America's Joan of Arc: The Life of Anna Elizabeth Dickinson

273 Pages·2006·2.46 MB·English

by  J. Matthew Gallman

A MERICA’S JOAN OF AR C
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J. Matthew Gallman
A M E R I C A ’ S
J O A N O F A R C :
T H E L I F E O F A N N A
E L I Z A B E T H D I C K I N S O N
3
2006
3
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gallman, J. Matthew (James Matthew)
America’s Joan of Arc : the life of Anna Elizabeth Dickinson / J. Matthew Gallman.
p. cm.
ISBN–13:978–0–19–516145–8(0195161459: alk. paper) 1. Dickinson, Anna E.
(Anna Elizabeth), 1842–1932. 2. Women abolitionists—Pennsylvania—
Biography. 3. Abolitionists—Pennsylvania—Biography.
4. Women orators—United States—Biography. 5. Orators—
United States—Biography. 6. Feminists—Pennsylvania—Biography.
7. Antislavery movements—United States—History—19th century.
8. Women’s rights—United States—History—19th century. I. Title.
E449.D544G35 2006
973.7′114092—dc22
2006000888
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
One pleasure in reaching the end of a project is that it affords the opportunity to
acknowledge a long list of accumulated debts. I first encountered Anna Dickinson
while reading Civil War newspapers over two decades ago. She has been the focus
of my scholarly attention for much of the last eight years. In that time I have worked
in several institutions and enjoyed the advice and friendship of many wonderful
colleagues.
I would like to thank my friends at Loyola College in Maryland, Gettysburg
College, Occidental College, and the University of Florida for providing stimulating
environments and good companionship. Particular thanks to Tom Pegram, Patricia
Ingram, Barbara Vann, Christina Ericson Hansen, Bill Bowman, Magdalena Sanchez,
Scott Hancock, Tim Shannon, Teresa Amott, Deborah Barnes, Melanie Conroy-
Goldman, Jennifer Hanson, Eleanor Hogan, Lynn Dumenil, Doug Smith, Marla
Stone, Arthe Anthony, Elizabeth Dale, Jack Davis, and Bill Link, who all endured
conversations about the life and times of Anna Dickinson. I owe a particular debt
to my UF colleagues Jeff Adler and Louise Newman, who both read the entire
manuscript and offered valuable suggestions both large and small. If I could have
followed all their advice this would be a much stronger book.
When I began this project the National Endowment for the Humanities provided
funding for a summer of research. I have turned to the NEH for assistance on
several occasions, and I cannot imagine where the profession would be without
the continued support from this vital institution. The librarians at both Loyola
College and Gettysburg College purchased complete copies of the Anna Dickinson
Papers on microfilm, without which my research would have been impossible.
The librarians, archivists, and interlibrary loan staffs at Loyola, Gettysburg,
Occidental, and the University of Florida all provided excellent professionalism and
assistance. A special thanks to Karen Drickamer, Director of Special Collections
vi america’s joan of arc
at Gettysburg College. As the Henry R. Luce Professor at Gettysburg College I
had additional research assistance. My thanks to both the Luce Foundation and
Provost Dan DeNicola for their support. Thanks also to Holly Fisher, University
of Florida, for her research assistance.
In2002–2003I served as the Ray Billington Professor of History at Occidental
College and the Huntington Library. In addition to the companionship I found
at Occidental, I had the marvelous opportunity to spend a year enjoying the
library, archives, and gardens at the Huntington. Thanks to Robert Ritchie and
his wonderful staff for all their patience and support. Many of my best moments
at the Huntington were spent discussing history with my fellow researchers. The
list of colleagues who joined me for lunch or coffee is long, but I owe a special thanks
to Zachary Leader, Daniel Walker Howe, Elliott West, Karen Lystra, Josh Piker, and
LaraKriegel for their words of counsel and their lively collegiality. One of the great
pleasures of my year in Southern California was that it gave me the opportunity
to spend many evenings with my old friend Joan Waugh. I thank Joan for her
wonderful hospitality and for dozens of conversations about Anna Dickinson, the
Civil War era, and the special challenges in writing biography.
As I have worked my way through Dickinson’s life, I have had the opportunity
to try out my ideas before a variety of audiences. Thanks go to Lloyd Benson
and Furman University, Margaret Creighton and Bates College, Brooks Simpson
and his students at Arizona State University, Gary Gallagher and his students at
the University of Virginia, the Gettysburg National Military Park, the Maryland
Historical Society, the Huntington Library, the participants at the 2000“Women’s
Private Writing Conference” at the University of New England, several Gettysburg
College Alumni groups, and my colleagues at both Gettysburg and Occidental, for
arranging and attending various lectures and seminars. I always came away from
these events with valuable insights and renewed enthusiasm for the project. I was
particularly honored to deliver the 2002Klement Lecture at Marquette University.
Thanks to James Marten for inviting me, giving me a guided tour of Milwaukee,
and making valuable suggestions as I revised the lecture for publication. I have also
been fortunate to publish portions of this research in quite a few edited collections.
