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Charles Francis Adams

Clover Adams Takes Pictures of Grief (Her Own)

The famous statue “Grief” memorializes Clover Adams, a talented photographer whose husband wouldn’t let her work be published.

She committed suicide in 1885 by drinking the chemicals she used to develop photographs.

Her husband, historian Henry Adams, commissioned Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create the draped figure to portray nirvana, a state of existence beyond joy and sorrow.

It was meant to ask a question, not to give an answer, wrote Adams.

So why did Clover Adams commit suicide? Do her photographs suggest the reason why?

Clover Adams, Photographer

New techniques gave women a chance to explore photography after the Civil War, and Clover Adams went all in. Her photographs convey isolation and limitation. Many of her settings evoke the claustrophobia she may have felt as a woman in Gilded Age America. Others express isolation and the distance between people.

Brooks Adams, Henry’s brother. Photo by Clover Adams.

She lost her mother at an early age, and married a man descended from the famously remote John Quincy Adams. Though they longed for children, they never had any.

“Creativity also undoes, overwhelms, gives power to hidden undertows. What’s brought forward in expression is exposed and becomes irrefutable,” wrote her biographer, Natalie Dykstra.

Clover Adams, Brahmin

Clover Adams was born Marian Hooper on Sept. 13, 1843 into a Boston Brahmin family. Her mother, Ellen Sturgis Hooper, won acclaim for her Transcendentalist poetry. Her father, Robert William Hooper, achieved prominence as a Boston physician. The wealthy Hooper family lived at 114 Beacon St. in Boston’s fashionable Back Bay.

The Hoopers had a history of mental illness.

Self-portrait by Clover Adams.

“I am a ‘Hooper, and if a feeling is very pleasant I feel as if it were wrong,’ Clover Adams wrote to her sister.

Grief marred her pampered childhood. her mother died when she was five, and her Aunt Susan, a surrogate mother, killed herself when she was nine. She grow close to her father—too close for her future husband’s liking.

Marriage

In 1872 at her father’s summer home at Beverly Farms in Massachusetts, she married Henry Adams, grandson of John Quincy Adams and son of diplomat and historian Charles Francis Adams. Henry Adams described himself as ‘absurdly in love’ with her, but his brother Charles warned him about the family’s mental instability. “Heavens!–no!–they’re all crazy as coots,” he said when his brother told him he intended to marry Clover.

Henry Adams. Photo by Clover Adams.

Henry, a workaholic writer and historian, told her how he’d ‘improve’ her once they married. He discouraged her artistic pursuits. In one of his novels, he wrote that a woman ‘cannot both enjoy love and be truly herself in her creative ambition or beliefs.’

When Clover Adams got interested in photography on a trip to New York, he told her that wouldn’t happen again. And when a prestigious magazine wanted to use one of her photographs on the cover, he said no.

Charles Francis and Abigail Brooks Adams. Photo by Clover Adams.

Washington, D.C.

Five years into their marriage in 1877, Henry and Clover Adams moved to Washington, D.C. She belonged to the literary circle called the Five of Hearts, along with her husband, John Hay, Hay’s wife Clara and Clarence King, the famous geologist who led a double life pretending to be a West Indian railroad porter with a secret family in New York City.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., friend of the Adamses. Photo by Clover Adams.

Her world was a clubby little one: her friend John Hay had an affair with her brother-in-law Brooks Adams’ sister-in-law, Nannie Cabot Lodge.

Her friends viewed her as witty, clever, athletic. Perhaps they sensed her troubled nature. She inspired Henry James to write Daisy Miller in 1878 and Portrait of a Lady in 1881. When she died, James wrote, ‘poor Mrs. Adams found, the other day, the solution of the knottiness of existence.’

Clover Adams. Few photographs of her survive.

Grief

She remained close to her father, to her husband’s dismay. When he died in April 1885, she lapsed into a depression.

In 1885, the Adamses were building a baronial mansion on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., and living in temporary housing on H Street.

On Dec. 6, 1885, Clover Adams drank half a vial of potassium cyanide in the bedroom of their rented home. Henry then found her lying on the floor in front of the fire in the fireplace.

Henry Adams with the family dog. Photo by Clover Adams.

He never mentioned her, not once, in his autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, and he destroyed all her letters and photographs of her. A year after he died her wrote a friend that he hadn’t had the good luck to attend his own funeral. But, he wrote, “I have buried pretty nearly everything I lived for.”

With thanks to Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life by Natalie Dykstra. Featured image of the Adams Memorial By Wikipedia Loves Art participant “red_herring” – Uploaded from the Wikipedia Loves Art photo pool on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7821686. This story was updated in 2023.

