National Nuggets: What are Real Daughters? Part 3

Featured in this blog post are the Real Daughters from South Carolina.   What a privilege to have members of the SCDAR whose father actually served as a soldier to bring us the freedoms we enjoy today.  

Anne Morehead Hobson #25901

 

 

The Columbia Chapter enjoys the distinction of having more “real daughters” than any other in the country in proportion to its numbers.  It has the distinguished privilege of counting among its members Mrs. Anne Morehead Hobson, the grandmother of Richmond Pearson Hobson.  Doubtless he inherits his bravery and intrepid courage from this daughter of a hero.  Mrs. Anne Morehead Hobson is the daughter of John Morehead, a Revolutionary soldier who enlisted in the army at the age of eighteen and was in the battles of King’s mountain, Cowpens, and Guilford courthouse in North Carolina.  He lived in Richmond county, North Carolina.  After his marriage, he moved to Rockingham County, and there he raised a large family.  There was born the subject of this sketch, February 15, 1811.  She was married in 1831 to Samuel Augustus Hobson, with whom she lived happily until his death, which occurred the second year of the Civil war.  Mrs. Hobson has recently become blind, but enjoys excellent health, and the brilliance of her masterful intellect continues undimmed.  She remembers three wars – the Mexican, Civil, and Spanish.  In the Civil war three of her sons, two of whom were officers, fought valiantly for their sunny Southland.  Mrs. Hobson’s immediate family have all passed beyond the gates.  She and her husband moved to Jerusalem, North Carolina, and there she still resides at “Wildwood,” the old homestead.  

 

Louisa Caroline Gaillard #24404

         
          Mrs. Louisa Caroline Gaillard is the second Real Daughter of the Columbia Chapter.  She is the second youngest child of Samuel DuBose, an officer of the Revolutionary army, and Martha Walter, his wife, and was born October 5, 1809, in Pineville, St. Stephens Parish, Charleston county, South Carolina.  On the 10^th of April 1827, at Pineville, she was married to David Gaillard, of St. John’s Berkeley.
          Mr. Gaillard removed to Fairfield in 1835 with his wife and five children.  He was a typical planter, managing with success his fine estate until his sudden death, March 5, 1855.  Mrs.  Gaillard is the mother of thirteen children, of whom twelve (eight sons and four daughters) attained maturity.  Left suddenly with heavy responsibilities, domestic and financial, this matron of “the olden time” rose to the full measure of duty, meeting every obligation with the fortitude so characteristic of the heroic Huguenot stock from which she comes.  To the defense of the Confederate States she gave six sons.  Surviving the loss of dear ones, serene, steadfast, and enduring in her Christian faith, through all that dreadful wreck and ruin, she lingers with us still, a gracious and revered presence, a shining example of the Carolina lady, wife and mother.
          Samuel DuBose died during the infancy of his only surviving child, Mrs. Gaillard.  He was the son of Isaac DuBose and was born in St. Stephens’ Parish, August 28, 1758.  Entering the Revolutionary army a mere boy, he rose to the rank of adjutant in Marion’s famous brigade.  His commission, signed by Governor John Matthew, and countersigned by General Francis Marion, is now in possession of one of his great-grandsons, the Rev. William Porcher DuBose, dean of the theological faculty of the University of the South, at Sewanee, Tennessee.  Capt. Samuel DuBose died April 11, 1811, at Pineville, South Carolina, in the prime of a useful and happy life.
 

