Generals Wives Block

We're making progress on our Generals Wives Block-of-the-Month. This month we learned a little about Flora Cooke Stuart, the wife of Condfederate General J.E.B. Stuart.

Flora Cooke was born in Missouri, the daughter of a Virginia career Army officer. Educated at a private boarding school in Detroit, Flora met the dashing James Ewell Brown Stuart while her father was commanding the 2nd U.S. Dragoons at Fort Leavenworth. Stuart recently graduated from West Point and was stationed on the Kansas frontier. As befitted the daughter of a colonel of cavalry, Flora was a skilled horsewoman, and she soon began going on long evening rides with Stuart. The young officer was as taken with Flora as she was with him, and it didn't take him long to propose. They became engaged less than two months after meeting. Stuart humorously wrote of his rapid courtship in Latin, "Veni, Vidi, Victus sum" (I came, I saw, I was conquered).

JEB Stuart was promoted to Colonel early in the Civil War and led a Calvary brigrade. In May 1864, Gen. Stuart received a mortal wound to the abdomen and died the next day. The battle was fought at Yellow Tavern, just north of Richmond (Virginia), which is not too far from where I live. Hubby and I want to visit the site and tour the battleground and National Park that has been established there. Both Gen. Stuart and his wife Flora are buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, another site we would like to visit and photograph for you.

(Hubby and I are Yankees transplanted to the south only 7 years ago in order to be near our sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. I've found this quilt project so interesting and am learning so much about Virginia and the role she played in the Civil War.)

Back to Flora--She was 28, with 2 small children, when her husband died. She honored her husband's wishes by educating her children in the South. She wore black clothing the rest of her life, and lived another 59 years beyond her husband. She supported herself and her family as a teacher, eventually becoming headmistress of the Virginia Female Institute in Staunton – Virginia's oldest college preparatory school for girls. She served as its principal from 1880 until 1899. In 1907, the school was renamed Stuart Hall in her honor. The school is currently a school for deaf children.

I have fabric to make the toile and dark blue pieced border. I'm excited about being able to sew this top together...it's very hard waiting for the next month's block!

Have you made a block-of-the-month project? Or have you just collected block-of-the-month project! Time to get it out and start stitchin'.

Till next time, keep stitchin!

Mary