Varina Ann Banks Howell Davis (1.4.1.2.4.7.2) - First Lady of the Confederacy

This past November I attended my first D.A.R. meeting which celebrated Veterans Day with the local S.A. R. chapter here in Springfield Missouri. I was welcomed by mothers and daughters, descendants of American Revolutionary patriots, who were sharing stories about their colonial histories that intertwined with our own Robinett history. It began to dawn on me, an avid genealogist and fan of DNA studies, that a great deal of our own American story is carried not only down the Y DNA or male line, but it is preserved culturally and historically just as easily on the mother-daughter lines. Although genetically we cannot trace absolute matches this way within a surname, history does continue. As I look at my own daughter Chiara, I think of how this will be of value to her, and her family one day.

So began my quest to learn more about our own D.A.R., daughters of Allen Robinett, or in this case of Allen and Margaret Symm Robinett. Not a lot has been published to date about A&M‘s first daughter, Susanna, but we do know that she married in England before coming to America Robert Ward and settled in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. There is extensive information available about the Ward families available on line. If you are interested to learn more about their roots try the Cecil County historical society. Annapolis Maryland is another location that needs extensive exploration…oh and by the way summer is a good time to visit, crab season you know. After I had exhausted my on line resources looking up stories on Susanna, and not yet able to plan a trip to Maryland, I decided to begin doing research on Sarah Robinett. What I found blew my hair back. Most early Robinett stories dwell in and around the Mid Atlantic states. This one does as well. However there is a wonderful new bit of history in England, and Washington D.C., Natchez Mississippi, and Richmond Virginia. If you are at all interested in Civil War history stay tuned because this promises to be entertaining for you, especially.

In all accounts of Robinett records to date, it appears that Sarah and her older brother Samuel, possible third child of A&M, travelled to America in the autumn of 1682. They were a part of the first purchaser group who settled in , and Chester County Pa. Sarah was born possibly 1670, making her all of 12 when she made the harrowing voyage across the Atlantic as a member of William Penn‘s ―Holy Experiment‖, pilgrimage to Philadelphia. Richard Bond, of Maulden, Cornwall England born 1650 died 1708 Chester County, son of William Bond, b 1622, son of Johes Bond(e), born 1547. The Bond men ‗ given‘ names are interesting, going back in the family there are Wilm‘s and Ricus‘, mostly centering around Earth (Erth, Earthe), Cornwall, England.

The original home of the Bonds was in Cornwall County, England, where there remains to- day the ruins of an ancient castle, Erth Barton Manor, which was held by their antecessors for more than three hundred fifty years. The Erth manor may have been built before the Norman invasion, some evidence dates it back to 562AD. They belonged to the landed aristocracy of their day, and were recognized by the higher castes in the social realm.

The Bond family pedigrees are very well documented, especially in Britain . Richard‘s family can be traced on Ancestry.com back to the 1300‘s, but other Bond family sites will offer you more history. This next section comes with a warning label; it is important background, however nerdy. My intention is to give you a good source link, sorry for the stuffiness!

The following is an excerpt about the Bond family that can be found I on page 240 of John Burkes 1835 publication, ―A Genealogical and Heraldic History of The Commoners of Great Britain And Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank: But Uninvested With Heritable Honours.‖

History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland. Bond, of Grange.

―The family of Bond was of great antiquity in the county of Cornwall, ("Bond, of Cornwall, a very ancient family, from whom those of London are descended."-Guillim's Heraldry, edit.-In the pedigree of Sir Thomas Bond, bart. in the college of arms, drawn up in the year 1669 , his ancestor, William Bond, of Buckland , in the county of Somerset , is described as being "ex antiquissima Bondorum stirpe in Provincia Cornubiæ oriundus.") and are said to have been originally seated at Penryn in that county, (Mr. Bond has an old MS. pedigree on vellum, dated 1636 , which deduces their descent from a Norman, who came in at the Conquest, and married the daughter and heiress of Bond , of Penryn , in Cornwall : and in Anderson 's pedigree, of Churchill , Duke of Marlborough , we find that Hugh Fitz Roger , second son of Roger de Courcil , (a follower of William the Conqueror, and who obtained from him extensive estates in Somersetshire , Dorsetshire , and Wiltshire , as appears by Domesday), espousing the sister and heiress of Bond, lord of Fisherton , their offspring assumed the surname and arms of that family, viz. sa. a fess or, and hence came the family of Bond .

