The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-18
JULIA WARD HOWE
DIES At ACE Of 81
Author of Battle Hymn Of Republic
and Other Famous Pieces, Expires
In South Portsmouth, R. !.

BOSTON. Oct. l7-Telephone re
ports here say that Mrs. Julia Ward
Howe. author or The Battle Hymn
OF the Republic" died today In the
home OF her daughter, Mrs. Maude
Howe Ellicott at South Portsmouth
r. l., where Mrs. Howe has been
seriously iii for some weeks.
Early In Septembe. Mrs. Howe CON
tracted a severe cold and her ad'
vanced age soon rendered the compii'
cations which appeared serious. Up
To Saturday the aged woman bore her
illness well. and the strongest hopes
We're entertained tina. she would ulti.
mately recover.
Today. however. her vitality weak
ened and she expired at 1880.
Endowed with wonderful brain
that gave us The battle hymn OF
the republic" blessed With hosts OF
| loving friends. given a long life oil
vast usefulness. and honored the
world DER. Julia Ward Howe count
ed none OF these her greatest gift. for
in her own words IL was when the
foremost philanthropist OF the age
chose me for his wife. when he laid
the great measure OF his love at my
feet, and dedicated his heart and his
live to my future"
Julia Ward Howe was born In New
York, May 81. 1919. where her child
hood days were spent in the closest
seclusion. In her later life she refer
red 10 her father as her jailer, not re-
proachfully. but merely TO emphasize
the fact the fondest OF parents may
be the sternest of disciplinarians. Her
education was unusual for girl OF
that time. she studied both Latin and
Greek. and before her marriage spoke
French. German and Italian.
Ii was while Julia Ward was In
Europe in her twenty-third year that
she met DR.. Samuel Gridley Howe. oil
Boston, who established The first
school for the blind. They were mar
ried April II, 1873 Their six chill
dren attained places OF prominence in
| the scientific, artistic and literary
world.
Mrs Howe quickly assumed leader
ship OF Boston's intellectual life and
her home became the center Of the
Hub. Men, known TO this generation
as landmarks in the nations politi
cal and literary history, Sumner
Seward. Garrison. Longfellow, Emer
son. were her friends.
! For three generations the "gran6
old woman OF America stood fore
most in the ranks OF great and good
women. All during the stormy days
OF the fifties Mrs. Howe battled
valiantly for the rights OF the enslav
ed heroes, and when the war die
come her voice and her pen were ar
rayed upon the side OF the slave.
An interesting story il told about
I the writing Of her greatest poem, the
( Battle Hymn Of the Republic" witt
/ friends she had gone to see review
of union troops near Washington.
1 sudden movement of the enemy made
the return to Washington a slow ant
dificult one. To beguile the time
songs. among them. John Brown.
were sung. Someone suggested tha
she should write other words for the
stirring tune. Early next morning
as she lay in her bed. lines OF the
/ poem began TO shape themselves. and
| fearing that she would forget them
she sprang up and wrote them in the
half light. The poem, written in the
Willard hotel, was first published In
the Atlantic Monthly.
Following DR.. Howe's death, In
1876, Mrs. Howe devoted herself tC
religion and TO literature. She was
ordained as a minister in the Unitar
! ian church. and contributed largely
| to the literature of the church Mrs
Howe maintained her interest in the
! woman suffrage problem from the
time when she. as one of the first or
ganizers of the movement, gave Il
great impetus. down TO the last few
days OF her life.
| Among Mrs. Howe's more noted
works are. Passion Flowers.
Word for the Hour, "A trip Il
| Cuba" The Worlds own" From
] the Oak to the olive" Sex and Edu
cation" Modern Society" From
Sunset Ridge lis Polite Society
Polite?" Representative Women o.
New England"
| One son and three daughters
| Henry Nj. Howe, Florence Howe Hall
Laura Richards and Maude Howe FL
\ lott. survive