Two special war widows sit together at a Confederate reunion

SWMODave

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Mrs A.P. Hill (Kitty Morgan Hill) and Mrs Stonewall Jackson (Mary Anna Jackson) photographed at the Confederate Veteran Reunion held in Richmond 1907. Posted in the Richmond Dispatch on June 4th of that year.

Considering the history of the two generals and their strained relationship, this is a cool photo.​
 
Great Photo Thanks for posting.
 
Very interesting indeed! Thanks for posting that picture.

I'm kind of surprised Kitty was there at all - she was very dismissive of the 'Lost Cause' and being a widow of the Confederacy. Anna Jackson never remarried and took care of her husband's good name, but Kitty remarried. This got her a lot of criticism but she dismissed that, too! She didn't believe her brothers or her husband would have wanted her to mourn them for the rest of her life! It turned out, though, that Little Powell was the love of her life - and she of his. He had always called her Dolly but after his death she went back to Kitty - nobody else would call her that pet name. She made a flag for his regiment out of her wedding dress, which was silk. They were very proud of that flag!
 
Very interesting indeed! Thanks for posting that picture.

I'm kind of surprised Kitty was there at all - she was very dismissive of the 'Lost Cause' and being a widow of the Confederacy. Anna Jackson never remarried and took care of her husband's good name, but Kitty remarried. This got her a lot of criticism but she dismissed that, too! She didn't believe her brothers or her husband would have wanted her to mourn them for the rest of her life! It turned out, though, that Little Powell was the love of her life - and she of his. He had always called her Dolly but after his death she went back to Kitty - nobody else would call her that pet name. She made a flag for his regiment out of her wedding dress, which was silk. They were very proud of that flag!

Tell more about Kitty. How and why was she dismissive of the Lost Cause? It doesn't sound like she bought into it from the beginning.
 
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Mrs A.P. Hill (Kitty Morgan Hill) and Mrs Stonewall Jackson (Mary Anna Jackson) photographed at the Confederate Veteran Reunion held in Richmond 1907. Posted in the Richmond Dispatch on June 4th of that year.

Considering the history of the two generals and their strained relationship, this is a cool photo.​
Great picture and sentiment. Thanks for posting, Dave.
 
I believe the reason this reunion received such a grand turnout was because the Jefferson Davis Monument was unveiled during it. Here is a direct link to the newspaper with numerous photo's including the above - including one of Mrs JEB Stuart

Richmond Times Dispatch June 4, 1907

There is an interesting story behind the photo on page 6, image 9 - I just haven't found it yet
 
I believe the reason this reunion received such a grand turnout was because the Jefferson Davis Monument was unveiled during it. Here is a direct link to the newspaper with numerous photo's including the above - including one of Mrs JEB Stuart

Richmond Times Dispatch June 4, 1907

There is an interesting story behind the photo on page 6, image 9 - I just haven't found it yet

Ah! That explains it.

Tell more about Kitty. How and why was she dismissive of the Lost Cause? It doesn't sound like she bought into it from the beginning.

Kitty supported her family members and believed in Southern independence, but once the war was over the cause was over as well. She was criticized heavily (and rudely, too) for remarrying but she refused to be a Widow of the Confederacy. They were widows of men killed during the war and seldom wore other colors than black, usually carried the 'flame' as it were. Sally Pickett, for instance, completely dedicated her life to making sure her husband was not pilloried for anything. Some others, like Flora Stuart, went on about their lives but didn't remarry or get out of black. Kitty was not into any of that!
 
I don't find it all all surprising that Kitty Hill was there.

Some people need to stop viewing everything through the Lost Cause prism. It distorts your perspective.

The OP states that they were attending a Confederate veterans reunion, which is not the same as a The South Will Rise Again rally.

Thousands of men served under Kitty's husband and she was undoubtedly there to honor them, as Ambrose Hill would have been himself.

Nothing political about it.
 
JPK had a very excellent thread on mourning during that time - have to re-read it! James McPherson had been engaged to his Southern belle for about six years, the requirements of the service always delaying their nuptials, and he began to be concerned she would become impatient, marry another. Then he was killed. She stayed in her room for a year in near total darkness and never married at all. The Baltimore lady and her Yankee general. Emily Hoffman. Her mom may have been a fine lady of good grace and manners but she wiped it all out with the way she broke the news to her daughter. The messenger brought the letter, her mother read it then handed it to Emily saying, "Here's some good news finally." :eek: Sherman, I must say, really shone at that moment. He wrote a very detailed letter telling Emily exactly what had happened and put in a lot of real, heartfelt sentiment from himself. But still...jumpin' jiminies, Ma!
 
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