to caress him
While we breathe our ev'ning prayer."
"The Vacant Chair"
written in 1861
by Henry Washburn {**}
There will be one vacant chair.
We shall linger to caress him
While we breathe our ev'ning prayer."
"The Vacant Chair"
written in 1861
by Henry Washburn {**}
Sources
{*} https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/civil-war-widows.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11055/stephen-dodson-ramseur
https://www.oconeehillcemetery.com/william-g-delony
https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2010/01/elizabeth-vincent.html
https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=1
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/john-rudolph-the-forgotten-son.htm
https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2010/02/josephine-shaw-lowell.html
{**} https://www.loc.gov/item/2023782910/
Bringing the