Queen of the Confederacy: The Innocent Deceits of Lucy Holcombe Pickens

CHAPTER TWENTY: “A volcano under that exterior of stillness and glitter.” Clara Victoria Dargan (1863–1865)

158 A volcano under that exterior T he administration of Francis Wilkinson Pickens as governor of South Carolina ended 31 December 1862. At the forefront of politics since the age of twenty, he had thrived on the arguments and decision-making of government. Having reached the age of fifty-nine, tired and ill, he longed to return to the quiet solitude of his beloved Edgewood. It is doubtful that Lucy shared this longing. She’d miss the society and cultural aspects of Charleston and Columbia and her stellar position as the Governor’s wife and, although she used discretion, her influence in governmental matters was known and respected. Now, to avoid oblivion and boredom, she knew that all activity and entertainment must originate with her. She began by transforming Edgewood into a home of elegant distinction. As a kindness to Jeannie, her favorite stepdaughter, Lucy placed the portrait of the child’s mother, Marion Antionette Dearing, the second Mrs. Pickens, above the mantle in the young girl’s bedroom.1 CHAPTER TWENTY 1863–1865 “A volcano under that exterior of stillness and glitter.” Clara Victoria Dargan 159 1863–1865 The Tsar’s portrait in oils hung in the sitting room and even in the dimmed light one could not help but admire the handsome figure. Clara Victoria Dargan described Edgewood and its interior as she saw it on a visit in March 1863, as a “beautiful spot. Long rambling building , large grounds with an extensive prospect of tangled shrubbery. Indoors taste reigns with elegance. In the sitting room where we were shown a pleasant fire, several lounging chairs, and fresh flowers in antique vases . . . In the billiard room, an opened armoire displayed Francis’s court costume, a coat of royal purple velvet with gold embroidery and white silk pantaloons. Holcombe and Pickens family portraits sat amongst photographs of men and women in court dress. And, in the large dining room, gleaming silver service and colorful Bohemian glass sparkled under the huge candle-lit chandelier.”2 Edgewood reflected elegance and comfort, from the wide verandah with its rocking chairs and joggle-board, a type of seesaw often seen on the porches of Southern homes, to the orange trees growing in the conservatory. Knowing her fondness for flowers, Francis urged Lucy to plant some of her mother’s favorite rose bushes, “Souvenir de Malmaison” and “Baron Prevost.” Iron statuary stood here and there in the garden beds, and privacy and romance beckoned from the maze of hedges. Beyond, paths lined with the fragrant sweet olive trees led to the fishpond, the stables, and the slave quarters. Other large plantations spread out around Edgewood’s three thousand acres. Central to them was the town of Edgefield with its county courthouse, shops, churches, and comfortable homes. The owners of the plantations and the townspeople worked and played equally hard, keeping their problems hushed behind parlor doors, and Lucy dreaded being confined to the boundaries of this close and selective society. Lucy had never allowed herself to be constrained by society’s rules nor did she fit the unfair image of passive simplicity so many nineteenth century writers gave of Southern women. Rather, Lucy exercised her inquisitive, educated mind to her advantage, feeling at ease in the most learned circles. In Charleston and Columbia, she had taken pleasure in women’s literary societies. The members, Southern women of education and privilege, read and discussed French litera- 160 A volcano under that exterior ture in fluent French. On the lighter side they read the popular novels , St. Elmo and Macaria, written by their contemporary, Mary Ann Jane Evans [pseudonym George Eliot], as well as those of the scandalous George Sand3 and the novels of Bulwer-Lytton. And, they entertained strong opinions about politics and government, territories monopolized by men. Knowing full well that it would be considered scandalous for her to take a vocal part in politics when in Edgefield, Lucy voiced her opinions in anonymous letters to the editors of local newspapers and through Francis. Separated by circumstance from her more intellectual friends, she looked about for someone with whom to converse on an equal basis and discovered Clara Victoria Dargan. Miss Dargan, young, attractive, and educated, came from a respectable South Carolina family. She sought employment as a governess , a profession many young women embraced before marriage. The Arthur Simkins family engaged her to teach their three young children.4 Through her...