Flora Adams Darling

Flora Adams Darling (July 25, 1840 – Jan. 6, 1910) was an American author. She is primarily noted for playing a role in founding the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1890.

She was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire to Harvey Adams, a member of the Adams political family, and Nancy Dustin Adams, née Rowell. Flora had a brother, John Quincy Adams, and a sister. After an education at Lancaster and Sanbornton, she was married to Edward Irwin Darling in 1859,[1] a man 22 years older than her.[2] The couple had an only son, Edward Irvin Darling.[3] Her husband was killed December 2, 1863 from wounds received on November 29 at the first Battle of Franklin, Tennessee;[1] where she claims that Edward was serving as a brigadier-general in the Confederate Army.[3] Flora then attempted to travel north to her home and son under a flag of truce, but was taken as a prisoner of war.[1] Later, following an appeal lasting 30 years, she won a case against the government for false imprisonment and theft of her possessions, and was awarded $5,683.[3]

Despite growing increasingly deaf following the war,[3] Flora became a prolific writer who was published in magazines and journals, and wrote a number of novels and short stories.[4] In 1886, based on the merits of her writing, she earned an honorary A. M. from Western Maryland College.[1] She was also awarded an honorary degree from the Kentucky Military Institute.[3]

She lived in Washington, D. C. for forty years, where she was socially active and developed an interest in founding patriotic societies.[2] Flora played a role in founding the Daughters of the American Revolution on October 11, 1890, although the society does not recognize her as one of its founders.[3] She then founded the General Society of Daughters of the Revolution on June 18 1891, and the National Society, United States Daughters of 1812 on January 8, 1892. Each society was founded in turn because of disagreements she held with members of the previous organization.[2]

In 1910, while visiting her brother in New York, she died of apoplexy.[3] Female members of the National Society, United States Daughters of 1812 between the age of 18 to 35 are termed "Flora Adams Darling Daughters" in her memory.[5]

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ a b c d "New Hampshire Necrology", The Granite monthly: a magazine of literature, history and state progress (J. N. McClintock) 42: 62–63, 1910, http://http:books.google.com/books?id=TRkXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA62 
  2. ^ a b c Flora Adams Darling Papers, 1862-1908, Special Collections Research Center, College of William and Mary, http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/?p=collections/controlcard&id=6797, retrieved 2011-10-30 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g James, Edward T.; James, Janet Wilson (1974), Notable american women: a biographical dictionary, Dumbarton Oaks Colloquium Series in the History of Landscape Architecture, Harvard University Press, pp. 432–433, ISBN 0674627342, http://books.google.com/books?id=rVLOhGt1BX0C&pg=PA432 
  4. ^ Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice, eds. (1893), A woman of the century: fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading American women in all walks of life, 3, Moulton, pp. 228–229, http://books.google.com/books?id=zXEEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA228 
  5. ^ Membership, National Society, United States Daughters of 1812, http://www.usdaughters1812.org/membership.html, retrieved 2011-10-31 

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