This Bond (or Bondi as he is called in Domesday book) appears to have been a Saxon, and is mentioned in that record as holding Fisherton , in Wilts , as well as other lordships in Dorset and Somerset , as early as the time of Edward the Confessor.) but removed thence, at a very early period, to Earth , in the parish of St. Stephens , an estate they acquired in marriage with the daughter and heiress of a very ancient house, which took its name from that place. ("In following the course of the Lyner, you falle downe by Master Bond 's ancient house at Earthe , descended to his ancestors from a daughter and heir of that name.")‖

Well, here is another mystery to explore. Why did Richard C. Bond come to America? He seemed to have it made back in the old country, or did he? For now let‘s focus on Sarah Robinett (1.4) and Richard Bond as a couple, working hard to grow their land and family. Richard who was 20 years Sara‘s senior, married Allen and Margaret‘s youngest daughter in 1691 in Chester County, 8 years after her parents settled ―Nethercutt‖, the Robinett settlement on Ridley Creek. This would have made Sarah approximately 21 years of age at marriage, while Richard C. Bond would have been 41. They were married for about 17 years, when Richard passed away at the age of 58 in 1708. Allen and Margaret passed in 1694, so Sarah and Richard had a period of about 8 years to develop and maintain their holdings as a couple. Samuel was still very close to Sarah after Richard‘s passing, as he lived to the ripe old age of 75, until 1745. If you read the first volume of Allen Robinett‘s Descendants in America you will see that Sarah and Richard were very involved with Samuel and the management of Allen‘s land and interests. You will find references in Allen‘s will that indicate Richard, Sarah, and Samuel were the direct descendants who inherited Land from Allen indicating that there were close family relationships on the ―Nethercutt‖ settlement. This opens up some ideas for further research to try to better understand the social history of the time on Ridley Creek. Hopefully some of Richard‘s records will give us some clues about Allen and Margaret in the 12 year lives as Americans.

Sarah (1.4) and Richard Bond had a son, Samuel Bond (1.4.1) 1692. Samuel lived out his life on another Robinett farm on ―Milford Hundred‖, in Cecil County Maryland, just below Chester County, Pennsylvania. Samuel married Ann Sharpless 1708-1786, born in Ridley Creek Township, Chester County, and had two daughters Margaret and Sarah Bond. Ann Sharpless was the daughter of John Sharpless and Hannah Pennell Sharpless, passengers on the Friendship in 1683 and neighbors of Allen and Margaret. The Sharpless family has some of the very best documented history and best attended family reunions to date. They have really keep their bonds in tact! There is a family story in the Sharpless family collection about the marriage between Samuel and Ann:

―This marriage took place in 1726, and a pretty little traditional romance is woven about it, which says that they eloped at the ages of nineteen and fourteen years, respectively; and that they were pursued by the girl's father, who arrived too late to prevent the ceremony; but he, seeing the fallacy of farther opposition, joined, good naturedly, in the nuptial feast and "took the children home."

Samuel (1.4.1) and Ann Bond were the parents of Richard Clayton Bond (1.4.1.1), Sara Bond (1.4.1.2), Margaret Bond (1.4.1.3), Susanna Bond (1.4.1.4) in Cecil County Maryland . So you can see that the family names passed on in this fourth generation of Bond-Robinetts. Now let‘s focus on grandma Sara‘s (1.4) namesake, and follow her path forward. Sara Bond marries into a Welsh family from New Castle, Delaware. Sara married Ebenezer Howell and bore 9 children in 16 years, living in New Castle Delaware and Shiloh, Cumberland New Jersey. Richard Clayton Bond had 15 children.

Their fourth child, Richard Bond Howell (1.4.1.2.4) had a distinguished career as a Patriot and statesman, ―…the third governor of New Jersey, (Richard Howell) was born in Newark, Delaware on October 23, 1754. His early education was attained in the common schools of his native state. He went on to study law; however, his studies were temporarily interrupted when he became involved in the revolutionary movement and served as a secret agent for General Washington.. He was in active service throughout the Revolution, and was in the noted engagements at Brandywine and Germantown, and witnessed the terrible suffering of the patriotic army at Valley Forge.

