Representative women of New England/Lizabeth A. Turner
LIZABETH A. TURNER, Past National President of the Woman's Relief Corps and chairman of the board of directors of the Ander.sonville Prison property, is known throughout the country as a leader in patriotic work. Her paternal grandfather, John Thompson, was in the battle of Bunker Hill, and later was in the army stationed at Valley Forge. Her parents were Charles and Betsey Thompson, of Windsor, Conn., and until her marriage she was known as Lizabeth A. Thompson. She was educated in the public schools of her native town, now Windsor Hills. In 1857 she was married to F. F. L. Turner, of Georgia. Mr. Turner died three years later, and was laid to rest in the old cemetery at Portland, Me.
At the breaking out of the Civil War Mrs. Turner was a resident of Boston. She packed the first box of supplies forwarded from that city to the soldiers at the front, and in 1863 she was a constant visitor to the hospital in Pemberton Square, where the wounded sent from the battle-fields of the South received the kindest care.
On the 17th of March, 1880, Mrs. Turner was admitted to membership in Major-General H. G. Berry Relief Corps, of Malden, and was initiated by Mrs. E. Florence Barker, with whom she was subsequently associated as one of the pioneers of the National Woman's Relief Corps. Mrs. Turner held various offices in the corps at Malden, and was its President two years. At the annual convention of the Department of Massachusetts, W. R. C, in 1883, she was elected to the office of Conductor. She was Junior Vice-President in 1884 and 1885 and Senior ' ice-President in 1886-87. In 1888 she declined to accept the honor of Department President, but consented to serve as chairman of the Executive Board. In 1892, after three years in this office, she was appointed Counsellor by Mrs. Mary G. Deane, Department President.
Mrs. Turner has addressed numerous posts, corps, conventions, and other patriotic gatherings in all parts of the State. She is' especially popular as an installing officer and as a member of committees where executive ability is required.
In 1883, when the National Woman's Relief Corps was organized at the National Encampment of the Grand Army in Denver, Col., Mrs. Turner, who rendered invaluable service in securing the adoption of the Massachusetts work and ritual, was elected National Treasurer. She was re-elected seven years in succession, during which time she managed the finances with great ability. She was elected chairman of the National Executive Board in 1889 and National Senior Vice-President in 1890, when the convention was held in Tremont Temple, Boston.
She was treasurer of the Executive Committee of Arrangements for this convention and chairman of the Committee on Accommodations.
In 1891 Mrs. Turner was invited to be a candidate for the office of National President, but declined. She consented, however, in 1895, and was unanimously elected that year at the convention in Louisville, Ky. She established headquarters at 29 Temple Place, Boston. The work of her administration met with universal approval. In the address which she presented to the annual convention at St. Paul, Minn., over which she presided in 1896, referring to patriotic teaching, she said: "This is one of the fundamental laws of our order. In fact, it is one of the strongest planks in the Woman's Relief Corps platform. Our success- ful work along that line for the last four years has been even greater than the most enthusi- astic workers ever anticipated."
She made an extended Southern tour during her year as National President, visiting the colored corps, and also going to Andersonville, in order to find out something definite about the place and its surroundings.
It being decided at this convention to assume control of the Andersonville Prison property, a board of directors was chosen, of which Mrs. Turner was elected chairman. Two years later, in reporting the work accomplished, Mrs. Turner said: "We now own all the stockade as well as all the earthworks and forts surrounding it. Suitable gates have been erected in all places needed except at the main entrance. A wide driveway has been cut around the grounds, just inside the fence, and wide gates erected at the north-east corner, that open out to a plantation road leading to the National Cemetery, one quarter of a mile away, where our heroes lie buried. Two bridges have been built over the creek, so that now one can drive the entire circuit of our land, two and three-fifths miles.
"The forts all remain intact, and are covered with a growth of fine forest trees. . . . We have built a nine-room house, at a cost of over seven- teen hundred dollars, and put up a wire fence with gates, at a cost of five hundred and sixty- seven dollars; planted the prison pen with Bermuda grass roots at an expense of one hundred and seventeen dollars; paid out in small sums, for extra help, tools, and sundries, about five hundred more; also paid salary of care-taker for seven months, and built two bridges."
