Background
French, Lucy Virginia Smith was born on March 16, 1825 in Maryland, United States. Daughter of Mease W. and Elizabeth (Parker) Smith.
French, Lucy Virginia Smith was born on March 16, 1825 in Maryland, United States. Daughter of Mease W. and Elizabeth (Parker) Smith.
Graduate Washington (Pennsylvania) Female Seminary.
Johns Hopkins French, January 12, 1853, at least 1 daughter, Mistress P.D. Benham. A teacher, moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Writer for Louisville (Kentucky) Journal under name L’Inconnue.
Editor paper Southern Ladies’ Book, New Orleans, 1852. Lived at “Forest Home,” hr. McMinnville, Tennessee, 1853-1881.
Literary editor of newspapers and mags. including Southern Homestead (Nashville, Tennessee), Rural Sun, Sunny South, Crusader, Ladies’ Home (all Atlanta, Georgia.), Southern Literary Messenger (Richmond, Virginia), 1856-1879 Author: (poems) Wind Whispers, 1856. Istalixo, the Lady of Tula, Tragedy of Mexico before Hernando Cortes, 1856. Legends of the South, 1867.
(poems) My Roses, 1872. (novel) Darlingtonia, 1879.
Married Colonel.