Title	1892-06-12: Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Poem
Description	This document is a poem transcribed by Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson on June 12, 1892, at her home in Verbena, Ala. The first portion of the poem consists of a prayer to be said by children at bedtime. It is unclear whether she composed the poem herself or copied one written by someone else. The Fitzpatrick family emigrated from Ireland to the Virginia colony in the early 1700s. Over time, the family moved from Virginia through the Carolinas and into Georgia before finally settling in Line Creek, Alabama and Verbena, Alabama. Several members of the family were active politically including William Fitzpatrick, who served in the Georgia legislature, and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who served two terms as governor of Alabama. Sarah Fitzpatrick, a descendant of this family, married Columbus White Mitchell who was from a prominent Alabama family. The couple had ten children, seven of whom survived infancy. Three of their sons served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy (Phil F. Mitchell, Joseph A. Mitchell, and Columbus White Mitchell). Their daughter Mary Louisa, a central figure of this collection, married Dr. Samuel "Trinley" Thomas Williamson in September 1861 shortly after the war began. Williamson was a medical doctor who also fought in the Confederate armed forces. With Williamson and the three Mitchell brothers away fighting, Mary Louisa was left home to run the household with only the help of her sick mother and her sisters. At this time she was also pregnant with her first child who was born in 1862. All three brothers and Williamson survived the war. The family continued to live in Alabama following the Civil War. Since the mid-1900s, some branches of the family have spread out while some continue to live in Alabama. This item has been aggregated as part of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)'s "Deeply Rooted: The Agricultural & Rural History of the American South" project.
Transcript	[page 1] "Father" When I close my eyes Send sweet angels from the skies To guard me through the hours of night And wake me with the morning light. If I should die before the day. Take my soul to Heaven I pray That I may near my Savior be Who said let children come to me Forgive my sins Father and bless Thy child who ne'er can love Thee less. This prayer I have said at my own mothers knee and each one of my children have said it to me As a tender petition, it still recalls to my soul Memories of a time when my faith was almost whole We all dread the shadows in this life so strange Our full hearts are grateful for each happy change As I look back o'er the past. I bless the dear Hand That has led me so safely. that to day I stand So pleasantly surrounded with the hope full and free That in Heaven my Savior has a place for even me. MLW Verbena June 12th 1892 Sunday afternoon
Date	1892-06-12
Creator	Williamson, Mary Louisa Mitchell
LC Subject	Williamson Family Mitchell Family Fitzpatrick Family Alabama--Social life and customs--19th century Poetry Prayers
EOA Categories	Peoples -- Domestic Life History -- 1875-1929: The New South Era Religion -- Christianity Arts & Literature -- Poetry
Location	Verbena, Chilton County, Alabama, United States
Coverage-Temporal	1892-06-12
Source	Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Family Papers, 1850-1989, Auburn University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
Original Item ID	Record Group 1223, Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Papers, Folder 54
Original Item Format	1 page; 26 cm
Language	eng
Digital Publisher	Auburn, Ala. : Auburn University Libraries
Rights	This image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of this image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other images in this collection, please contact the Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archives@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.
Type	Stillimage; Text;
File Name	1892-06-12_WilliamsonMLM_Poem.pdf
File Type	application/pdf
Relation	Deeply Rooted
Contributor	Auburn University Libraries
Submitted by	Coates, Midge