Anna Augusta Truitt (, Pattin; after first marriage, Ramsey; after second marriage, Truitt; 1837 – June 9, 1920) was an American philanthropist, temperance reformer, and essayist. For many years, she provided services for the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...
(WCTU), acting as delegate from the local to the district, state and national conventions. Her essays, addresses and reports showed her to be a talented writer. Benevolence was said to be her one underlying character trait.
Early life and education
Anna Augusta Pattin was born in
Canaan, New Hampshire
Canaan is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,794 at the 2020 census. It is the location of Mascoma State Forest. Canaan is home to the Cardigan Mountain School, the town's largest employer.
The main vi ...
, in 1837. Her father was Daniel G. Pattin. Her mother, Ruth Chase Whittier, was related to
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Salmon P. Chase
Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States. He also served as the 23rd governor of Ohio, represented Ohio in the United States Senate, a ...
and the poet
John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...
.
At an early age, her father emigrated to
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
, where she was educated by private tutors. She subsequently spent two years in College Hills Seminary.
Career
She married John P. Ramsey in 1860. They settled in the
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
, where they resided until the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, when, on account of diametrical differences of opinion between themselves and the inhabitants, they returned to the
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
, but at a large sacrifice of personal and other property. Here, in 1864, Mr. Ramsey died.
![Joshua Truitt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Joshua_Truitt.png)
On May 17, 1864, in
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Ohio, United States. Located midway between Columbus and Cleveland via Interstate 71, it is part of Northeast Ohio region in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau. The city ...
, she married Joshua Truitt (1830–1894), a businessman of
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie ( ) is an incorporated city and the county seat, seat of Delaware County, Indiana, Delaware County, Indiana. Previously known as Buckongahelas Town, named after the legendary Delaware Chief.http://www.delawarecountyhistory.org/history/docs ...
. He brought with him two children, Lola and Stanley, his first wife having died the previous December. The family made their home in Muncie, where Truitt became actively engaged in benevolent and philanthropic work. During the Civil War, she was untiring in her labors in behalf of the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
, preparing bandages and scraping lint for the use of the surgeons, and collecting provisions, clothing, blankets, and hundreds of other things useful and needful to the soldiers. She marched, sang and prayed with them.
After the war, she became engaged in the work of the WCTU. She served as president of the
Delaware County, Indiana
Delaware County is a County (United States), county in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 111,903. The county seat is Muncie, Indiana, Muncie.
Delaware County is part of the Muncie, IN metropoli ...
WCTU for several years, and was selected by the Union to represent them in
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
and district meetings, as well as in the national convention in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
in November 1887. She was the
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
temperance delegate to the International
Sunday School
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
Convention held at
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, in June 1890, and her report of its proceedings was accepted without alteration or amendment, which spoke well for her accuracy, lucidity, and logical trend of thought. In the WCTU, she adhered to the principle of
nonpartisan
Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party.
While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...
,
nonsectarian
Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group.
Academic sphere
Examples of US universities that identify themselves as being nonsectarian include Adelp ...
work. In a blue-ribbon temperance club, she was an untiring worker and spared neither time, effort nor means in advancing its interests. She was also an advocate of
suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...
, believing that woman's vote would go far towards the cause of temperance.
For years, she was identified with the industrial school of Muncie, serving as an officer, as well as performing duties in its meetings and those pertaining to the executive department. Her presence was familiar in the homes of the poor, carrying sympathy, counsel and needed food and clothing. In this connection, there was probably no other one woman in Muncie known to more children than Truitt, who was constantly performing for them some work of kindness.
Personal life
She had no children of her own, but she took into her family the four children of her deceased brother, taking on the role of their mother.
For many years, Truitt was an attendant of the Presbyterian church. She died June 9, 1920, and was buried at
Beech Grove Cemetery, in Muncie.
References
Attribution
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Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Truitt, Anna Augusta
1837 births
1920 deaths
19th-century American essayists
19th-century American women writers
People from Canaan, New Hampshire
People from Muncie, Indiana
Woman's Christian Temperance Union people
19th-century American philanthropists
American temperance activists
American essayists
American women essayists
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century
20th-century American essayists
20th-century American women writers
American women philanthropists
People from New York (state)
Union Army civilians
American suffragists
American Presbyterians
19th-century women philanthropists