He was implicated in the burning a cargo of imported tea in Greenwich, as well as serving as captain and later major of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment. After his military service, Howell entered into a career as a public servant. From 1778 to 1793 he served as clerk of the New Jersey State Supreme Court. He next won election to the governorship in 1793, and was reelected to seven consecutive terms. During his tenure, he participated in the Whiskey Rebellion, directing and commanding the state militia into Pennsylvania. After completing his term, Howell retired from political life. He continued to stay active, resuming his legal career. Governor Richard Howell passed away on April 28, 1802, and was buried in the Friends Burying Ground in Trenton, New Jersey. (Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 3, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.)

Richard Howell courted a beautiful and intelligent young woman from a wealthy socially prominent family who founded the Peachfield Plantation in Mount Holly, New Jersey in 1686. Keziah Burr was wooed and courted by the young lawyer at her family‘s estate in Mount Holly. They were married in 1779. Keziah Burr would become the First Lady of New Jersey in 1793, supporting her husband for 8 terms. Richard and Keziah were the parents of 8 children, the seventh being their son William Burr Howell (1.4.1.2.4.7), a Navy hero of the War of 1812.

William Burr-Howell traveled to Natchez Mississippi where he became a member of the growing . The Howell family plantation was called ―The Brierfield Plantation‖ or ―The Briers‖.

Richard married Margaret Louisa Kempe; they had perhaps 12 children, with possibly 8 who survived. So this makes the assignment of Henry numbers a bit challenging. Varina Ann Banks Howell (1.4.1.2.4.7.2) this is the best that I can do at this time to determine her number. One thing is for certain she was a seventh generation Robinett. Varina‘s siblings are listed as follows:

1. Joseph Davis HOWELL, b. 1824/5, LA? — born in Natchez, Adams Co., MS: 2. Varina Banks HOWELL, b. 7 May 1826 3. Samuel Davis HOWELL, b. 1828; died young 4. Margaret Louisa Kempe HOWELL, b. 1 Jun 1830; d. 6 Jun 1831 5. Margaret Louisa Kempe HOWELL, b. 7 Apr 1832; d. 11 Sep 1832 6. William Francis HOWELL, b. 5 Jan 1832; d. 1884 7. Francis Kempe HOWELL, b. 12 Dec 1836; d. 1 Jul 1838 8. George Winchester HOWELL, b. 4 Apr 1839; d. 2 Jul 1860 9. (Lt.) Becket Kempe HOWELL, b. 24 Dec 1840; d. 12 Sep 1882 10. Margaret Graham "Maggie" HOWELL, b. 30 Apr 1842 11. Jane Kempe "Jenny" HOWELL, b. 9 Aug 1844 12. HOWELL, b. 9 Nov 1846; d. Nov 1875

The study of Varina Howell Davis exists in many volumes of extensive and exhaustive collections of letters, biographies, Civil War publications, University collections, and every Southern Museum with Civil war exhibits. You could spend a lifetime recreating, speculating and interpreting her life and times. For this small introductory article into her life I am opting to share with you some passages from two books that I found very helpful to get started learning about her. The first is a book that was just published in the fall of 2006, ―First Lady of The Confederacy, Varina Davis‘ Civil War‖, by Dr. Joan E. Cashin, professor of American History at Ohio State University. I called her last December to share my appreciation for her research and I explained that there was a family connection to the Robinetts in Varina‘s history. She and I are working to add some of Varina‘s family history into her biography, as she had previously not known of us or the Bond family. Dr. Cashin spent the better part of 14 years writing her book, researching all of those wonderful collections over the years. She became intimately involved with understanding the motivations of Varina, as an individual to such an extent, that I often felt her breathing next to me, her presence almost palpabl as I read. The second book to read for a quick introduction is ―Leaders of the ‖, a collection of edited works by, Charles F. Ritter and John Wakelin. Perhaps though the best insight that you can get on her positions and recollections are in two volumes that she penned herself, one was the Biography of her husband, ―Memoirs of Jefferson Davis‖, and the other was her own Autobiography she was writing in the later years of her life. During her husbands long absences she wrote under an assumed name for the New Yorker, and she continued her career as a writer living out her final days in with her daughter Winnie. Varina loved her children but had an especially difficult and heart breaking career as a mother.

Varina and Jefferson Davis had six children, but only one survived to have children of her own, their daughter Margaret Howell Davis. All of her descendants are a part of the Robinett family.