After referring to the presentation of a flag- pole worth one hundred and forty dollars by Colony Corps and Comrades of Fitzgerald, Ga., the gift of a flag from the Ex-prisoners of War Association of Connecticut, the furnishing in oak of the guest chamber at the cottage by members of corps in Massachusetts, and a do- nation of one hundred dollars raised through the efforts of Mrs. Emma R. Wallace, of Illinois, a member of the board, Mrs. Turner stated that not one cent had been taken from the national treasury for all the work accomplished at Andersonville. She recommended that one thousand dollars be donated from the general fund and placed in the Andersonville Prison Fund for the use of the board in completing the work mentioned in the report. Previous to the adoption of this recommendation, all the work had been conducted by voluntary contribution.
Mrs. Turner entered into this work with great enthusiasm. In her report at the convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in September, 1901, she said: "Within the last two years over two hundred pecan trees have been set out, and they are growing finely. The pecan industry of Georgia will be a close rival to the orange trade of Florida and, I believe, with better results, as we have no fear of frosts. I firmly believe the place can be made more than self-supporting by planting the ground with pecan trees. Ohio and Massachusetts will this fall put up hand- some monuments of granite inside the stockade grounds, in honor of their loyal sons who died as prisoners of war. Pennsylvania has made an appropriation for a monument, and other States are agitating the matter.
"The most important work of the past year has been the erection of the pavilion over Provi- dence Spring and its dedication."
In addition to her efforts for the improvements at Andersonville, Mrs. Turner performed the duties of National Counsellor from September, 1900, to September, 1901.
The movement in behalf of a Soldiers' Home in Massachusetts enlisted her sympathies, and she was one of the leaders in the bazaar held for that object in Mechanics' Building, Boston, in December, 1881. One of the attractions of the bazaar was a military album, containing autographs of President Lincoln and the orig- inal war Cabinet, besides the signatures of prominent generals and other leaders in the civil conflict and in the Revolution. It netted one thousand dollars to the fund, and is now treasured in the library of the Loyal Legion of Massachu,setts. The autographs were collected and arranged by Mrs. Turner.
She is one of the founders of the Ladies' Aid Association of the Soldiers' Home, auxiliary to the Board of Trustees, and is a regular contributor to the home, which she often visits. She has served continuously in some official capacity — as chairman of large committees for fairs, Memorial Day and other special work, as a member of the Board of Directors, and as one of the Vice-Presidents. A room bearing her name has been furnished by the Department of Massachusetts, W. R. C., and contains her portrait. Abraham Lincoln Corps of Charlestown, of which she has been a member the past eleven years, has placed her picture in Department headquarters, Boylston Building, Boston. Contribution.s of money for the portrait were sent this corps by friends and corps throughout the State.
Mr.s. Turner is a model financier, and her services as treasurer of large charitable enterprises are in great demand.
She is deeply interested in all the posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, and has many friends among the comrades in all parts of the country, for they appreciate her grand work in their behalf. In her collection of valuable gifts are a framed testimonial from Major-general H. G. Berry Post, No. 40, of Maiden, Mass., a costly badge and framed testimonial from Admiral Foote Post, of New Haven, Conn., given her in acknowledgment of gavels presented them by her, which were made of wood from Andersonville Prison and from the tree under which General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. The gift to the Maiden post was accompanied by the request that it should be presented to the Maiden City Library when the post should cease to exist.
Mrs. Turner was a member of the Executive Committee of Arrangements for the National Convention in Boston, Augu.st 15-20, 1904, chairman of the Badge Committee, also chairman of the Accommodation Committee and a member of other conmiittees.
Her recommendation that one thousand dollars be appropriated annually for the perpetual care of the historic grounds at Andersonviile was adopted at this convention.
Although not a near kinswoman of any soldier of the Civil War, she has given her best efforts to the cause represented by the Union veteran, and is recognized as one of the ablest of the loyal women of the Relief Corps.