Sallie Knox Wallace #27127

           The third “real daughter” of the Columbia Chapter, is Mrs. Sallie Wallace, of Chester county, South Carolina.  She is the oldest of the trio, having been born in 1803, in Scotland.  Her father, Hugh Knox, [came to America from Antrim, Ireland] and was a soldier in the Revolution.  [Hugh served as a private under Capt. William Brown and Col. Thomas Sumter.  He earned the rank of Captain and served in Colonel Edward Lacey’s SC Regiment.]  His pension certificate was endorsed by John C. Calhoun, then secretary of state.  Hugh died March 21, 1821 in Chester District.   Sallie’s 95^th birthday occurred last July, and her descendants and neighbors held a festival in her honor at her home, “Pleasant Grove.”  The tables were spread on a broad lawn at the foot of the hill.  Although so aged Mrs. Wallace is not at all decrepit, and on that occasion walked nimbly up and down the hill and was a bright as if she had been sixty years younger.     

                                               American Monthly Magazine vol. 19

          According to NSDAR, she was a Member of Mary Adair Chapter.  However, in the Knox-Wise Family Papers at Winthrop College, there is a letter from A. I. Robertson, Secretary of the Columbia Chapter, admitting her as a member as well as the above article about her.  Perhaps she transferred her membership once the Mary Adair Chapter was organized.

Elizabeth Alice Spencer #53500

 

          Mrs. Eliza Alice Spencer, one of the three Real Daughters in South Carolina, and a member of the Swamp Fox Chapter, was born October 28, 1832, in the home where she died September 22, 1916.  Her father, Stephen Godbold, belonged to one of the pioneer families of this section – his grandfather, John Godbold, a native of Suffolk, England, and a captain in the West Indian service of the British navy, having settled on the site of the town of Marion in 1735, after landing at Charleston.  He married Elizabeth McGurney, a girl of Scotch-Irish parentage, and three sons were born – John, James, and Thomas.  John Godbold took up 550 acres of land on his arrival, and at the birth of each son he took up more land until the Godbold acres stretches westward from the town of Marion beyond where the town of Sellars stand is.  He died in 1765, aged 101 years.  His sons took unto themselves wives from the other pioneer families and left many descendants.          Thomas, the youngest son of John Godbold, married Martha Herron, and was the father of Stephen, who was born in 1764, and was consequently a child of 11 years only at the outbreak of the Revolutionary war.  All his relatives who were old enough were among the first to volunteer for service and enlist for the war.  Marion (then Craven) County was the skirmish ground of Marion’s men and the British regulars, as well as the bloodthirsty Tories who infested this section and treated with great cruelty the women and children left at home. Little Stephen Godbold’s mind must have been thrilled with patriotic fervor at an early age, for when only 14 years of age we find him shouldering his musket and enlisting as a private in Capt. Foxworthy’s company.  The next year, at the age of 15, he became a lieutenant in this company, and at 18 its captain.   We have these bare historical facts of his life, but back of them lies a great deal unsaid but easily understood.  One proof of his patriotism is the fact that he gave his services absolutely free to his country, for nowhere is it recorded that he received any pay for his service as a soldier of the Revolution, although his commission is in the possession of his descendants.
        Stephen Godbold married first Miss Annie Grice, from whom are descended Dr. Frank Miles and Stephen Godbold Miles of Marion.  His second wife, a Miss Jones, left no children.  He was married for the third time in 1822 to Miss Rebecca Woods who was the mother of our beloved Real Daughter.  Mrs. Spencer’s father and mother died in March 1845, within a few days of each other, leaving her and a brother and sister to the guardianship of relative.  When she was only 14 years old she married John Spencer, a native of North Carolina who had come to live the rest of her life.  There their ten children, all of whom survive her, were born.
          Mrs. Spencer was of a most attractive personality, even up to the last months of her life.  Bright, vivacious, witty, her bright brown eyes would sparkle with mirth when she was amused, and the writer enjoyed many a delightful conversation with her.  Tiny of stature, she had the natural grace of a child and the graciousness of the old time Southern ladies.  After she was 80 years of age she would drive into town herself to attend Chapter meetings, or to call on friends or attend to business, and only a month ago she drove herself into town with her daughter, her grand-daughter and her great grand-daughter, and had their picture taken together, little realizing that so soon would she sleep the long sleep where the pines and cedars sing a soft and unending requiem over her grave.