Children of Varina Banks Howell Davis and Jefferson Davis:

1. Samuel Emory DAVIS, b. 30 Jul 1852; d.s.p. 13 Jun 1854, Washington, DC 2. Margaret Howell DAVIS, b. 25 Feb 1855, near Vicksburg, Warren Co., MS 3. Jefferson DAVIS, Jr., b. 16 Jan 1857, MS; d.s.p. 16 Oct 1878 4. Joseph Evan DAVIS, b. 18 Apr 1859, MS; d.s.p. 30 Apr 1864, Richmond, Henrico Co., VA 5. William Howell DAVIS, b. 6 Dec 1861; d.s.p. 16 Oct 1872 6. Varina Anne "Winnie" DAVIS, b. 27 Jun 1864; d.s.p. 18 Sep 1898; never married

Varina‘s political position was pro union, pro-slavery, and pro-state‘s rights. She found herself thrust into the role of championing the succession and the values of the confederate states as the First Lady of the Confederacy, when she herself was ambivalent about the cause of the South. Varina maintained very close ties to her parents, siblings, and the multitude of cousins in Philadelphia, Maryland, and Delaware. A first generation Southern Belle, Varina clearly had ties to her Mid-Atlantic roots throughout her life. Her regional identity clearly remained with her Northern roots.

Varina wrote letters daily and was appreciated for her vivid prose and pithy dialogue. She was not a typical antebellum woman, by any standards. She was outspoken, and held unconventional views on topics such as slavery, women‘s suffrage rights, and the South‘s ability to win the war. She was known to be a versatile conversationalist, well educated, and schooled in the fine arts. Peers considered her to be physically and spiritually courageous, as she assisted her own ailing husband during their capture by the federal soldiers in Georgia in 1865. Tall, olive skinned, with soft generous brown eyes, Varina could be affectionate, forgiving and very demanding. Possessive of those she loved, fierce when forced to endure any attacks on her family, as happened so frequently during the demise of the South at the end of the Civil War. Perhaps her greatest strength was her loyalty to her husband and family, as she dedicated herself to a life of service against unbearable loss, tragedy, and opposition. Although articulate in her personal views she also respected the social norms of the day, often offering platitudes or silence as expected by her contemporaries.

Below I Shall provide for you three pages from ―Leaders of the American Civil War‖, to give you a biographical sketch of Varina Howell Davis.

―Unfortunately for her own place in this country‘s history, Varina Howell Davis‘s considerable accomplishments are inseparably linked to those of her husband, Confederate States President Jefferson Finis Davis (q.v.) Some of her contemporaries viewed her as cold and interfering woman, perhaps frustrated by her lack of personal political power. Others believed she used her own time in later life in the vain attempt to resurrect her husband‘s career through her book ―Jefferson Davis, A Memoir‖, (1890). More careful studies of the woman herself reveal a flawed, yet heroic person. She made incisive judgments about her strengths and weaknesses of the Confederate leaders, judgments her husband took to heart and acted upon. If her friend Mary Chesnut (with whom she studied at Madame Grelaud‘s School in Philadelphia), labeled her a meddler for that activity, Chesnut all too well understood her powers. Chesnut too, grasped Varina‘s calming effect on the President, as well as her efforts to set a proper social scene in beleaguered Richmond. Mrs. Davis‘s duty was always to appear calm, collected, and optimistic, even in the face of adversity. Thus, her activities in behalf of the Confederate war effort, if appearing to some historians as problematic, require objective evaluation.

Varina was born into a Yankee family of enormous pride and status, if of modest income, in the clannish, rich Mississippi delta near Natchez. What income there was came from the family of her Virginia born mother, Margaret Kempe. Her father, William Burr Howell, had been born into a prestigious family of New Jersey politicos. His father had been governor (for 8 terms). But William, despite his advantages, seems to have had little ambition. For a time he wandered aimlessly through the Midwest, then served ably in the Navy during the War of 1812, and later visited old war acquaintances in Natchez. A gregarious man became friends with Joseph Davis, the elder brother of Jefferson Davis, who set him up in a law practice there. Howell met, and courts the heiress Margaret Kempe. That marriage allowed William to give up the law, become a planter, and purchase a modest home, ―The Briers‖. The young couple became supporters of the local Episcopal Church, entered the social whirl of that wealthy community, and depended upon Joseph Davis for financial support. Into that upper-class planter world, Varina was born on May 7, 1826.

