Evelyn Magruder DeJarnette


Evelyn Magruder DeJarnette was an American author, who wrote stories in African-American dialect.

Early years and education

Evelyn May Magruder was born in Glenmore, Albemarle County, Virginia, March 4, 1842. She was the third child of Benjamin Henry and Maria Minon Magruder. Her father was a prominent Virginia lawyer and legislator, and in 1864, was elected to the Congress of the Confederate States. Her mother's family was from Piedmont Virginia.
During her childhood, she learned about the responsibilities of slave ownership, and became a teacher to the African American children on the plantation.
Magruder attended boarding school for several terms. During her father's connection with the General Assembly, she was a frequent visitor to Richmond, Virginia, where she took part in social gatherings.

Career

In 1864, she married Elliott Hawes DeJarnette. He had been farmer, and a large slave owner, who left his studies at the University of Virginia to volunteer early in the Civil war, becoming a captain, and serving with distinction in the Confederate army. At Antietam, he was severely wounded. After marriage, they moved into his family home, "Pine Forest," in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The DeJarnettes had eight children, and it was during this time, in 1870, that she began her literary career in prose and poetry. Frank Leslie's Magazine, The Century Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, The Youth's Companion, and various newspapers accepted her contributions. Among her publications are "Old Vote for Young Master" and "Out on A' Scurgeon."
She died at "Pine Forest" on March, 1914, and is buried in its private cemetery.

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Attribution

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