Frances Susan “Fannie” Griffin Monroe #3455

 

Frances Susan “Fannie” Griffin Monroe was a Real Daughter of the Revolution. Her father, Joseph Griffin, was born on August 9, 1763 in Culpepper, Virginia and came to SC at the age of 11. At the age of 16, he joined the army, and fought in some of the great battles of the Revolution under Captain William Harris, Colonel Joseph Hayes, and General Greene.  Fannie was born when he was 74, the youngest of his 21 children. She was born September 28, 1835 in Anderson County.  He died in 1850.   Fannie died on March 5, 1917 in Joanna Laurens County.  She was a member of the Musgrove Mills Chapter.

 
Ann Josephine Odom Avant #118507

Ann Josephine Odom Avant was the daughter of Levi Odom and Patience Bird.  She was born on April 18, 1839 in Marion County and died on March 13, 1919 in Marion County.  Her death certificate states the dates as 1839-1919, however, her tombstone has 1840-1920.  She was a member of the Swamp Fox Chapter.

Anna Mariah Verner Stribling #30202

Anna Verner Stribling was the daughter of John Verner, Jr. and Rebecca Dickey, his wife.  Her father served as a private in the State troops of South Carolina.  He received a pension in 1832.  He was born in 1763 in Granville County North Carolina and died in 1855 in Retreat, South Carolina.  Anna was born in Retreat, South Carolina and died in 1901.  She was a member of the Columbia Chapter.

 Charlotte Boykin Taylor #29307

Charlotte Boykin Taylor was the daughter of Burwell Boykin and Mary Whitaker, his second wife.  Her father served as lieutenant in the Mounted Rangers of South Carolina.  Burwell was born in 1741 in South Hampton, Virginia and died in 1817 in South Carolina.  Charlotte was born on October 4, 1817 in Kershaw County and died on July 27, 1900 in Kershaw County.  She was a member of the Columbia Chapter.  

Elizabeth Enlow Kimbrell #38772

Elizabeth Enlow Kimbrell is the daughter of Revolutionary War Patriot Potter Enlow of South Carolina born 1765 and Nancy Chumley 1796-1863. She was married to Jarvos Kimbrell, who is buried in Oakland Cemetery (Gaffney City Cemetery) in Gaffney, Cherokee Co., SC in a special area set aside for Confederate soldiers, called the Confederate Plot.  Elizabeth was born on August 12, 1823 in Woodruff, Spartanburg County and died in Gaffney, Cherokee County on December 14, 1902.  She was a member of the Kate Barry Chapter.

Frances Leonard Cleveland #20717

     Frances Cleveland was the daughter of Henry Wight of Massachusetts born May 26, 1752 in Medfield, Massachusetts and died August 12, 1837 in Bristol, Rhode Island and Clarissa Leonard  He served as private in Captain Sabin Mann’s Company Medfield Militia.
     Frances was born September 17, 1816 in Rhode Island and died in September 23, 1910 in Georgia at the age of 94.  She was a member of the Cowpens Chapter.

 

 

Margaret Cooper Jeffcoat #119320

Margaret Cooper Jeffcoat was the daughter of Joseph Cooper of Virginia born January 27, 1758 and died June 16, 1831 in the Orangeburg District.  He served in the SC Militia for 92 days in 1782 with the rank of soldier.  She was a member of Columbia Chapter.

 

Maria L. A. Spann Cathcart #33577

Mrs. Cathcart was Miss Maria L. A. Spann, the daughter of James Spann.  She was born February 24,1815, on her father’s plantation in Sumter county, South Carolina.  In 1836, she married George H. Cathcart, a merchant.  In 184, they came to Columbia county and lived at the corner of Lumber and Bull Streets, where she lived till her death, February 26, 1901.  She led an active, energetic life, and after the death of her husband managed her property and educated her children.  She was a member of the Columbia Chapter, through which she received her souvenir spoon.  Her father, James Spann, with his three brothers, fought gallantly in the Revolutionary War.  She was a member of the Columbia Chapter.

