The Widow's Secret-- Part 9: Honors

But, all that secrecy was over by the time Helen Jackson died back in December,

The town of Marshfield, Missouri made her the grand marshal for the Fourth of July parade in 2018.  She was riding in a Chevrolet and told the driver, "Slow down, these people want to see me."

A stone slab with her name on it was placed on the town's Missouri Walk of Fame near the town square.  The school superintendent in Niangua gave Jackson, who never completed her education -- an honorary high school diploma for the Class of 1937.Her pastor set up a Facebook page "Helen Jackson, Last Civil War Widow."  

She received fan mail from all over the world.  A member of the Sons of Union veterans of the Civil War sent her a card each Christmas.

In 2019, Jackson sat down with a local historian for a lengthy oral history.  At the time she related:  "I didn't want them  all to think that I was a young woman who had married an old man to take advantage of him.... Mr. Bolin really cared for me.  He wanted me to have a future and he was so kind."

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret-- Part 8: The Last of the Lasts

So, it is possible that Helen Jackson is actually the "Last" of the Last Widows.

In 2004, Alberta Martin, a sharecropper's daughter who lived in poverty most of her life, died in Alabama at age 97.  She married Confederate veteran William Jasper Martin in the 1920s.  "Miz Alberta" loved the attention she got from the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who would take her to conventions and rallies.

When I found out about her, I talked with my class about the marriage with the widely different ages.  All my female students could say was "Oooooohhhh."

In 2008, Maudie White Hopkins, who enjoyed making fried peach pies and applesauce cakes died at 93.  When she was 19  in 19345, she married Confederate veteran William Cantrell who was 67 years her senior.  Hopkins said that Cantrell supported her with his Arkansas state pension of  "$25 every two or three months" and left her his home when he died in 1937.

Helen Jackson's husband left her his Bible and eyeglasses and a bullet he kept during the wat along with memories.

--Old Secesh

Civil War Slang-- Part 1: The Tennessee Quickstep and Sawbones

From Unpuzzle Finance "Slang from the Civil War was even more absurd than we knew."

1.  TENNESSEE QUICKSTEP

If you had to run off to use the toilet facilities very fast, you were doing either the Tennessee or Virginia Quickstep.

2.  LUCIFERS

A brand of matches.  Excellent for starting small fires.

3.  SAWBONES

Doctors.  Wonder how they came up with that one.

4.  BALDERDASH

Putrid cocktails mixed out of random.  Whatever liquors were available.

5.  DOGROBBER

People without war skills, but could help in other ways.  Sent off to be cooks, perhaps.  Low level servants or people who would steal from dogs.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret-- Part 7: Lived Along Route 66 in Marshfield

Of course. Helen Jackson lived her whole life with heavy emotional baggage from her short marriage to James Bolin.  What would people think of her when  and if they found out about that staggering age difference?

In Marshfield, Missouri, she was employed at a wood-working factory and later as a substitute cook in local schools.  She lived alone in a farmhouse along Route 66 and became an active member of the Elkland (Mo.) Independent Methodist Church.

For 81 years, she kept her secret.

Then, her pastor, Nicholas Inman found out about her former marriage and he set out to find out if she was indeed the last Civil War widow.

Stories of "last" Civil War widows come around every so often.  The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War confirmed Jackson as the "last" publicly documented widow.  But, who knows if there are still any other widows out there harboring secrets of their own?

--Old Secesh

McHenry County CW Round Table Prisons Discussion-- Part 7

Continued from April 6, 2021.

Continued from the March meeting of the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group.

**  Barracks were more often built in Northern prisons than Southern ones.

**  56,000 from both sides died in prisons.

**  13,000 alone died at Andersonville.

**  At Andersonville, one group of Union prisoners called the Raiders and Regulators were buried separately.  they were tried by the other prisoners and eight executed and others forced to "Run the Gauntlet."

**  In contrast, during World War II, German and Italian prisoners held in the United States had it made.

**  At Rock island, food was distributed to barracks and prisoners passed out proportions.

**  Boston Corban, who shot Booth, spent four months at Andersonville.

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The topic of discussion for April will be April/May 1865, which was a very important period of time in the war with the fall of Richmond, surrenders, assassination of Lincoln and hunt for Booth.  This was our first hybrid Live/Zoom meeting and it was a success with four in attendance and four more on Zoom, including one from Florida.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret-- Part 6: Never Dated or Married for Fear of Reputation Being Ruined

Less than three years after the marriage, on June 18, 1939, James Bolin died at the home of his daughter, Martha, after a lengthy illness.  In the local newspaper, the 96-year-old veteran's obituary listed his next of kin as two daughters, besides Martha, two sons, 17 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great grand children.  There was no mention of Helen Jackson.

