Anna Ella Carroll
Personal Information
Born: 1815
Died: 1894
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Tutored by her father
"“While prosecuting my writing I was also diligently inquiring as to the best means of averting the dangers which threatened the Union,” (archives.nytimes.com); "I do not think there is any grant in the Constitution, but rather and express inhibition upon the power of Congress to abolish slavery or confiscate the property of rebels," adding, "If Congress will but abstain from all interference, there is no doubt about the ability of the President and his patriotic army to suppress the rebellion in every part of the territory." (msa.maryland.gov); "
— Anna Ella Carroll
Professional Life
Field of Study: Politics; Lobbyist
Institution/Corporation: None found
Degrees & Memberships: None found
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1992 Maryland Women's Hall of Fame
Achievements: was the "invisible member" of Lincoln's cabinet & he sent her to the western front to spy on the South & help devise battle plans which ultimately led to the defeat of the South in several key battles & their loss of European support during the Civil War; after the war she became an anonymous columnist who championed Reconstruction & attempts to improve the lives of freedmen; was an advocate for women's right to vote; wrote many pamphlets & books criticizing slavery, urban machine corruption, crime, & what was perceived as the political threat of the power of the Catholic church; 1856 wrote 2 books, "The Great American Battle, or, The Contest Between Christianity & Political Romanticism" a criticism of the Catholic church, &"The Star of the West" about the need to continue to build railroad lines in order to keep the Union together; 1857 was the chief publicist for governor Thomas H. Hicks of Maryland & he credited his winning the election to her writings; 1860 wrote a series of articles in the NY Evening Press under the pseudonym "Hancock" lobbying for Reconstruction; lobbied to create a colony of freedmen in British Honduras (now Belize)
1959, the Maryland state historical society unveiled a monument to Carroll with the words, "Maryland's Most Distinguished Lady. A great humanitarian and close friend of Abraham Lincoln. She conceived the successful Tennessee Campaign and guided the President on his constitutional war powers."
The epitaph on her grave reads, "A woman rarely gifted; an able and accomplished writer."
condemned the Emancipation Proclamation and recommended colonization of blacks
father owned a plantation & was Governor of Maryland 1830-31
Grandfather Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a signer of the Declaration of Independence
family was wealthy until the financial panic of 1837
was the oldest of 8 children & was educated by her father so she could be his aide/secretary
established a girls school in the family home
freed her remaining 20 slaves inherited from her father & saw they were immigrated to Canada after the election of Lincoln in 1860
after 1879 fought with the government to collect $5,000 (approximately $120,474 in 2023 dollars) she claimed they owed her for her wartime publicationsbut never received payment
was granted a $50 monthly pension for life in 1881 for her war efforts
was a spokesperson for the Know-Nothing Party
1870 claimed she was solely responsible for the Tennessee River Campaign although she had previousl credited riverboat pilot charles M. Scott with the strategy
1864 painting of the Signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by Francis B. Carpenter shows a vacant chair with papers reportedly written by Carroll & is reportedly "a silent nod" to her role as an advisor to Lincoln
2010 The Friends of Anna Ella Carroll unveiled a new rendition of Carpenter's painting done by Laura Era depicting Carroll sitting in the chair, it is housed in an Easton MD art gallery
scholars differ on her importance to the Tennessee River Campaign with some agreeing she devised the plan & was key to its success & others arguing she had no involvement & made the story up because she needed money & this was her way to obtain it from the government
"The Lost River" is a film about her life
atage 29 was living in Baltimore & writing press releases for railroad companies
briefly dated James Buchanan when he was a Senator
refused marriage proposals from President Willard Fillmore & Lemuel Evans, a 1-time secret service agent assigned to protect Lincoln & subsequent Supreme Court of Texas judge