Again, this information is from my program “What are Real Daughters?”  A portion of this information is also part of my program “So You Think You Know the DAR!”  

I encourage you to get the book My Father Was a Soldier from the NSDAR Store and explore the fantastic information about Real Daughters from across the nation. 

You will have to forgive me.  The will be my last blog post until after the SCDAR state conference.  I am working diligently on the preparations on the SCDAR’s 125^th anniversary and need to devote all of my time to those.  I will be back after state conference with more interesting nuggets, snippets, tidbits, and stories to share!  If you sign up for e-mail notifications, you won’t miss a post!

 

 

 

National Nuggets: What Are Real Daughters? - Part 2

Now that you know what a Real Daughter is, I want to share with you some stories concerning some of our Real Daughters.

Mary Hammond Washington #81

Mary Washington was not only the first Real Daughter to join the Society but also the first member from the state of Georgia. She organized the Macon Chapter in Macon, Ga., and gathered the necessary twelve members by “making out the papers of ladies whose Revolutionary ancestry [she] knew.” Mary acted as regent of the Macon Chapter from its organization in 1893 until her death in 1901. At Congress in 1899, Mary was named an honorary state regent of Georgia for life.

Angelina Loring Avery – 42 year member

Angelina Loring Avery was one of the last surviving Real Daughters.  Angelina’s father, Solomon Loring, was in his 70s when she was born. The combined life spans of father and daughter totaled more than 171 years.

Louisa Capron Thiers – 111 years old

Louisa Capron Thiers passed away at age 111, making her the oldest Real Daughter of the American Revolution.  She was born in 1814 and died in 1926.

Sophronia Fletcher, M.D. – almost 100 years old

Sophronia Fletcher, M.D. was “one of the first female physicians in the country and one of the oldest living members of the medical profession in the country.”

Julia A. Demary and her twin sister, Elizabeth Russell – 

the only set of twins among the Real Daughters

Julia A. Demary and her twin sister, Elizabeth Russell, were born when their father, John Frank, was 81 years old. Julia and Elizabeth are the only set of twins among the Real Daughters. So great was their father’s delight when they were born that he is said to have rushed out into the street to call the neighbors to come in and see his daughters. He lived to be 95 years old, and died of sunstroke after attempting to shingle the roof of his house on a hot day. 

Julia Stone Towe

Almost 100 years after the death of Real Daughter Julia Stone Towne, her great-great-granddaughter discovered a continuous series of correspondence between Julia and her daughter, Mary Julia Towne, which revealed a rare insight into the lives of American women in the mid-19th century. Their correspondence unveils the challenges and struggles many women must have faced, along with their successes and deepest hopes making  it possible to recreate women’s lives and demonstrate their  importance in spite of the neglect by genealogists and historians.

This is just some of what you can learn about the Real Daughters.  In the next blog post, I will share some information about the Real Daughters from South Carolina. 

National Nuggets - What are Real Daughters?

If you have heard my program about Real Daughters then you are familiar with the term.  For those of you who haven’t heard about Real Daughters, let me tell you about them.

All Daughters of the American Revolution are descended from Revolutionary War patriots and soldiers.  Imagine, though, joining the DAR through the Revolutionary War service of your own father.

This was the distinct privilege of a Real Daughter. Not to be confused with the “daughter of a Revolutionary war soldier or patriot,” a Real Daughter was distinguished because she was both a DAR member as well as the actual daughter of a soldier or patriot.  In the early years of the National Society, a DAR chapter who could name one or more Real Daughters among its members was extremely proud of this living link to the American Revolution.

Artifacts of Real Daughters that are part of the NSDAR Museum Collection

At one of the first organizational meetings of the Daughters of the American Revolution one of the many topics discussed was the interesting fact that there were several widows and at least two daughters of Revolutionary War soldiers living. The names of twenty-three widows still on the United States pension list were read and seemed an impressive number to many at the meeting.

