JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
Like Norse goddess Idunn, a mythical creature idealized and ' lusted over by giants ', stories associated with many, many women in the American Civil War created mythical creatures of them, too.
I have a terrible tendency to gallop off in eight, distracted directions at the same time. It's all y'all's fault ( we had a splendid pair of Lutheran ministers, husband and wife, from Raleigh, for awhile ) . This is a very distracting forum. But. Through just, plain sheer nosiness, various era accounts continually surface, infuriatingly make it clear Idunn has been the unwitting model on which glowing ( or smutty ) legend seeded. The intent is to clear- sighted-ly apply sheer History, an ear horn, elbow grease and Windex. Removing layers composed at best of good intentions, at worst, pretty sordid agenda takes some doing. And persistence. Well, got that. Now to sit still long enough to create a series with this thread title ....... and " Elizabeth Masser Thorn " or " Carrie Sheads " or " Mollie Bean " or " Mary Anna Custis Lee " and ( you knew she was here ) " Mary Todd Lincoln ". And gee whiz, Elizabeth Van Lew ( it'll be long ).
Four Mary's alone! Lincoln, Lee, Wade ( MARY Virginia ) and Walker. All have myth attached, ' good ' and bad- mostly awful.
Several mythical females languished patriotically post-Gettysburg. An enormous amount of women were not mentioned including ' famous ', unpopular women who arrived to help. Dr. Mary Walker showed up as usual, willing to give of herself and a spectacular example of compassion, Liz Hamilton, but she was a black woman. Well heck. Here's an 1893 example. " Mrs. Thorn " appears, not a patriotic shovel in shovel in sight- she had a very, very long battle.
Generals from the Confederate army ran her ragged, too. It was ' only ' later her boss arrived, with shovel, in a panic. Quick, Liz- bury these bodies before another cemetery gets to charge the government!
Even our priceless Clara Barton, beyond reproach, not exactly myth attached but does anyone KNOW the extent of her work? Not really. Each time the word " Andersonville " appears so does agenda, both sides and a woman's compassionate, patient toil is as buried along with the men she so lovingly marked there.
It's series, in case anyone missed the point here, on clarifying History. We're looking at DNA, for goodness sake, worming the last pieces of finite information from poor Lincoln's gene pool. Doesn't seem a lot to ask, our women's contributions, sacrifices, moments of triumph and tragedy be held as sacred by History.
Little known picture of Mary ( pick one ), eating men.
To be continued, first Windexed Window? Coming soon.