Helen Jackson did no go to the funeral service either.

Soon after Bolin's death, one of his daughters threatened to out Helen Jackson if she filed for James' veterans pension.  Petrified of having her reputation ruined by a revelation, she never did.

Around World War II, Jackson moved to nearby Marshfield, roughly seven miles from Niangua to escape potential "wagging tongues."  Worried that if she ever got serious about a man he would discover her secret, Jackson never dated or married.

Meanwhile her many brothers and sisters married and raised families.  Later, she cared for her aging parents.  Her mom died in 1953, her dad in 1972.  Her last sibling died in 2019.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County CW Round Table Discussion Group This Saturday: Topic April-May 1865

This Saturday, April 24, the McHenry County Civil War Round Table will be meeting at Stucky's Bar & Grill in Johnsburg, Illinois, at 10 a.m. for our monthly discussion group.  

Located at 4000 N. Johnsburg Road.

The topic this week will be the events of April and May 1865, as the Civil War ground to an end.  There sure were a lot of things happening.

This will be done live, in person and on Zoom.

Come On Out.  Always good discussion, sometimes debate and often off topic, oh, well.  That happens.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret, Helen Jackson-- Part 5: The Marriage With a 76-Year Age Difference

Helen Jackson accepted the old man's offer, but with strict ground rules:  She would keep her maiden name, go home to her family every day and tell only a few select people.  The couple's 76-year-old age difference would surely have created a scandal.

Bolin agreed.

On September 4, 1936, Jackson and Bolin were married in the living room of the veteran's house.  Shortly after the ceremony, Tommy Macdonnell, a teenage who was preparing for a squirrel hunt, and his father, Bolin's physician, congratulated the couple.  Keep this quiet, Dr. C.R. Macdonnell urged his son.

To cement the union, Bolin gave his bride a pink topaz ring that had belonged to his second wife, and the common law marriage was recorded in his cherished personal Bible, given to him decades earlier by a traveling evangelist.

Their union followed Jackson's guidelines:  cooking, housekeeping, chores and then she would return to her home every night.  Although her husband talked about Civil War "blood and guts stuff" all the time, Jackson paid him no heed.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret, Helen Jackson-- Part 4: You'll Get My Pension When I'm Gone

In an after-action report regarding these unrepentant Rebels, 14th Missouri Cavalry Lt. Cpl. Joseph Gravely wrote:  "The band that crossed the railroad near Knobnoster on the 23rd instant were all that I could obtain any reliable information of.  At Warsaw and other points, I learned that the above-named band committed horrid outrages, murdering some ten or twelve discharged soldiers and citizens in Hickory and Benton Counties."

Unable to find the guerrillas, the soldiers returned to camp -- "men and horses in good condition" according to Gravely.

Following a divorce from his first wife during the Civil War, Bolin married Elizabeth Ferrell in 1868, and the couple had seven children.  After Elizabeth's death in 1922, James had no one to help with chores. So in 1936, James Jackson recommended his daughter, Helen, then a 17-year-old high school student.

The kindly old man  and teen grew close, but according to Helen, not in that way, as she began to help him with chores around the house, cleaning and washing.

One day, Bolin made an unusual proposal to Jackson.  According to Helen, he said: "I do not believe in accepting charity and I don't have money to pay you, so why don't you marry me so I can give you my Civil War pension when I'm gone?"

For a girl of modest means like Helen, James' pension check, perhaps $30 a month or more in the depression era was too enticing to decline.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret, Helen Jackson, Last CW Widow Dies-- Part 3: Secretly Wed James Bolin, 93 (She Was 17)

Twice-married Civil War veteran James Bolin, a widower himself, also lived in Niangua, alone, in a small house near a lumber yard and train tracks.  In a photo from the 1930s, a seated Bolin, wearing a bowler hat, suit jacket, and dark vest - sported a large white mustache.  It's a pity the photo wasn't in color, because Mr. Bolin had the most vivid blue eyes.

When he enlisted in 1864, Bolin -- a 21-year-old farmer from Webster County -- had dark hair and a fair complexion.  The 5-foot-eight private served honorably with the 46th Missouri Infantry from the fall of 1864 to March 1865, and later was in the 14th Missouri Cavalry.

Although both units were kept busy, neither unit saw much fighting.

In the spring of 1865, the cavalrymen, including Bolin -- guarded the Wire Road (the predecessor of much of Route 66 in Missouri).  This was a favorite target of guerrillas because of the telegraph line along this vital route.