At Continental Congress in 1895, a Miss Laws from Ohio reported on a “true Daughter” in the Cincinnati Chapter and stated “there are less than a dozen in the whole country.”

At Congress in 1895, the State Regent of New Jersey proposed the idea of presenting each Real Daughters with a souvenir spoon as a gift from the National Society.  They decided to use the Official Souvenir Spoon already being produced with added personalized engravings in order to honor each individual Real Daughter.  Every "Real Daughter spoon" was engraved with the daughter's initials on the back of the handle along with the message "Presented by the National Society DAR" on the bowl.  The Real Daughter's National Number was often engraved on the back of the handle as well.

As the issues of administration, organization, and solidifying the Constitution and By-Laws were gradually settled, officers and members could reflect on what had occurred in the Society during its formative years.

They realized the steadily growing number of Real Daughters within their ranks. By the late 1890s, National Officers reported regularly on the statistics of these ladies.  Chapters began to actively search for Real Daughters.

In the end, there would be 767 Real Daughters!

During a meeting of the National Board of Management in January 1903, the Board decided to form a committee devoted solely to processing the applications of Real Daughters. Several daughters of Revolutionary patriots died while waiting for the verification of their papers and were never officially accepted into the Society. Through a resolution, the DAR vowed to place the names of these women “upon the role of honor,” but this did not make up for the lost opportunity of including them in the National Society. The new committee worked to ensure every potential Real Daughter’s application was reviewed in a timely manner.

Eventually, the Committee took control of all matters concerning the Real Daughters. They began recording the names of women who had received spoons and kept track of those who needed pensions. Members of the Committee often made regular visits to local Real Daughters, bringing gifts or news of the Society. They celebrated birthdays, mourned deaths, provided companionship, and made the Real Daughters feel important and special. This committee existed until 1943 after the death of the last Real Daughter, Annie Knight Gregory.

Real Daughters Committee, Helen Coe Hammond (left) and Grace A. Coe (right) visited Real Daughter Caroline Randall (center) on June 15, 1938

DAR chapters treasured their Real Daughters. Several chapters, without direction from a state society or the National Society, created “pensions” for Real Daughters living in poverty. In some cases these pensions were a Real Daughter’s only source of income. Upon hearing this disturbing news, many officers and members of the National Society also took up the cause of supporting these overlooked women and began petitioning the United States government to provide pensions for Real Daughters. At the Ninth Continental Congress in 1900, Corresponding Secretary General Kate Kearney Henry read the names of seven Real Daughters who were to receive U.S. pensions, but questioned “why the rest are not entitled to the same bounty at the hands of this Government.” While many DAR members continued their efforts to persuade government officials to secure more pensions for Real Daughters, there was never a comprehensive federal ruling. The DAR, however, persisted in collecting money for its own contributions.

letter about pensions for Real Daughters

The stories of some of our Real Daughters are fascinating.  The NSDAR Historian General’s Office provided wonderful information about these daughters and published a book My Father Was a Soldier: Real Daughters of the American Revolution.  I encourage you to get a copy to read. 

SCDAR also had Real Daughters!  One occasion of note occurred in late October/early November 1898.  The Columbia Chapter presented Mrs. Hobson, the elderly grandmother of Lieutenant Hobson, a Real Daughter spoon.  Her father was a young soldier in the American Revolution and fought in the battles of Cowpens, King’s Mountain, and Guilford Courthouse.  Her spoon was placed on exhibition at Sylvan’s Jewelers in downtown Columbia for all to come and see! 

Sylvan's Jewelers in downtown Columbia, SC

I am searching for a Real Daughter spoon.  If anyone knows a family that would like to donate a Real Daughter spoon to prevent it from being lossed and sold without understanding its real meaning as well as to protect its value and care in the future, please let me know.