Margaret Junkin Preston
Margaret Junkin Preston was an influential poet associated with the American Civil War era, born in 1820 in Milton, Pennsylvania. Despite her Northern roots, she aligned herself with the Confederate cause during the war, producing numerous nationalist poems that expressed her sentiments. Encouraged by her husband to pursue her writing in support of the South, Preston broke traditional gender norms of her time. Her familial ties to the South were strengthened through her sister's marriage to the prominent Confederate general, Stonewall Jackson, with whom she maintained a close friendship. While some scholars suggest she experienced personal conflict regarding her allegiance, she was largely viewed as a devoted supporter of the Confederacy. Known as "The Poetess of the South," Preston's work, especially her notable poem "Beechenbrook," which includes an ode to Jackson's grave, garnered significant recognition and was widely anthologized in the early 20th century. Her poetry is celebrated for its emotional depth and religious sentiment, showcasing the complexities of her identity and beliefs during a tumultuous period in American history. Preston passed away in 1897.
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Margaret Junkin Preston
Poet
- Born: May 19, 1820
- Birthplace: Milton, Pennsylvania
- Died: May 29, 1897
Biography
Margaret Junkin Preston, a poet of the American Civil War era, was born in Milton, Pennsylvania, in 1820. Her father, Dr. George Junkin, was the president of Washington College in Virginia. Although a Northerner by birth, Preston’s sympathies during the war were openly with the South and she wrote many nationalist Confederate poems. Her husband, who had previously not been supportive of her writing career, encouraged her to write and publish for the cause once the war began and shook up traditional ideas about the proper roles for women in Southern society. Some scholars suggest that, at least early on, Preston may have been personally conflicted about the Southern cause, but she was until fairly recently viewed as a devoted Confederate.
Preston’s family connection to the South began when her sister Elinore married Stonewall Jackson, a leading Confederate military commander during the Civil War. Elinore and Stonewall Jackson lived with Preston’s parents after their marriage, and Preston formed a close friendship with Jackson that lasted after her sister died in childbirth slightly more than a year after her marriage. Preston herself did not marry until after Jackson remarried in the mid-1850’s, and some historians hypothesize they may have been in love but prevented from marrying by the customs of the Presbyterian Church, of which they were both members. Dr. Junkin was a dedicated Union supporter, and when the war began he returned to Pennsylvania, leaving behind his daughter and her new husband, who had been one of the founders of the Virginia Military Institute and was a professor there at the time of his marriage.
Preston was called The Poetess of the South and was anthologized widely in early twentieth century collections of Southern poetry. Her most notable poem of the era is Beechenbrook, a Civil War lyric containing a much-admired ode on “Stonewall Jackson’s Grave.” Her translation of the Latin requiem text Dies Irae was published in 1855, and her poetry was praised by contemporaries for its emotion and religious feeling. Preston died in 1897.