Background

Ethel Beers was born at Goshen, New York, the daughter of Horace William Eliot and Keziah (Westcott) Eliot. On the side of her father, who was a soldier in the War of 1812, druggist, justice of the peace, and postmaster, she was a descendant, in the seventh generation, of John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians. Her mother was a daughter of David N. Westcott, colonel of state militia, member of the state legislature, and member of the state constitutional convention.

Career

The girl, baptized Ethelinda, early began to contribute to the magazines under the name of Ethel Lynn. At the age of nineteen she was married to William H. Beers and henceforth wrote under the name of Ethel Lynn Beers. On Novemver 30, 1861, there appeared in Harper's Magazine her poem "The Picket Guard, " better known from its opening words "All Quiet Along the Potomac" - a poem suggested by seeing that oft-repeated caption in a newspaper, followed by the notice "A Picket Shot. " The verses pay a tender tribute to the unknown soldier and, while a little sentimental for modern taste, achieve a genuine pathos. Over a year later the poem was reprinted anonymously in a Southern paper with the statement that it had been found on the dead body of a soldier. The authorship was generally ascribed in the South either to Lamar Fontaine or Thaddeus Oliver, both Southerners, and the former repeatedly urged his claim but without being able to support it by any satisfactory evidence.

Alone of the three, Mrs. Beers produced other poems of some merit, the three most popular being entitled "Weighing the Baby, " "Baby Looking Out for Me, " and "Which Shall It Be?" She was a frequent contributor to the New York Ledger and in 1863 she published General Frankie: a Story for Little Folks. Although a woman of cheerful personality, she had a premonition that she should die immediately after the appearance of her collected poems. All Quiet Along the Potomac, and Other Poems was published on October 10, 1879, and she died on the following day.

Achievements

• Ethel Beers was best known for her poems: All Quiet Along the Potomac; Weighing the Baby; Baby Looking Out for Me; Which Shall It Be? She also published General Frankie: a Story for Little Folks (1863) and All Quiet Along the Potomac, and Other Poems (1879).

Works

More photos

• book

  • Across The Lines and Other Poems

    (Across The Lines and Other Poems Ethel Lynn Beers, americ...)

  • Works of Ethel Lynn Beers

    (14 works of Ethel Lynn Beers American writer (1827-1879) ...)

  • General Frankie

    (General Frankie Ethel Lynn Beers, american poet (1827-187...)

  • Oolie

Connections

At the age of nineteen Ethel was married, on March 5, 1846, to William H. Beers, son of Cyrenius Beers of New York.

Father:

Horace William Eliot

He was a soldier in the War of 1812, druggist, justice of the peace, and postmaster.

Mother:

Keziah (Westcott) Eliot

Grandfather:

David N. Westcott

He was a colonel of state militia, member of the state legislature, and member of the state constitutional convention.

husband:

William H. Beers