Mary Tallulah Hansell Pelham was the daughter of the Honorable William Young Hansell (1789 - 1867) and Susan Byne Harris Hansell (1797 - 1873). She cared for her elderly parents, and sister the duration of the Civil War.
Lulu, as she was called, carried on much correspondence from Oglethorpe, Georgia during the war with others including Charlotte Branch of Savannah, Georgia. She had been in love with Lt. John Branch, Charlotte's son. He was killed at the 1st. Battle of Manassas. She met Charlotte's son while he was a Cadet at VMI. Miss Hansell's letters were a comfort to Charlotte after her loss.
Lulu was a school teacher before the war. The schools were closed during the second half of the war and she was left with the busy tasks of milking the cows and running the home when the emancipation proclamation freed all the slaves. Her letters are very dramatic, showing her excellent handwriting skills. The entire Hansell family was inundated with ailments and in her letters she could not see past them. She seemed very depressed at times, obviously the war was taking it's toll on the entire family.
In her letters she describes dating Mr. William Pelham, Mr P. as she called him. They both met while attending Oglethorpe College. Her obvious sympathetic nature and need to be needed seem to have landed her in the middle of a relationship of complete dependence. William was very dependent on her. Her letters show that she was aware of this before she married him in 1868. She fretted at leaving her invalid parents to marry him and move to Anniston, Alabama. He was quite perturbed with her for delaying their wedding.
Records show that William was severely beaten on the head by his captors. Because of this Lulu and Will had a tumultuous marriage. He became violent at times, and was a heavy drinker. They had 5 children and lived the last two years of the marriage apart, she in Atlanta and he in Anniston, Alabama where he worked for the Railroad.
The John Pelham Historical Association says, "In Surry of Eagle's Nest, John Esten Cooke wrote (p. 390): "In the spring of 1864, I received a note, in the delicate handwriting of a young lady, from Georgia, and this note contained a small bunch of flowers --heartsease, violet, and jessamine -- tied up with a tress of hair.
The note lies before me, with its faded flowers -- here it is:
"For the sake of one who fell at Kelly's Ford, [John Pelham] March 17th, '63, an unknown Georgian sends you a simple cluster of spring flowers. You loved the "gallant Pelham," and your words of love and sympathy are "immortelles" in the hearts that loved him. I have never met you, I may never meet you, but you have a true friend in me. I know that sad hearts mourn him in Virginia, and a darkened home in Alabama tells the sorrow there. My friendship for him was pure as a sister's love, or a spirit's. I had never heard his voice.
Your name is ever in my prayers! God bless you!"
Sources:
"CHARLOTTE'S BOYS: Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah" by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
John Pelham Historical Association
Lulu, as she was called, carried on much correspondence from Oglethorpe, Georgia during the war with others including Charlotte Branch of Savannah, Georgia. She had been in love with Lt. John Branch, Charlotte's son. He was killed at the 1st. Battle of Manassas. She met Charlotte's son while he was a Cadet at VMI. Miss Hansell's letters were a comfort to Charlotte after her loss.
Lulu was a school teacher before the war. The schools were closed during the second half of the war and she was left with the busy tasks of milking the cows and running the home when the emancipation proclamation freed all the slaves. Her letters are very dramatic, showing her excellent handwriting skills. The entire Hansell family was inundated with ailments and in her letters she could not see past them. She seemed very depressed at times, obviously the war was taking it's toll on the entire family.
In her letters she describes dating Mr. William Pelham, Mr P. as she called him. They both met while attending Oglethorpe College. Her obvious sympathetic nature and need to be needed seem to have landed her in the middle of a relationship of complete dependence. William was very dependent on her. Her letters show that she was aware of this before she married him in 1868. She fretted at leaving her invalid parents to marry him and move to Anniston, Alabama. He was quite perturbed with her for delaying their wedding.
Records show that William was severely beaten on the head by his captors. Because of this Lulu and Will had a tumultuous marriage. He became violent at times, and was a heavy drinker. They had 5 children and lived the last two years of the marriage apart, she in Atlanta and he in Anniston, Alabama where he worked for the Railroad.
The John Pelham Historical Association says, "In Surry of Eagle's Nest, John Esten Cooke wrote (p. 390): "In the spring of 1864, I received a note, in the delicate handwriting of a young lady, from Georgia, and this note contained a small bunch of flowers --heartsease, violet, and jessamine -- tied up with a tress of hair.
The note lies before me, with its faded flowers -- here it is:
"For the sake of one who fell at Kelly's Ford, [John Pelham] March 17th, '63, an unknown Georgian sends you a simple cluster of spring flowers. You loved the "gallant Pelham," and your words of love and sympathy are "immortelles" in the hearts that loved him. I have never met you, I may never meet you, but you have a true friend in me. I know that sad hearts mourn him in Virginia, and a darkened home in Alabama tells the sorrow there. My friendship for him was pure as a sister's love, or a spirit's. I had never heard his voice.
Your name is ever in my prayers! God bless you!"
