Shirley Farris Jones, the Murfreesboro Post, June 6, 2013
Mattie Ready and John Hunt Morgan. Library of Congress
It isn’t often that I find myself getting excited over another woman’s old dress, but I must say there are exceptions. A dress belonging to my very favorite 19th century female persona is indeed that exception beyond all others.
This particular dress belonged to Martha “Mattie” Ready Morgan Williamson, Murfreesboro’s own Southern belle, a lovely, smart and spirited young woman, the epitome of grace and elegance – and fashion.
This dress was recently found languishing in an attic in Lebanon until some descendants uncovered the treasure.
The descendants of Mattie’s son and his wife, Charles Ready and Mary Campbell Williamson, decided to sell Camp Bell, or the William Bowen Campbell House as it was known in Lebanon, and where five generations of this family lived for more than a 100 years.
There were a lot of things they reportedly wished to liquidate, among them the box containing Mattie’s dress, in addition to several special undergarments.
They contacted Aimee Lester, the liquidation coordinator of Lester Estate Liquidators, who, upon realizing that these were actual belongings of Mattie, knew the items needed to be in a museum to be shared with all of her admirers.
Lester said she immediately contacted her good friend Margie Weatherford, who recognized the value and opportunity of obtaining these items.
“Because of the cost, the purchase would have been time consuming and difficult for Oaklands (Historic House Museum) to make, and I did not want to take a chance on losing everything,” Weatherford said. “So, I bought it and turned it over immediately to Oaklands. I felt like this was one chance in a lifetime to obtain Mattie’s clothing for Murfreesboro.”
Of course, Oaklands staff members said they are excited as well, and as a great admirer of this extraordinary woman and “honorary Ready cousin,” I too am thrilled beyond words over this generous and donation by the Weatherford family.
The lovely, brown silk, brocade dress is entirely hand sewn, complete with a built-in corset and hook and eye closures, and it is in relatively good condition considering its age, showing very little wear.
These fine garments will be on display beginning Friday, July 12, as featured items in Oaklands’ summer exhibition, “Whispers of the Past: A Museum’s Secrets Explored,” which will run through Sunday, Aug. 11.
Thank you to the Weatherfords for this priceless donation, allowing Oaklands to share a little piece of history with our community.
Mattie’s story
Born into an upper-class, aristocratic family near Murfreesboro on June 21, 1840, Martha, who would affectionately be known as “Mattie,” was the sixth of eight children and the second of four girls, of Charles Ready Jr. and his wife, Martha Strong Ready.
Mattie was described as being a “very attractive young woman of medium height, with a shapely figure, a fair, creamy complexion, large blue eyes, and dark hair,” according to historical documents.
During the 1850s, she attended the very prestigious Soule College in Murfreesboro and the Nashville Female Academy, where it was noted that young ladies could receive “traditional Southern education for women in cultural studies and social graces.”
Her father was a very successful Murfreeboro attorney, twice mayor of the city in 1832 and then again from 1849 through 1853. He was also a very influential member of the Whig party and served Tennessee as a U.S. representative before the Civil War, as well as a judge in later years.
While in Washington, D.C., with her family, Mattie was known to be a favorite among society. She was “the first girl in Washington to wear a curl on her forehead, which was soon imitated by 100 others,” and was described as being one of the “prettiest daughters of Old South society and a fashion trendsetter at 18.”
Her good taste and sense of style was part of who she was and continued to be throughout her lifetime.
In late February 1862, Mattie met the love of her life, a dashing, daring cavalryman from Kentucky, Gen. John Hunt Morgan.
They became engaged, according to family legend, on March 19, and were married at her home in Murfreesboro on Dec. 14, 1862, in what was described as “the social highlight of the Confederacy.”
It was an intense love affair on both sides and would change both of their lives forever. Their marriage lasted only 630 days before Morgan was shot and killed in Greenville, Tenn., on Sept. 4, 1864.
Mattie had left Murfreesboro just after the Battle of Stones River in January 1863 a blushing bride, very much in love, and despite the hardships of war, happy to be with her beloved husband. She returned home to Murfreesboro in June 1865 a grieving young widow with a 2-month-old daughter, having lost her husband and her first-born child.
During this two-year period, her home, her family, and the life she had previously known were forever gone.
Mattie remained a widow for about eight years, living at her parents’ home near the Rutherford County Courthouse in downtown Murfreesboro, devoting her time to raising her daughter, Johnnie Hunt Morgan.
She was remarried on Jan. 30, 1873, to Judge William Henry Williamson, of Lebanon, a one-armed Confederate veteran and friend of both her father and sister, Alice, and her brother-in-law, Andrew B. Martin.
At this time, Mattie was 33 and her new husband was 45.
Despite Williamson’s duties as Wilson County Circuit Court Judge in Lebanon, Mattie continued to live in Murfreesboro. Their first child, William Henry Jr., was born on Nov. 8, 1873. Soon after, Mattie, Johnnie and baby Henry went to live permanently in Lebanon.
Less than a year later, their second child, a daughter named Martha Ready Williamson, was born on Oct. 15, 1874; followed by a third child, Charles Ready Williamson, in July 1876.
In late May 1878, her fourth child arrived, Alice Ready Martin Williamson, and the fifth and last child, Nannie Williamson, was born on May 28, 1881. Mattie was almost 41 years old by this time, having given birth to a total of seven children, the first and last dying in infancy.
Mattie would have only six more years to live, dying on Nov. 16, 1887, at age 47, just a week after her oldest son’s 14th birthday.
Cause of death was probably tuberculosis or, possibly, typhoid fever, which had claimed the life of Williamson on March 16, earlier that same year.
Upon Mattie’s passing, her things were divided among her children – including one special dress that went to this son.
The dress was carefully packed away, and marked as “Mattie’s Dress,” where it remained for decades, almost 136 years after her death.
Now, it has returned home to Murfreesboro.