Ellen B. Wooldridge - 1920-11-24

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Chambless, Sanderson, Simmons

Richmond Va Jany 11, 1916
110 North Harvie Street

My Dear Cousin:

             I received a few days ago my brother's letter containing one from you written in August. I am sorry he was so late in sending it. I am surely glad to hear from one so near in kinship, and also the son of my dear uncle and aunt. The last time I saw them was a year or two after the war when I was on a visit in Louisville, Ky. to a cousin of my father. They with Florence had been to St. Charles to see Uncle Jack, and stopped to see me on their way to Nashville, and all were sore distressed to hear of the death of Florence soon after that. She was such a lovely girl. I have a photo of your father and mother taken about that time. I was in Memphis living with James Monroe Walker and his wife until I was about sixteen, then my father's death in Mo. decided me to go Louisville Ky where I visited a cousin of my fathers, but an uncle in Virginia sent for me to go to school, so I then went to Richmond and after that I married Robt C. Stanard father of my two sons William Glover, and Robt C. Stanard W.G. Stanard lives here, is "Secty of the Virginia Hist, Society" and Editor of the "Va Historical Magazine" He is very fond of his work antiquarian and historical and is widely known, being considered authority on such matters. He says your father graduated from William & Mary College of which is very fond, having been a student there himself. He married a daughter of Bishop Jno. B. Newton of the Episcopal Church, has no children. She is literary has written several books. My son Robt lives in Atlanta, in Cotton Mill business has two lovely girls Virginia & Louise. My sister Ellen lives in St. Louis Co. Mo., was raised in that state and has lived there so long that it is home to her. My mother died in Memphis when she was 35 years old, and my brother Glover also died there about 1859 and is buried there. After the war some years I married Co. W.B. Wooldridge a first cousin of my first husband. He was Col. Of the 4th Va Cavalry, lost his leg in battle, but after that fought to the end. Robt Stanard was Capt. of 3rd Richmond Howitzers and fought in the Battle of Bethel, but died in camp from malaria. My daughter and sons through their fathers are 9th in descent from Pocahontas just as Mrs. Wilson is. I am only telling you these things, knowing any thing about your kin may be of intest. I have three daughters Julia Stanard, Ellen Beverely and Mary Johns Wooldridge. Julia teaches art in the "Richmond Public Schools, my father was an artist and she may have inherited her talent from him. We are so sorry not to have rec'd your letter to my brother earlier. My daughters know one of the teachers in that school an unusually bright girl Miss Harrison of this city. A young girl who lives very near me, Miss McVey has been a student there about two years. I hope your daughter likes, it is beautifully located. I hear from Uncle Jack's family through my sister Ellen. Some of the boys live in Texas and the girls are all married. Mattie the oldest girl never married she was a very five woman. Fred is a Dr. in St. Louis, and George has a position with one of the big newspapers in St. Louis, several are dead and some of the sisters live in the old home in St. Charles Lizzie (Mrs. Gauss) who married and whose husband died some years ago. I hear so little from them that I fear I may not be correct. Uncle Jack was so highly esteemed in St. Charles, he was looked up to by everybody. He came to see me after Col. Wooldridge's death when on his way home from the "General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church" and then went up to Buckingham & Farmville to see what and who he could find in the way of cousins. Our Grandfather Glover Johns married Martha Jones of Amelia Co. or Buckingham Co. My grandfather was born at the "Red Store" I suppose a post office, his home being near. Their brother John Johns had a beautiful estate in Appomattox Co Va & I remember seeing him once when he was hale and hearty. He married twice first, I think a widow Mrs. Winston, whose son he adopted and gave the name of Johns and who inherited his property. I have an old sampler framed which has worked in embroidery "Martha Jones Taught by Mrs. Sarah Woodson Amelia Co Va", giving the year. There were two of her sisters who married Walkers Aunt Polly Walker mother of Dr. Jas M. Walker and Henry Walker a banker of Memphis and New Orleans [marginalia: Polly and Betsey Walker, the last lived near Farmville and her son was Jno Walker] My mother was married in Munfreesboro Tenn, having lived with her aunt after her fathers death. As a very little child, I remember being there and I thought her daughters were the prettiest people I ever saw. They were great belles and all married and of course now they must be all dead. One was Mrs. Patton of Huntsville Ala. I was very fond of her, but the prettiest one was Mrs. Eliza Goodrich of New Orleans, very gay too- Dr. Walker was devoted to my mother and he and his wife who was Miss MacLemore and nearly related to old Genl Jackson was an elegant woman of many accomplishments My father spent the last winter of his life at your fathers house, and he told me your mother was so sweet and kind to him, he had always thought her such a lovely woman, from there he went up to Missouri where he died in 1853. Some years ago my son W. G. Stanard had a letter from a Mr. Dabney Wharton writing about his family and he wrote that your mother was his aunt, also that Bonnie was living in Hot Springs Ark. I met a Mr Dabney at the Beach (Willoughby) and he was a nice gentleman related to Whartons who lived here some years ago. Please give my love to your family wife daughters and sons. I would like very much to see them and know them, when a little child I know the older ones and even now remember them, but after a long life of many changes it is hard to be correct. The war and so many events that followed have somewhat dimmed the remembrance of those childhood days. I do feel very proud that you have thought of us and in your busy successful life too. You have done much to cause your children to honor you, for they cannot fail to respond and love a father who has made the name as you have. To the brothers you [illeg.] please give kind remembrances all. We would be glad to see your daughter if she passed through here or can come to see us. My daughter Julia knows a Miss Harrison who teaches at "Sweet-Briar" and one of my friends Ms. McVey has a daughter there. I think I must have tired you out - and will stop. Hoping you may not tire of an old womans remembrances I will close.

Lovingly Your Cousin

Virginia Wooldridge

 

Source:   Contributed by Forbes Maner. Handwritten original in the collection of the Virginia Historical Society.   Transcribed to softcopy by Forbes Maner.   Received by e-mail from Mr. Maner on March 1, 2001.