Sources:
"CHARLOTTE'S BOYS: Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah" by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
John Pelham Historical Association
Mary Tallulah Hansell Pelham was the daughter of the Honorable William Young Hansell (1789 - 1867) and Susan Byne Harris Hansell (1797 - 1873). She cared for her elderly parents, and sister the duration of the Civil War.
Lulu, as she was called, carried on much correspondence from Oglethorpe, Georgia during the war with others including Charlotte Branch of Savannah, Georgia. She had been in love with Lt. John Branch, Charlotte's son. He was killed at the 1st. Battle of Manassas. She met Charlotte's son while he was a Cadet at VMI. Miss Hansell's letters were a comfort to Charlotte after her loss.
Lulu was a school teacher before the war. The schools were closed during the second half of the war and she was left with the busy tasks of milking the cows and running the home when the emancipation proclamation freed all the slaves. Her letters are very dramatic, showing her excellent handwriting skills. The entire Hansell family was inundated with ailments and in her letters she could not see past them. She seemed very depressed at times, obviously the war was taking it's toll on the entire family.
In her letters she describes dating Mr. William Pelham, Mr P. as she called him. They both met while attending Oglethorpe College. Her obvious sympathetic nature and need to be needed seem to have landed her in the middle of a relationship of complete dependence. William was very dependent on her. Her letters show that she was aware of this before she married him in 1868. She fretted at leaving her invalid parents to marry him and move to Anniston, Alabama. He was quite perturbed with her for delaying their wedding.
Records show that William was severely beaten on the head by his captors. Because of this Lulu and Will had a tumultuous marriage. He became violent at times, and was a heavy drinker. They had 5 children and lived the last two years of the marriage apart, she in Atlanta and he in Anniston, Alabama where he worked for the Railroad.
The John Pelham Historical Association says, "In Surry of Eagle's Nest, John Esten Cooke wrote (p. 390): "In the spring of 1864, I received a note, in the delicate handwriting of a young lady, from Georgia, and this note contained a small bunch of flowers --heartsease, violet, and jessamine -- tied up with a tress of hair.
The note lies before me, with its faded flowers -- here it is:
"For the sake of one who fell at Kelly's Ford, [John Pelham] March 17th, '63, an unknown Georgian sends you a simple cluster of spring flowers. You loved the "gallant Pelham," and your words of love and sympathy are "immortelles" in the hearts that loved him. I have never met you, I may never meet you, but you have a true friend in me. I know that sad hearts mourn him in Virginia, and a darkened home in Alabama tells the sorrow there. My friendship for him was pure as a sister's love, or a spirit's. I had never heard his voice.
Your name is ever in my prayers! God bless you!"
Sources:
"CHARLOTTE'S BOYS: Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah" by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
John Pelham Historical Association
Lulu, as she was called, carried on much correspondence from Oglethorpe, Georgia during the war with others including Charlotte Branch of Savannah, Georgia. She had been in love with Lt. John Branch, Charlotte's son. He was killed at the 1st. Battle of Manassas. She met Charlotte's son while he was a Cadet at VMI. Miss Hansell's letters were a comfort to Charlotte after her loss.
Lulu was a school teacher before the war. The schools were closed during the second half of the war and she was left with the busy tasks of milking the cows and running the home when the emancipation proclamation freed all the slaves. Her letters are very dramatic, showing her excellent handwriting skills. The entire Hansell family was inundated with ailments and in her letters she could not see past them. She seemed very depressed at times, obviously the war was taking it's toll on the entire family.
In her letters she describes dating Mr. William Pelham, Mr P. as she called him. They both met while attending Oglethorpe College. Her obvious sympathetic nature and need to be needed seem to have landed her in the middle of a relationship of complete dependence. William was very dependent on her. Her letters show that she was aware of this before she married him in 1868. She fretted at leaving her invalid parents to marry him and move to Anniston, Alabama. He was quite perturbed with her for delaying their wedding.
Records show that William was severely beaten on the head by his captors. Because of this Lulu and Will had a tumultuous marriage. He became violent at times, and was a heavy drinker. They had 5 children and lived the last two years of the marriage apart, she in Atlanta and he in Anniston, Alabama where he worked for the Railroad.
The John Pelham Historical Association says, "In Surry of Eagle's Nest, John Esten Cooke wrote (p. 390): "In the spring of 1864, I received a note, in the delicate handwriting of a young lady, from Georgia, and this note contained a small bunch of flowers --heartsease, violet, and jessamine -- tied up with a tress of hair.
The note lies before me, with its faded flowers -- here it is:
"For the sake of one who fell at Kelly's Ford, [John Pelham] March 17th, '63, an unknown Georgian sends you a simple cluster of spring flowers. You loved the "gallant Pelham," and your words of love and sympathy are "immortelles" in the hearts that loved him. I have never met you, I may never meet you, but you have a true friend in me. I know that sad hearts mourn him in Virginia, and a darkened home in Alabama tells the sorrow there. My friendship for him was pure as a sister's love, or a spirit's. I had never heard his voice.
Your name is ever in my prayers! God bless you!"
Sources:
"CHARLOTTE'S BOYS: Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah" by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
John Pelham Historical Association
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