Randolph County AlArchives Photo Person.....Culbertson, Mary Jane ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joseph R Dickson gisela1@rcn.com May 17, 2005, 2:59 pm Source: Family Name: Mary Jane Culbertson Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/photos/culberts1806gph.jpg Image file size: 53.8 Kb Mary Jane Culbertson Born Mary Jane Culbertson on August 11, 1840 she was the eldest of six children. Her mother died when she was fourteen years old leaving her to care for her five siblings, the youngest not yet a year old. When she was eighteen she married James (Jimmy) M Foster on March 10, 1859 two years before the outbreak of the Civil War.. She and Jimmy had two children, a boy and a girl. When Jimmy was enlisted into the infantry she followed him to Mobile to be near him. It was in Mobile, where, because of the cruel hardships of the war, lack of food and medicine, her two children took ill and then died. Near the end of the war, during the Atlanta campaign in August of 1864, her beloved Jimmy fell to a sniper's bullet through the neck and was killed instantly. Mary Jane mourned him until the day she died. Probably through the urging of her father, the grief stricken Mary Jane Culbertson Foster on February 21, 1869 married Confederate Captain James Miles Killian Guinn, who had lost his left arm above the elbow on the battlefield of Cold Harbor, Virgina he himself a widower of a year and a half having lost his wife and baby in childbirth. In addition to his two small surviving children, Mary Jane and James later had an additional nine children. My grandmother, Mary Walter Gordon Guinn was very close to her half sister and brother, this gives testimony to the loving caring person of Mary Jane Culbertson Foster Guinn having raised the children of her husband's first wife as if her own. The poem below was written by Mary Jane (Culbertson) Foster In mourning for her husband James who went away to war (Civil War), never to return. (He died Aug 14th 1864 in the Battle of Atlanta, two days after Mary Jane's 24th birthday). No voice but thine can give me rest And bid my tears depart. No love but thine can make me blessed And satisfy my heart. MJF - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Three years ago today: April 26, 1867 Tis sorrows hand that lies so chill and damp upon my heart, O God, would I had passed that envious strand. The woeful hour that saw him to war depart! The moonlight glimmers o’er the forest mound Tho, e’en the flowers are dim, their colors drowned in the rich tears of night. Shed piteously for one who loved him, but so tenderly. I see the blue eyes, moist with love’s dear light, I kiss the red lips in my idle sleep - I see the ripples of the hair so bright, Kissing a brow, for Angels’ kissed sweet. I live a life of hopeless, eager pain - I close up my hand in agonizing prayer, That God may pity me, and take again This worthless life, whose best hope is despair; Whose gayest wreath - the bud and bloom of care Mary Jane Foster April 26, 1867 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Poem written by Mary Jane (Culbertson ) Foster Not dated The Dying Christian How peaceful is the closing scene; When virtue yields its breath! How sweetly beams the smile serene Upon the cheek of death: The Christian hope no tear can blight. No pain his peace destroy’ The views beyone, the realms of light, Of pare and boundless joy. O who can gaze with heedless sigh, On scene so fair as this! Who but exclaims That let me die And be my end like his: Tis sweet to think we both shall lie, For long within one common tomb Till from deaths bonds released, we fly, To those blest; realms beyond it’s Tombs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In the Trenches near Atlanta, GA. Aug 15th 1864 Mrs. M. J. Foster Dear Friend your Husband Jimmie Foster was killed this morning out at the Picket line he was shot through the neck he never spoke after he was shot, but instantly I reached him when killed. There was another man there mortally wounded on the same Post I was going to take his place when he was killed. We have heard three others were wounded his morning, and two killed (next line illegible except for last two words) Co. D. (The next 8 lines are impossible to transcribe) THE FOLLOWING IS FROM JAMES FOSTER’S COMMANDING OFFICER: In the ditches near Atlanta, August 17th 1864 Mrs Foster. It becomes my painful duty to inform you of the death of your husband. He was killed yesterday no I am not correct it was day before yesterday the 14th day of August. He died nobly defending the rights of his Country. He was out on Picket and went out to relieve one of the Vidits and was shot within ten or twelve paces of the line of our own Videts and lay there until darke before he could be moved He was shot through the neck and died instantly without breathing a single breath so the boys say that saw him fall I did not see him my self he was brought out that night and buried that night as decently as he could be under the Existing Circumstances. I have a shirt and a pair of pants or what ever it was you gave me for him when I was at home in my trunk at La Grange. It has never been open since you gave it to me. I will send them to you as soon as I can. I left my trunk there because it was not safe to bring it. I truly sympathise with the bereaved family and can say that he died and honorable death discharging his duty in behalf of his County. I have the honor to be you most able servant signed B. F. Weathermen (Commanding Officer) - - - - - - - - - - - - File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/photos/culberts1806gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb