Blanche Butler Ames
Encyclopedia
Blanche Butler Ames was the wife of Adelbert Ames
, a decorated general of the American Civil War
and Senator
and Governor of Mississippi
during Reconstruction.
Blanche Butler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts
, the second child and only daughter of Sarah Jones
(née Hildreth) and Benjamin Franklin Butler
, who would also serve as a general in the Civil War. She attended school in Lowell until she was sent to the Academy of the Visitation in Washington, D.C.
at age 13, where she described the sectional tension between northern and southern students on the eve of the Civil War.
Blanche met Adelbert Ames, who had served under her father in the Army of the James
, while he was serving as Senator from Mississippi during Reconstruction. They married at Saint Anne's Episcopal Church in Lowell, the same church where her parents were wed, on July 21, 1870, and had six children: Butler
, Edith, Sarah, Blanche
, Adelbert, Jr.
, and Jessie. When her husband was elected Governor of Mississippi in 1873, Blanche accompanied him, and wrote a series of letters detailing her experiences as a Northern woman living in the South during Reconstruction. After Adelbert resigned under pressure in 1876, the Ames family returned to Lowell to pursue business interests, where they remained for much the rest of their lives.
After her husband's death in 1933, Mrs. Ames compiled a collection of their letters, released by the family as Chronicles from the Nineteenth Century: Family Letters of Blanche Butler and Adelbert Ames in 1957. She died at the Ames winter home in Ormond Beach, Florida
, on December 26, 1939, at the age of 92, and is buried beside her husband and their children at the Hildreth family cemetery
in Lowell, across from her parents and siblings.
Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames was an American sailor, soldier, and politician. He served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. As a Radical Republican and a Carpetbagger, he was military governor, Senator and civilian governor in Reconstruction-era Mississippi...
, a decorated general of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and Governor of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
during Reconstruction.
Blanche Butler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, the second child and only daughter of Sarah Jones
Sarah Hildreth Butler
Sarah Hildreth Butler was an American stage actress. She was the wife of Benjamin Franklin Butler, a controversial political general in the American Civil War and later a Congressman and Governor of Massachusetts.Sarah Hildreth was born in Dracut, Massachusetts, the daughter of Dr...
(née Hildreth) and Benjamin Franklin Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
, who would also serve as a general in the Civil War. She attended school in Lowell until she was sent to the Academy of the Visitation in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at age 13, where she described the sectional tension between northern and southern students on the eve of the Civil War.
Blanche met Adelbert Ames, who had served under her father in the Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
, while he was serving as Senator from Mississippi during Reconstruction. They married at Saint Anne's Episcopal Church in Lowell, the same church where her parents were wed, on July 21, 1870, and had six children: Butler
Butler Ames
Butler Ames was an American politician, engineer, soldier and businessman. He was the son of Adelbert Ames and grandson of Benjamin Franklin Butler, both decorated generals in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
, Edith, Sarah, Blanche
Blanche Ames Ames
Blanche Ames Ames was an artist, inventor, writer, and prominent supporter of women's suffrage and birth control. Born Blanche Ames in Lowell, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of Civil War General and Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames and Blanche Butler Ames and the sister of Adelbert Ames...
, Adelbert, Jr.
Adelbert Ames, Jr.
Adelbert Ames, Jr. was an American scientist who made contributions to physics, physiology, ophthalmology, psychology, and philosophy. He pioneered the study of physiological optics at Dartmouth College, serving as a research professor, then as director of research at the Dartmouth Eye Institute...
, and Jessie. When her husband was elected Governor of Mississippi in 1873, Blanche accompanied him, and wrote a series of letters detailing her experiences as a Northern woman living in the South during Reconstruction. After Adelbert resigned under pressure in 1876, the Ames family returned to Lowell to pursue business interests, where they remained for much the rest of their lives.
After her husband's death in 1933, Mrs. Ames compiled a collection of their letters, released by the family as Chronicles from the Nineteenth Century: Family Letters of Blanche Butler and Adelbert Ames in 1957. She died at the Ames winter home in Ormond Beach, Florida
Ormond Beach, Florida
Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 36,301 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 37,929. Ormond Beach is the northern neighbor of Daytona Beach and is home to Tomoka State Park.-History:Ormond Beach was...
, on December 26, 1939, at the age of 92, and is buried beside her husband and their children at the Hildreth family cemetery
Hildreth Cemetery
Hildreth Cemetery is a small cemetery located on Hildreth Street at Sutherland and By Streets in the Centralville neighborhood of Lowell, Massachusetts. The cemetery's history dates back to the mid-18th century, when it was designated as a burial ground by Major Ephraim Hildreth before his death in...
in Lowell, across from her parents and siblings.