Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Mary Phelps, Dec'd, Greene County, Missouri, Springfield >From "History of Greene County, Missouri," St. Louis: Western Historical Company, 1883. ********************************************************************** Mrs. Phelps was born in Portland, Maine, in the year 1813. Her maiden name was Whitney, her father being a sea captain. While she was yet young he lost his life at sea during a storm, and shortly afterward the death of her mother left her an orphan in the full sense of the word. In 1837 she was married to John S. Phelps, who had but recently been admitted to the bar, and in the fall of the same year they concluded to cast their lot in the then far West. After arriving at St. Louis, and profiting by the advice of friends in that city, they determined upon Springfield as their future home, and from that year until the day of her death, with the exception of occasional visits to relatives, she was prominently identified, in a woman's sphere, with all that went to make up the history of our city. Mrs. Phelps possessed characteristics which pre-eminently fitted her for the arduous duties which devolved upon the wives of Southwest Missouri in those early days. Added to a cultured mind, which served to temper the asperities of frontier life, she brought a will that never failed in the accomplishment of the many prominent undertakings in which she engaged. Hundreds of instances corrobating her monaly enterprise are upon the lips of those of our older citizens whose intimate acquaintance with the deceased dated back forty years, but one will serve to illustrate, the hearty spirit with which she entered upon the new life into which she had been ushered. It occurred about a year after their arrival in Springfield. Her husband was then struggling practitioner, and from his scant fees had saved sufficient to purchase a lot at the corner of what is now St. Louis Street and Benton Avenue. The circuit at that time embraced as much territory as is now contained in two or three Congressional districts, and in his arduous practice he was frequently absent from home for months at a time. They were then boarding with "Uncle Joel" Haden, and it was after one of those long jaunts over the circuit, that returning to his boarding house in the evening, Mr. Phelps missed his wife, and upon inquiry the landlord called his attention to a newly erected log cabin upon his lot, with the remark that he guessed she would be found over there. He at once proceeded to the place indicated and was wel- comed by his young wife to the first home he ever owned. During his absence she had the cabin built, and had furnished it in accordance with the demands of those primitive times, having conceived and execut- ed the plan as a pleasant surprise for her husband. During the civil war the active and philanthopic efforts of Mrs. Phelps will ever remain inseparable with the history of the sad strife in the Southwest. Like her husband she espoused the Union cause, and labored unremittingly in support of her convictions. When friends and neighbors had fled, terror-stricken, from the country which was almost a constant scene of strife, she remained at her post nursing and caring for the sick and wounded soldiers. The day before the battle of Pea Ridge, in which both her husband and son were engaged, she left the city for the camp, with several wagons laden with provisions, lint, bandages, etc. Arriv- ing on the ground just as the second day's fight began she inspired the troops with courage by the fearlessness and enthusiasm with which she entered into the work of caring for the wounded of her husband's regi- ment. During the entire day she was exposed on the field of battle attending in person to the removal of those who required attention, and many a wounded soldier on that hard won day, had reason to bless Mary Phelps for her thoughtfulness and patriotism in providing comforts which otherwise would have been unattainable. At the battle of Wilsons Creek, when the panic-stricken Federal troops abandoned the field and their leader, the brave Lyon, to the triumphant enemy, Mrs. Phelps sec- ured the body of the dead chieftain, removed it to the homestead, and had it properly cared for. At the close of the war, Congress, in rec- ognition of the services which she had rendered during the war, placed at her disposal a large appropriation, for the purpose of establishing a soldiers' orphan home. A building was erected near the city, in which were gathered a number of these "wards of the nation," who were cared for until they were claimed by relatives, or found homes. Al- though advanced in years she was physically vigorous until she contrac- ted a severe cold, which caused typhoid pneumonia and resulted in her death on Friday morning, January 15th, 1878. Her mental faculties re- mained unclouded to the last, and she crossed the "dark river" with a full consciousness of all that was going on around, giving directions to her attendants with that firmness and decision which had character- ized her entire life. The funeral services were held on Sunday after- noon, at two o'clock, at Christ (Episcopal) church, Rev. Thomas F. James officiating. The very large attendance proved the high esteem in which the deceased was held in this community. The church was densely packed, and hundreds were gathered around the entrance, unable to gain admission, half an hour before the arrival of the corpse. The chief mourners were Gov. Phelps, Mrs. Montgomery, his daughter, and Col. John E. Phelps and wife. The pall bearers were C. B. McAfee, J. T. Morton, C. B. Holland, R. J. McElhany, L. A. D. Crenshaw, Mr. Epperson, Capt. Julian and John S. Waddill, being from among our oldest citizens, who, for more than a quarter of a century, had been intimate friends of the family. The exercises at the church were brief, consisting of a burial chant, rendered by the choir, the reading of the burial service, and the singing of the hymn, "Rock of Ages," by the choir and congregation. A large concourse followed the remains to their final resting place, in the Hazelwood Cemetery. In the death of Mrs. Mary Phelps an active and useful life was suddenly brought to a close. The poor, and those cast down by misfortune, lost a large hearted and sympathizing friend, whose place was not easily filled, and citizens in every station will, for many years, miss one whose busy life reflected such earnest, practical Christianity, inasmuch as she "visited the sick," "comforted the weak hearted," "raised up those who were cast down," and, as far as in her power lay, went about "doing good unto all men." Such a life is not without its reward. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe Miller Penny Harrell ====================================================================