On 14 February 1861 in Amelia County, Virginia, my 2x great-grandmother, Ann Octavia Vaughan, received a proposal of marriage. Born on 2 February 1844 in Amelia County, Virginia to Augustus and Mary Spencer (Farmer) Vaughan, Ann had just turned 17 years old.   Ann’s parents both died when she was just a child – her mother about 1846 and her father about 1851. She had one sister born in 1846 named Mary Spencer Vaughan. After their father’s death they were raised by their maternal uncle Charles Willson Farmer and his wife Alice Gabriella Gills who lived nearby.

Original marriage proposal dated 14 February 1861 to Ann Octavia Vaughan (in possession of author)                   

Transcription:

Miss Anna,

Emboldened by the license afforded by the day, I shall venture to beg you to be my Companion in a journey, I propose taking, and as if you accp^t my invitation, it may prove an important event in your life. It will be but, Justice to give you some information as to the character of our ride.

The vehicle in which I would go is called matrimony. We will drive along the road of life. Space my horse is an old gray Steed name[d] time, and he is a rapid courser having ascended the vehicle by Steps called love, fashioned by a cunning artificer, Cupid by name. The door will be closed upon us by a clergyman and he will lock the door and throw away the key. We shall find in the road certain rough places caused by the stones, and roots of Selfishness, pride, Vanity, and Temper, which have never been entirely removed from the pathway of life. That we might get over these without injury+ the carriage is provided with Springs of mutual affection which assist is most wonderfully in softening every jolt, and indeed if we would keep these Springs oiled with Sympathy of mind, our whole journey will be as pleasant as we desire. The vehicle is furnished with glasses called cheerfulness or content, which we may draw up if assailed by storms of adversity. Moreover, the whole landscape looks pleasant through the medium of those glasses. Such is their magical power.

At some points along the way, we shall be in doubt as to which path to take, and shall be met by two individuals’ duty & inclination, though may direct us differently.  But to assist in such dilemmas the ruler of the country, through which the road runs has published a guide book containing rules for such, together with many, valuable directions about the road, keeping the vehicle in good repair &c for the road is a long one. Moreover if we follow a right the directions of the book, our journey will terminate at the portals of a beautiful region lovely as paradise into which we will be admitted by a porter whose name is death. Whereas if we neglect the rules of our guide our road will infallibly lead into a region of darkness

It is in hope that you will assist me in interpreting this book, that I now invite you to accompany me & I faithfully promise that your Safety and happiness shall be my first and constant care & in hope that my effort may prove successful. I remain ever your devoted                          Valentine

14th February 1861

A Family Story And A New Mystery

My grandmother and Ann O. Vaughan’s granddaughter, Rebecca Blanton (Morris) Eisenbeis (1913-1994) had a framed version of this proposal hanging in her home. As someone very interested in family history, I read it many times and my grandmother was kind to gift me the original. I also have typewritten copy made by my grandmother dated 1962. While the original is only signed ‘Valentine’, the typewritten version adds ‘Dr. William Tucker, Amelia County, Virginia.’ This is the story we heard growing up.

As I began drafting this article, I decided to research Dr. William Tucker. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t find him. I checked the 1860 census records for Amelia, Nottoway and Prince Edward Counties and found three William Tuckers living in the area.  

Amelia County

1860 – William Tucker, age 39 (c. 1821), Farmer – already married to Ann Ellington Tucker with two children and living with his mother-in-law.

Nottoway County      

1860 – William S. Tucker, age 17 (c. 1843) – living with John A. Wilson, merchant and post master. Sarah Tucker, age 12 was also living in the household – presumably his sister.  Both were attending school – no occupation and census does not record any value for either real or personal property.  

1860 – William R. Tucker, age 16 (c. 1844) – living with father Lewellen Tucker, merchant. Married 1867 Prince Edward County to Mary Robinson, lived in Prince Edward County in 1870, working on railroad.   

Prince Edward County

No William Tucker

None of these William Tuckers were physicians and none were in the same economic class as Ann Vaughan who was listed in the 1860 census with $10,208 in real estate and $32,042 in personal property. In fact, the real estate and personal property were still part of her father’s estate and was jointly held by both Ann and her younger sister. The personal property value represented the 68 enslaved persons held by her father’s estate, which was likely meant to be kept together until the girls reached adulthood or married.          

A Potential Candidate

Next, I searched the 1860 census for any physician with the surname Tucker living in the area. Turns out there was exactly one. Living at Deatonville in Amelia County was Joel W. Tucker, age 32 (c. 1828), physician with $5,000 in personal property. He was living with his widowed mother Elizabeth C. Tucker and some of his siblings. His mother owned real estate valued at $6,500 and personal property valued at $30,665. Checking the 1850 census, I found Joel W. Tucker, age 22, physician living with his parents Owen H. & Elizabeth C. Tucker at Deatonville. His father served as postmaster at Deatonville. His father died in 1854. Dr. Joel Wood Tucker attended the University of Pennsylvania is listed in the medical class of 1847-1848.

Tucker enlisted in the Confederate Army on 12 March 1862 at Amelia Court House as a private in Company G, 1^st Cavalry (Amelia Dragoons). His occupation is listed as physician and his residence as Deatonsville. He did not survive the war dying of disease on 20 October 1862 at Warrenton, Virginia. He is interred at Tucker Cemetery in Amelia County.

Inset of 1860s map of Amelia County. The blue circle is the location of the Vaughan farm near Jetersville. The yellow circle is the farm of Charles W. Farmer where Ann Vaughan and her sister were raised after their father died in 1851. The red circle is the Tucker place near Deatonville.[1]     

Closing Thoughts

While I cannot be sure that Dr. Joel W. Tucker is the man who proposed to my 2x great-grandmother, I think I may have it right. He was in the vicinity and of the same economic class as the Vaughans. I can only be sure that she declined the proposal. Nonetheless, Ann Vaughan was sentimental enough to keep that marriage proposal for her entire life. Somehow it survived through the decades and made its way to me so I could write about it here 162 years later.

In 1867, Ann Octavia Vaughan (1844-1942) received another marriage proposal from John Augustus Rives Morris (1840-1904). This one she accepted and the rest, as they say, is history.

If you’d like to read more about my 2x great-grandparents, check out:

John Rives Morris – Part 1 (Fatally Gored By An Infuriated  Bull)

https://asonofvirginia.blog/2022/02/15/fatally-gored-by-an-infuriated-bull/

John Rives Morris – Part 2

https://asonofvirginia.blog/2022/07/26/john-rives-morris-1840-1904-part-2/

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[1] Henderson, D. E., Campbell, A. H., Gilmer, J. F., Minis, L. P., Confederate States Of America. Army. Department Of Northern Virginia. Chief Engineer’s Office & Virginia Historical Society. Map of Amelia Co., Virginia. [Virginia: s.n., 186-?] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2012591111/; accessed 6 February 2023

• Amelia County Connections