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The USS Kearsarge Launched at Portsmouth to Slay the Alabama

In 1862, the Confederate Naval vessel CSS Alabama was the scourge of the seas. Just over a year into the Civil War the Confederacy had bought the ship in England. And the Union Navy had dispatched its own warship, the USS Kearsarge, to stop it.

Built in secrecy to avoid falling afoul of the British government’s official stance of neutrality, the Alabama was launched without cannon. Because the British couldn’t sell her as an armed vessel, the Confederacy to arm her. As soon as the ship entered international waters, the Confederate Navy outfitted her with eight cannon. Then it set her loose on a mission to capture as many merchant ships headed for America’s northern states as possible.

The Alabama may have exceeded the Confederates’ wildest expectations. Under the command of Capt. Raphael Semmes, she burned 65 ships, though never harmed their crew or passengers.

Under both power and sail, the ship could make 13 knots. Its captain and crew quickly made their impact on the war. Within a month of her commissioning, Alabama was cruising the shipping lanes east of the Azores, capturing and burning every American merchant vessel she encountered. Commissioned in July of 1862, she had destroyed 21 ships before the end of the year.

The Union Navy had taken notice of the Alabama. She had easily sunk a Union sidewheeler the USS Hatteras in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Battle of Kearsarge vs. Alabama by Edouard Manet, Philadelphia Museum of Art

The USS Kearsarge Receives her Orders

The Navy had constructed the USS Kearsarge at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1861 and sent her to sea in search of Confederate raiders.

New Hampshire newspaper publisher Henry McFarland claimed he had suggested naming the vessel for New Hampshire’s Mount Kearsarge to his friend, an assistant secretary of the Navy who summered in the Granite State. The assistant secretary would later say his own wife suggested the name.

USS Kearsarge

Either way, the USS Kearsage had been launched in 1862 and soon it was given a new mission: Capture or sink the Alabama. Capt. John Winslow, a Mayflower descendant, and a crew of sailors, many from New England, tackled their mission with gusto. From November 1862 to March 1863 the Kearsarge underwent some special modifications at ports in Spain.

The Kearsarge carried seven guns and under power and sail she could manage 11 knots. Though she might not seem quite a match for the Alabama, the Union Navy had taken notice of the awesome power of the Alabama. Steps were taken to strengthen Kearsarge. Along her sides, strategically placed to protect her engines, the Spanish shipyard installed three layers of chain armoring. And to disguise the battle armor, they constructed false wooden sides that sat atop the armor, painted black to match the hull.

The Kearsarge Hunts Alabama

For months, the Kearsarge scoured the Atlantic in search of the Alabama. But the elusive Alabama sailed the waters of South America and across to Africa, leaving a trail of devastation in her wake. By June of 1863, when the Alabama pulled into the French port of Cherbourg for much needed refitting, she had captured and destroyed 65 ships. She had boarded more than 450 ships and taken 2,000 prisoners over a period of 560 days.

When the officers of the Kearsarge learned the Alabama was in Cherbourg, they made their way to the port at best speed, arriving just three days after the Alabama. At the mouth of the port, the Kearsarge’s pursuit stopped abruptly. France was neutral in the war, and an attack on a ship in port would have been an unprovoked act of war.

CSS Alabama

The Kearsarge requested support from other Union naval vessels in blockading the Alabama in port. The commander of the Alabama made a snap decision. He would not be hemmed into the port while the Union Navy gathered strength. He quickly outfitted the Alabama to go to sea with the intention of engaging the Kearsarge.

Kearsarge at the Battle of Cherbourg

On June 19, the Alabama left port. The Kearsarge raced ahead of it to reach international waters to avoid a naval battle in French waters. Safely out to sea, the two vessels began to circle, each trying to gain an advantage.

From a range of 1,000 feet, the Alabama fired first. The Kearsarge waited until the ships got closer. On shore, spectators watched as the two ships fired hundreds of cannon shots at each other. The Alabama fired more than 370 shots at the Kearsarge, but the Kearsarge’s makeshift armor held. Though her hull bent under the barrage, it did not break.

The gun that sunk the Alabama

The Kearsarge fired far fewer shots, but her shots were accurate. When the smoke began to clear, the Alabama was sinking. The Kearsarge had blasted holes through the ship below the waterline, dooming the mighty Alabama.