Raised to believe she belonged to the upper classes, Varina learned to dance, to ride horses, and to develop the charms of a wealthy young woman. But that young woman also acted a bit rough in her play, seemed a bit determined to enlarge her knowledge of the outside world, and early gained a reputation for outspokenness. At twelve, as was the custom of her family‘s circle of friends, she was sent north for schooling and cultural refinement. At Madame Grelaud‘s fashionable ladies‘ school in Philadelphia, she hobnobbed with others of her class. But Varina‘s real education came from Massachusetts Yankee school teacher, George Winchester, (Harvard Graduate) who had come to Natchez to practice law. Winchester also became a distinguished judge. Local tradition, if not also legend, has it that Varina studied with him for 12 years and that the judge became her closest friend and confidant. Under her tutelage, that bright and quick woman gained almost the equivalent of a college education, as he taught her Latin, mathematics, history, and literature. From the judge she also learned the rules of debate and discourse. Certainly that was not the traditional education pattern for one of her class. Of course, intelligent young men were drawn to her, but most of the local planter‘s sons found her too quick, too facile, and sharp tongued for their taste. So at eighteen Varina possessed an excellent education, sophisticated talents, and no venue in which to express herself outside the parlors of wealthy Natchez.

Described at that time as having an intense and sultry look, Olive skinned from her Welsh ancestry, she had beautiful dark hair, large bright eyes, and a becoming smile. Certainly she was a most eligible woman. In her eighteenth year in 1842, her father and her benefactor, Joseph Davis, contrived for her to meet the morose thirty seven year old widower Jefferson Finis Davis. They talked, they rode, and argued about politics (Davis belonged to the Mississippi Democratic party and Varina favored the Whigs), and gradually fell in love. Their courtship correspondence reveals a ritual of pressure, evasion, and coyness, over how to proceed. Surely Varina understood that Davis‘s wealth was being used to lure a daughter of the profligate Howell family. Finally, in 1844, Jefferson proposed marriage, and she accepted. The wedding, kept small and tasteful, was held at ―The Briers‖, despite the bride‘s illness and probable reservations. On the honeymoon they visited the gravesite of Davis‘s late wife, (Sara Knox Taylor – daughter of President ), and that image of his former love stuck with Varina for the duration of her life. They also, to her great delight, travelled together on the campaign trail in a quest for Jefferson‘s election to the federal Congress. A pattern developed between the two of them of conferring together in private over political plans and of extreme loneliness at being left out when Jefferson had to meet with the rough and tumble men of the party. But Varina truly shared in his political ambitions.

When Davis entered Congress in 1845, Varina traveled with him to Washington. She began to meet and get to know some of the powerful denizens of that federal city. At times, however, she lived apart from her husband, and the long absences, her family‘s precarious finances, and his many illnesses surely began to wear on that vivacious young woman. While Jefferson fought in the Mexican war and made his reputation, she moped in Natchez. But her reward for that absence was her husband‘s election the and travel again to Washington. There, the twenty three year old woman entertained the political elite and, more important for her own needs, studied carefully the workings of the federal power structure. Her brilliant notes taken on the frailties, excuses, and failings of political genius, if published as a social political commentary of those times, would surely have given her an important place in American letters. Though there always were rumors of her speaking out in ways in which women of those times did not, she generally behaved herself and assisted her husband‘s career.

When Jefferson became President ‘s Secretary of War, Varina took her place as a famous Washington hostess. (As a 26 year old woman, whose husband was the Secretary of War under President Pierce, Varina had to prepare herself to become the third First lady in the US, and the only First Lady of the Confederacy. A very young woman, who held her own with 3 American Presidents, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan and the statesman of the most tumultuous time in our domestic history.)

In party after party she touted her husband‘s abilities. Some thought that she was preparing him for a run at the . An insider would have seen how she personally evaluated the abilities of the military establishment. She became an intimate of President Buchanan‘s just as that man needed moderate friends. Along with Senator John Slidell and A few other Southern Democrats, Jefferson emerged as a leader of the moderates in the Senate. Varina applauded her husband‘s statesmanship, and often attended the vigorous Senate debates that announced the end of moderation. Exhilarated by the verbal pyrotechniques, she nevertheless feared the onset of civil war.