In late May, 1865, more than a month after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, the unit was sent to confront unrepentant Confederates in the border state, which sent troops to both sides during the war and in which much fighting took place.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret, Last Civil War Widow Dies in 2020-- Part 2: Helen Jackson

Helen Jackson was born on August 3, 1919, less than a year after the end of World War I and in the middle of another pandemic in the United States, the Spanish Flu.  So, she had the unenviable opportunity to live through two pandemics.

She grew up in the really small town of Niangua, Missouri,  (population 275), a railroad and farming town about 25 miles northeast of Springfield.  Hardworking and humble, she was the seventh of ten children.  In the late 1920s, Route 66, the legendary "Mother Road," pumped a little energy into the sleepy town of Niangua, known mainly for  its dairy and cattle farms.

In March, 1936, a tornado ravaged the area, killing four.  But the pace of life was typically slow in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it place.

Missouri's U.S. Senator Roy Blunt was born in Niangua.

--Old Secesh

The Widow's Secret: The Last Civil War Widow Died in December 2020-- Part 1

From the April 2021 Civil War Times by John Banks.

I first wrote about this in my RoadDog's RoadLog Blog back on January 18 when became aware of it.  I put it in that blog because of this woman's Route 66 connections.

Hard to believe as is the case, Helen Jackson is the widow of a Union Civil War soldier.  Especially amazing since that war ended 156 years ago.  Do the math.

And, she kept her marriage secret.

She was 17 when she married Civil War veteran James Bolin, who was 93 in September 1936.  That was some age difference.

Helen Jackson was "The Last Civil War Widow."

She died December 16, 2020, at the age of 101.

--Old Secesh

Natchez, Ms., Civil War Sites Driving Tour, Fort McPherson

You can drive the Civil War in historic Natchez, Mississippi, and go to 30 sites on the tour.  All sites, of course would have something to do with Fort McPherson.

You start at the Natchez Visitor Center for instructions and maps.  The tour can be completely done from your vehicle and estimated time for it would be about 75 minutes.

Several of the sites were directly linked to Fort McPherson, including the fort itself.

SITE  5   

Located at North Canal Street and Madison Street intersection, was the site of the former fort.  Soon after their arrival in Natchez on July 13, 1863, Federal troops began the  creation of Fort McPherson, a large earthwork in the northern suburbs of the city.

It was designed by Captain  Peter Hains on the Engineering  Corps.  The fortification could accommodate  5,000 troops and provided an unobstructed view of the river and surrounding countryside.

SITE 6

CLIFTON   Federal troops destroyed he palatial home of  Frank and Charlotte Surget,  because it impeded the construction of the fort.  After touring the property before its destruction,  Union General Thomas Kilby Smith remarked that "one continuously wonders that such a paradise could be created here on  earth."

--Old Secesh

Fort McPherson, Natchez, Mississippi

In the last post, I wrote about Fort McPherson in Natchez, Mississippi.  I'd never heard of it before, so figured I's do some research on it.

NORTH AMERICAN FORTS

Fort McPherson, Natchez. Miss.   (1863-1865)  Was a line of earthworks and batteries surrounding the town, built by Union forces after they took control of the area.

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The site of Fort McPherson was designed by Captain Peter Hains of the Engineering Corps.  It could accommodate 5,000 troops and provided an unobstructed view of the Mississippi River and surrounding countryside.

The site begins at present-day North Canal and Madison streets.  Parts of an old slave market called Forks in the Road were used in its construction.

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It was named for Union General James McPherson who was killed in action during the Atlanta Campaign.

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United States Colored Troops (USCT)  consisted of 175 regiments of black soldiers, many of who had been slaves,   The 58th, 70th and 71st Colored Infantry and 6th  Colored Heavy Artillery were stationed in Natchez.

No major action took place at Fort McPherson.

There are very little remnants of the fort remaining.

--Old Secesh

USCT Monument Proposed for Natchez Memorial Park

From the April 7, 2021, Natchez, Miss.  Democrat by Sabrina Robertson.

It will be placed prominently in the Natchez Memorial Park outside of St. Mary Basilica.  This would honor those who risked their lives by joining the U.S. Army.

The story of Forks of the Road, one of the largest slave markets in the country will also be a part of the monument's design.   Some of the people in the Forks of the Road were about to be sold when they were freed by Union forces.

Parts of the Forks of the Road were used in the construction of Fort McPherson in Natchez.  Some Natchez residents are calling for the removal of the Confederate memorial at the Memorial Park, but it sounds like it will remain as it gives another aspect of Natchez's heritage and past.

I agree whole-heartedly with letting the Confederate monument remain and building the monument to the USCT as more than likely, USCT troops manned Fort McPherson.  However, I would want there to be a separate monument to the Forks in the Road slave market.

I believe history should give all aspects of a group or place.

Natchez has a slave and a Confederate past.  Both should be memorialized.

--Old Secesh