Evelyn Magruder DeJarnette (, Magruder; March 4, 1842 – March, 1914) was an American Southern author of the

long nineteenth century The ''long nineteenth century'' is a term for the 125-year period beginning with the onset of the French Revolution in 1789 and ending with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was coined by Russian writer Ilya Ehrenburg and British Marxist his ...

, who wrote stories in African American dialect. She contributed to '' Frank Leslie's Magazine'', ''

The Century Magazine ''The Century Magazine'' was an illustrated monthly magazine first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City, which had been bought in that year by Roswell Smith and renamed by him after the Century Associatio ...

'', the ''

Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', and ''

The Youth's Companion ''The Youth's Companion'' (1827–1929), known in later years as simply ''The Companion—For All the Family'', was an American children's magazine that existed for over one hundred years until it finally merged with ''The American Boy'' in 1929. ...

''.

Early life and education

Evelyn May Magruder was born in

Glenmore, Albemarle County, Virginia Glenmore is a suburban development and country club Albemarle County, Virginia, just east of Charlottesville. It has a golf course, equestrian complex, swimming pool, tennis courts, and a clubhouse. The price of homes range from $500,000 to $2.5 ...

, on March 4, 1842. She was the third child of Benjamin Henry and Maria Minon Magruder. Her father was a prominent

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

lawyer and

legislator A legislator (also known as a deputy or lawmaker) is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people of the state. Legislatures may be supra-national (for ex ...

, and in 1864, was elected to the

Congress of the Confederate States The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

. Her mother's family was from Piedmont Virginia. During her childhood, she reportedly taught classes to the enslaved children on her family's

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

. Magruder attended boarding school for several terms. During her father's connection with the General Assembly, she was a frequent visitor to

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, where she took part in social gatherings.

Career

In 1870, that she began her literary career in prose and poetry. '' Frank Leslie's Magazine'', ''

'', the ''

'', ''

'', and various newspapers accepted her contributions. Among her publications are "Old Vote for Young Master" and "Out on A' Scurgeon."

Personal life

In 1864, she married Elliott Hawes DeJarnette. He had been farmer, and a slave owner, who left his studies at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

to volunteer early in the

Civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, becoming a captain, and serving with distinction in the

Confederate army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. At

Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union ...

, he was severely wounded. After marriage, they moved into his family home, "Pine Forest," in

Spotsylvania County, Virginia Spotsylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the July 2021 estimate, the population was 143,676. Its county seat is Spotsylvania Courthouse. History At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that bec ...

. The DeJarnettes had eight children. Evelyn Magruder DeJarnette died at "Pine Forest" in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, in March 1914, and is buried in its private cemetery.

References

Attribution

* *

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:DeJarnette, Evelyn Magruder 1842 births 1914 deaths 19th-century American writers 19th-century American women writers People from Albemarle County, Virginia Writers from Virginia People from Spotsylvania County, Virginia Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century