The Alabama surrendered. Capt. Semmes dumped his sword into the ocean rather than face the indignity of surrendering it — an act considered dishonorable by some. One man was killed on the Kearsarge and two were injured. On the Confederate side, 19 men died. Some 70 men surrendered to the Kearsarge. Semmes managed to flee aboard on a passing British vessel and escape to England with about 40 of his men.

The crew of the Kearsarge were hailed as heroes back in New York. For their actions in the Battle of Cherbourg, 17 sailors received the medal of valor. The ship, meanwhile, would continue in service in various capacities up until 1894.

The Kearsarge commander, John Winslow, was promoted to commodore and then rear admiral, commanding the Pacific Squadron until his retirement in 1872. He died in Boston shortly thereafter.

Aftermath and Repercussions

The Alabama’s captain, Raphael Semmes, went on to teach Moral Philosophy at the Louisiana State Seminary, later Louisiana State University. He died in 1877 from complications of food poisoning after earing contaminated shrimp. The city of Semmes, Ala., was named after him.

Cartoon showing the US bullying Britain into paying the Alabama Claim

Britain had angered the United States by letting one of its shipyards build the Alabama. That led to a long legal challenge initially led led by American Minister Charles Francis Adams, the son and grandson of presidents. Known as the Alabama Claims, the U.S. demanded payment of damages for the destruction wrought by the Alabama and several other British-built Confederate raiders. In 1872, Britain settled with a payment of $15.5 million.

In 1984, a French Navy mine hunter discovered the wreck of the Alabama off Cherbourg. The archaeological investigation recovered several cannon. In 2002, a diving expedition recovered the ship’s bell along with cannon, tableware and ornamental commodes.

In Stamford, Conn., a cannon from the USS Kearsarge stood in West Park from 1901 until 1942. It was then hauled away as scrap during World War II.

Thanks to: Kearsarge Mountain and the Corvette Named for It by Henry MacFarland.

Images: The gun that sank the Alabama By Internet Archive Book Images – https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14576197040/Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/photographichist06mill/photographichist06mill#page/n308/mode/1up, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43879541. Battle of Kearsarge and Alabama By Édouard Manet – 1. From en.wiki2. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1757414. Painting of Alabama By Rear Admiral J. W. Schmidt [1] – From the US Navy's Naval Historical Center. Originally from en.wikipedia; description page is (was) here;uploaded onto en.wiki 03:11, 14 November 2004 by McMullen 740×571 (59,800 bytes; Painting of CSS Alabama), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1338854,

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Edward Everett, the Other (Much Longer) Speaker at Gettysburg

Edward Everett liked the sound of his own voice. He was, after all, a minister, a politician and a university professor.

Others liked to listen to him too. One of his students, Ralph Waldo Emerson, idolized Everett and praised his speaking style. He described Everett’s voice as “slightly nasal” but “the most mellow and beautiful and correct of all instruments of the time.”

Edward Everett

By 1863, Everett had earned the reputation as the nation’s leading orator. That made him a natural choice to lead the dedication ceremonies for the Gettysburg National Cemetery. He spoke for two hours, brought his audience to tears and upstaged President Lincoln, at least according to some.

Everett, though, knew who delivered the better speech.

Edward Everett

He was born in Dorchester, Mass., on April 11, 1794, the son of a minister and his wife. He graduated from Harvard as class valedictorian at the age of 17. Unsure of what to do after graduation, he ended up studying for the ministry.

He was hired as pastor at the Brattle Street Church in Boston. Most of his congregation enjoyed his lively and florid sermons. Others, though, found him aloof and condescending. One critic said he “spoke like some superior intelligence, discoursing to mortals of what they ought to feel and know.”

The Brattle Street Church

In 1814, he delivered an over-the-top a funeral sermon for the Rev. John L. Abbott.

Farewell, dear brother, thy Saviour calls…Already thou hast past the portals of death; already thou hast mounted on seraph’s wings…Ages of happiness are bursting on thy soul! Thy march of Eternity has begun.

Later that year, Everett decided he preferred academia to the pulpit. Harvard offered him a teaching job, along with a two-year trip to Europe, and he jumped at it. He ended up spending four years in Europe, earning a Ph.D. at the University of Gottingen.

Everett around 1850

Everett returned to the United States in 1819, bringing German teaching methods to Harvard. Later, as Massachusetts governor, he brought the Prussian educational system to Massachusetts. He established the first board of education and named Horace Mann its secretary in 1837. The next year, he opened the first normal school in Lexington, now Framingham State University.

Who You Know

Everett quickly tired of teaching and turned his attention toward politics. He made connections with Boston’s elite, putting him in a good position to run for office.