When the Civil War began in the spring of 1861, Varina was only 35 years old. Some say that childbearing had turned her matronly looking. Others saw her as a self confident, stately looking woman who understood that she was always on display. She would play the role of the wife of the Confederacy‘s president brilliantly. If the man and the times had met, surely the same was true for the woman. She indeed was anxious to leave Montgomery and go to Richmond, that proud and fashionable capital city of the confederacy. She would throw herself into the endless round of state parties and at them cultivate the men of power while soothing their sometimes bored and neglected wives.

If being the best hostess and the image of solid support were a part of her job, she also became a major advisor to her often beleaguered husband. Her years of learning about how political loyalty worked, at sizing up talent and at studying the workings of government now had become quite useful to the president. Varina early discussed with her husband the disloyalty of Vice President Alexander Stephens (q.v.), dating back to U.S. Senate days may have had all Richmond atwitter. But they used each other well, and Benjamin, remained intensely loyal to the president.

Varina also had learned much about the pitfalls of social politics, and her actions revealed her own strengths. She grew to hate the snobs of Richmond and their constantly destructive rumor mill. For a time she appeared to be under siege, but she rallied to keep up a strong public presence and to resist the upper South nabobs. Her husband had a number of serious ailments, and at times the pressure of office left him quite depressed. Today we might say that he suffered from clinical depression. Varina protected him from the outside world, took his place at important gatherings and nursed his illnesses. In doing so, certainly she helped to preserve his fragile energy. Despite her own heartbreak after the accidental death of their beloved son Joseph, she revived her despairing husband. Through her personal faith, she brought Jefferson to convert to the Episcopal faith, which indeed gave him much peace of mind even in the direst of moments. In short, her social activities in public and in private were of incalculable aid to the confederacy, its government, and the president.

What is most difficult to discern is what the first lady contributed in her own right to the Confederacy. Of course she conducted a working household, and she cut corners and consumed less to show others how it could be done. Household production continued during wartime, and she helped to set up sewing groups to produce clothing for the soldiers. But Varina did far more. Her visits to hospitals and her encouragement to the nurses and orderlies helped their morale. She even became a recommending agent for the promotion of hospital staff. She took on some of her husband‘s correspondence, even to the point of becoming a kind of personal secretary to him when staff shortages occurred. Varina was even said to have had a role in sorting out appointments and promotions. For certain, her hard work and many hours of effort in behalf of the president and the government hardened and aged her.

As the war came to its end, she had to flee Richmond without Jefferson and to give up all that she loved and cherished. When the Union imprisoned her husband, she worked indefatigably to obtain his pardon. Certainly her many letters to the newspaper editor and her personal meetings with President Andrew Johnson (q.v.) helped him gain his freedom. Embittered by those efforts, she developed a downward droop to her mouth. But she travelled with Jefferson back to Canada and then to England, all the while nursing him back to health. She also began her quest to protect her good name. Her letters in response to Edward A. Pollards (q.v.) unkind judgment that Davis had lost the war are a model of propriety and skillful argument about the nature of wartime leadership. Of course, she herself was branded by some as a woman who had stepped outside of her sphere to enter the hurly burly of journalistic arguments.‖

Varina held her title of first Lady throughout her life, befriending U.S. Grant‘s wife Julia as well as Mrs. George Custer after the Civil War. Up until her death in 1906, she entertained, made presentations and accepted honors on behalf of her husband. Many Southerners were appalled that she moved to New York City after the war, and were even more concerned when rumors that she said she thought the right side won were spread about. She was always held accountable to be the exemplar of the values of the Confederacy, while she herself was very ambivalent on some points. Varina did always embody a courageous patriot spirit, upholding her family values, her love of her family history, and her own personal values that she held dear. Welcome Varina Ann Banks Howell Davis, a Robinett stateswoman, mother, artist, and family member.

Bibliography:

―First Lady of the Confederacy, Varina Davis Civil War‖, Dr. Joan Cashin, Harvard University Press.

―Leaders of the American Civil War‖ a collection of edited works by, Charles F. Ritter and John Wakelin.

Ancestry.com, family trees and family stories

Bond Family Websites

―A Genealogical and Heraldic History of The Commoners of Great Britain And Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank: But Uninvested With Heritable Honours.‖ John Burke, 1835.