Gee, how far can I go w/ "Mother?" Truth is, I haven't scratched the surface. I recently found out that the Battle of Pocotaligo has been made into a board type game by a gentleman named Robert McNair through his company Western Carolina Historical Research. Who knew? Certainly this battle was not of epic proportions. Several regiments for the Union, and a couple for the Confederates. For my purposes, it is his map of the immediate area that makes the game well worth the price. It is a typical hex type counter driven game, a system most nerdy grognards like McNair and myself are used to- old school. The map may be valuable for what is not shown as for what is shown. Spottsylvania is not shown.
Then there is the question of Mary Chesnut (1823-1886.) Did she cross paths w/ Jane? Chesnut, of course, was a astute observant of the Civil War, travelling between South Carolina and Richmond for most of the war. Her diary is now considered a classic of Civil War history from a Southern perspective. Chesnut probably at least knew of Jane, as both were in the same place at the same time, and in the same monied class. At the time of Jane's passing in 1858, Chesnut would have been 35. Mary's husband James inherited one of the largest plantations in South Carolina, Mulberry, located near Camden. As time went on, he was away from home on political business, and Mary stayed at Mulberry. With over 400 slaves, they were one of richest families of the South. Mary had her roots in Charleston and frequently visited. Pocotaligo is close, and Jane probably sought out the cosmopolitan city as well.