In 1822 he married Charlotte Brooks, daughter of a wealthy Boston merchant. Her sister, Abigail, married Charles Francis Adams seven years later. Everett’s own sister, Sarah, married Nathan Hale, publisher of the Boston Daily Advertiser and nephew of the Nathan Hale. Everett also made friends with Daniel Webster.

Daniel Webster

He won election to Congress in 1824 and served for 10 years. His tongue got him in considerable trouble when he led a three-hour speech on the House floor. In it, he referred to New Testament references to slavery. It seemed to put him in the pro-slavery camp. In reality, Everett opposed slavery – but not at the price of war or a break in the union.

He then served four years as governor of Massachusetts, followed by another four as ambassador to the United Kingdom. Then in 1846, he returned to Harvard as president. He hated the job, partly because he couldn’t control the rowdy students.

President Millard Fillmore named him secretary of state in November 1852 to succeed Daniel Webster, who had died in office. Everett’s taste for politics returned, and he won election to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts.

Edward Everett for VPOTUS

After 15 months, Everett resigned because he didn’t oppose slavery aggressively enough to suit a constituency disgusted by it.

He then traveled the country with his family, promoting the reputation of George Washington. He gave more than 100 speeches recalling Washington’s life. Proceeds went to the purchase and restoration of Washington’s home at Mount Vernon.

George Washington entertaining French generals at Mount Vernon.

In 1860 he ran unenthusiastically for vice president of the United States on the Constitutional Union Party ticket, with John Bell running for president — against Abraham Lincoln.

But when the Civil War broke out, Everett defended Lincoln, often speaking out to defend his critics.

The Speech

On Nov. 19, 1863, he found himself on the battlefield at Gettysburg delivering a two-hour speech — from memory — before 15,000 people. Traces of the fierce battle lay scattered everywhere: scarred trees, rifle pits, broken fences, scraps of blue and gray clothing, pieces of artillery wagons and harness.

The Union dead at Gettysburg. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Everett had spent weeks preparing. He interviewed soldiers, reviewed General Lee’s account of the fight and made sure he got every detail right.

He began in typical florid style. “Standing beneath this serene sky, overlooking these broad fields now reposing from the labors of the waning year, the mighty Alleghenies dimly towering before us, the graves of our brethren beneath our feet…”

“It is with hesitation that I raise my poor voice to break the eloquent silence of God and Nature,” he orated.

Everett then managed to get over his hesitation. He told of the misery and tragic cost of the Battle of Gettysburg, moving his audience to tears.

But he also stressed hope remained for the future. He desperately wanted the speech to prepare the nation to come together after the war, which would end within six months.

“The people of the South are not going to wage an eternal war, for the wretched pretexts by which this rebellion is sought to be justified,” he said. Everett then enumerated the ties that unite the country as one people: language, belief, law, a common history, geography, railroads.

“These bonds of union are of perennial force and energy, while the causes of alienation are imaginary, factitious, and transient,” he said.

Gettysburg cemetery by the National Park Service

The Gettysburg Address

Today, Abraham Lincoln’s eloquent two-minute speech at that dedication ceremony is viewed as one of the greatest statements of national purpose: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…”

Lincoln arriving at Gettysburg.

Everett’s speech on reconciliation is often compared unfavorably to Lincoln’s speech on equality. But the speech was widely praised at the time. Lincoln was still a political figure and was even criticized for his brevity in some quarters. His delivery may also have suffered from the mild case of smallpox he was suffering. Everett’s lengthy table-setting effort to inspire hope was almost universally lauded.

Everett realized the brilliance of Lincoln’s short speech. He wrote to the president: “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”

The Gettysburg oration was Everett’s swan song. He had inherited the reputation as the nation’s most eloquent speaker from Daniel Webster, and the Gettysburg speech was his final masterpiece.

Little more than a year after the speech at Gettysburg, Everett gave a speech in Boston to raise money for the poor in Georgia, left destitute by the war. He caught cold and died days later, on Jan. 15, 1865.

This story last updated in 2021.

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Charles Francis Adams

Clover Adams Takes Pictures of Grief (Her Own)

Clover Adams, Photographer

Clover Adams, Brahmin

Marriage

Washington, D.C.

Grief

The USS Kearsarge Launched at Portsmouth to Slay the Alabama

The USS Kearsarge Receives her Orders

The Kearsarge Hunts Alabama

Kearsarge at the Battle of Cherbourg

Aftermath and Repercussions

Edward Everett, the Other (Much Longer) Speaker at Gettysburg

Edward Everett

Who You Know

Edward Everett for VPOTUS

The Speech

The Gettysburg Address

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