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Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All

Christian Carter

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Published in Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)

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Lucinda McCall was born in 1849 in South Carolina. She was the daughter of a slave owner and a wealthy planter. When she was 16 years old, she married John McCall, a Confederate soldier. John was killed in the Battle of Antietam in 1862.

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)

by Allan Gurganus

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2854 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	813 pages

Lucinda was devastated by her husband's death. She was only 17 years old and had two young children. She returned to her parents' home and lived there for the rest of the war. After the war, she moved to Texas with her children.

Lucinda never remarried. She devoted her life to her children and grandchildren. She was a strong and independent woman who never forgot her husband's sacrifice. She was also a vocal critic of the war and the Confederacy.

In 1954, Lucinda McCall was interviewed by a reporter from the Dallas Morning News. She was 105 years old at the time and was the oldest living Confederate widow. In the interview, she shared her memories of the Civil War, her husband, and her life after the war.

Lucinda McCall died in 1955. She was 106 years old. She was a remarkable woman who lived through one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Her story is a reminder of the sacrifices that were made by both sides during the Civil War.

Lucinda McCall's Memories of the Civil War

In her interview with the Dallas Morning News, Lucinda McCall shared her memories of the Civil War. She recalled the day that her husband left for war.

"He came to me and said, 'Lucinda, I'm going to war,'" she said. "I started to cry, but he told me not to worry. He said he would be back soon."

Lucinda never saw her husband again. He was killed in the Battle of Antietam in 1862.

Lucinda also recalled the day that she heard the news of her husband's death.

"I was at home with my children when a neighbor came to the door," she said. "She told me that John had been killed. I fell to the floor and started to cry. I couldn't believe that he was gone."

Lucinda said that she never forgot her husband's sacrifice. She said that he died for a cause that he believed in.

"He believed that the South was right to secede from the Union," she said. "He believed that slavery was a good thing. I didn't agree with him, but I understood his reasons."

Lucinda McCall's Life After the War

After the war, Lucinda McCall moved to Texas with her children. She never remarried and devoted her life to her family. She was a strong and independent woman who never forgot her husband's sacrifice.

Lucinda McCall was also a vocal critic of the war and the Confederacy. She said that the war was a terrible mistake and that the Confederacy was doomed to fail.

"The war was a tragedy," she said. "It was a waste of lives and resources. The South could never have won the war. It was just a matter of time before the Union would defeat us."

Lucinda McCall lived to see the United States become a united country again. She saw the end of slavery and the rise of civil rights. She was a witness to some of the most important events in American history.

Lucinda McCall was a remarkable woman who lived through one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Her story is a reminder of the sacrifices that were made by both sides during the Civil War.

Legacy

Lucinda McCall died in 1955. She was 106 years old. She was the last living Confederate widow. Her story is a reminder of the sacrifices that were made by both sides during the Civil War.

Lucinda McCall's legacy is one of strength, independence, and resilience. She was a woman who never forgot her husband's sacrifice and who never gave up hope for a better future.

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)

by Allan Gurganus

4.2 out of 5