I list these publications in the bibliographic essay, but here I would like to
acknowledge this extraordinary group of editors, whose comments often forced me
to rethink the themes and interpretations that shape this book. Thanks to Steven
Woodworth, Joan Cashin, Wendy Gamber, Michael Grossberg, Henrik Hartog, Alice
Fahs, Joan Waugh, and Ann O’Hear.
Many other people made contributions—both small and large—to this project.
James Harvey Young, who worked on Anna Dickinson more than 60 years ago,
met with me in Atlanta, looked over some early chapters, and graciously granted
me access to his research notes and an unpublished Dickinson biography. Stanley
Engerman read an early essay and offered his characteristically cogent comments.
acknowledgements vii
I had the privilege to write one essay on Dickinson in honor of my mentor,
Morton Keller. He responded with a few words of wisdom, but in a larger sense all
that I write bears his mark. LeeAnn Whites commented on a large portion of the
manuscript, and she has discussed Dickinson with me in hundreds of e-mails over
the last several years. I have come to admire LeeAnn’s nuanced understanding of
the importance of gender in nineteenth-century America and I only wish that my
analysis of Dickinson was up to her high standards. Cheryl Greenberg and Dan Lloyd
offered their hospitality when I visited Hartford. Howard Wach and I appeared
together on a panel in 2000and shared several conversations about writing the lives
of public women. Jean Baker shared her thoughts on Dickinson’s relationship with
Susan B. Anthony, and she generously sent me early drafts from her book, Sisters:
The Lives of America’s Suffragists(New York: Hill and Wang, 2005). David G. Smith
sent me transcripts of antebellum petitions signed by the young Anna Dickinson.
I look forward to seeing the fruits of his research. Douglas Wilson shared several
Illinois newspaper stories about Dickinson. Bill Welge, of Goshen, N.Y., sent me
clippings describing the new plaques honoring Dickinson’s memory.
When I embarked upon this project I hoped to join several scholarly con-
versations that had fascinated me for many years. Along the way I have had many
conversations and e-mail exchanges with scholars who have helped shape our under-
standing of nineteenth-century American women. In addition to the scholars noted
above, I thank Catherine Clinton, Ann Douglas, Carol Faulkner, Judy Giesberg,
Melanie Gustafson, Amanda Holmes, Mary Kelley, Laura Skandera-Trombley,
Lisa Tetrault, Elizabeth Varon, and Wendy Hamand Venet for bits of information
or words of advice and encouragement. And a special thanks to actress and play-
wright Carolyn Gage, who inspired me on two occasions.
Although most of Dickinson’s papers are in the Library of Congress and available
on microfilm, I have hounded scores of librarians and archivists—either in person or
by mail—for assistance. I cannot possibly thank every archivist who has helped me
along the way, but—in addition to those noted above—I would like to acknowledge
Barbara Bair, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Linda Matthews and Victoria
Hesford, Special Collections, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory University,
Atlanta, Georgia; Jackie McKiernan and Margaret Mair, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
and library, Hartford, Connecticut; John D. Stinson, Manuscripts and Archives
Division, New York Public Library; Christopher Densmore, Friends Historical
Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Nan Card, Rutherford
B. Hayes Presidential Center, Fremont, Ohio; Elizabeth Oldham, Nantucket
Historical Association, Nantucket, Massachusetts; Amy Leigh, Duke University,
Durham, N.C.; Susan Crowe, Indiana Historical Society; Ann Roche, Goshen,
New York, Public Library; Leslie Fields, The Gilder Lehrman Collection, Pierpont
Morgan Library, New York City; and the staffs at the Greeley, Colorado public library,
the Connecticut Historical Society, and the University of Illinois library.
viii america’s joan of arc
When this book neared the writing stage I sent a proposal to Susan Ferber
at Oxford University Press because many friends had told me that she is one of
the best in the business. This turned out to be some of the best advice I received in
the course of this project. Susan has been everything I could ask for in an editor,
offering both broad suggestions on the shape of the book and careful readings
of several drafts. I would also like to thank two anonymous readers who provided
excellent feedback on an earlier version. Certainly this would be a better book
had I been able to meet all the suggestions.
As always, I thank my family, Jane Gallman, Eve Potgieter, Kurt Potgieter, Anita
Cotuna, and Theo Cotuna, for their support. And a special welcome to the family
to Hannah and Joshua Cotuna!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
I. ANNA DICKINSON’S CIVIL WAR 7
1. Early Life and Career 9
2. “The Necessities of the Hour”: Anna Dickinson’s Civil War 19
3. “Beloved of So Many”: The Many Faces of A Woman in Public 44
II. AN ENDURING PUBLIC FIGURE 61
4. “A Woman of Earnest Convictions”: The Lyceum 63
5. What Answer?: Suffrage and Citizenship in the Postwar World 80
6. “What New Grief Has Come to You?”: The Personal and
the Political 103
7. From the Platform to the Stage: Clinging to Fame 136
III. DECLINE AND FALL 165
8. Decline and Fall 167
9. A Reputation Defended 187
10. Conclusion: Memories and Legacies 205
Bibliographic Essay 214
Notes 219
Index 254