01/26/1826 AD born
Julia Boggs Dent was born at White Haven plantation to Frederick Dent (1787–1873), a slaveholding planter and merchant, and Ellen Wrenshall Dent.
Julia was born with strabismus ("crossed eyes") which prevents both eyes from lining up in the same direction. One of the best surgeons in the country offered to perform the simple operation that would fix them. Julia was not keen on surgery, however, and declined.
Frederick enslaved about 30 Africans and refused to consider freeing them on moral grounds, doing so only when compelled by law of emancipation.
Julia, a distant maternal relative to Confederate general James Longstreet, was the fifth of eight children. In her memoirs, Julia described her childhood as "one long summer of sunshine, flowers, and smiles…"
Around 1831–1836, Julia attended the Gravois School, a co-educational one-room schoolhouse in St. Louis.
From age 10 to age 17, Julia attended the Misses Mauros' boarding school in St. Louis with the daughters of other affluent parents. Julia was a boarding student during the week and returned home to White Haven on weekends.
The Dent family was highly social with visitors coming from among the elite class of Cincinnati, Louisville and Pittsburgh. William Clark (of Lewis and Clark) and politician Alexander McNair were family friends.
As a young woman, Julia was a skilled pianist, an expert horsewoman and a voracious reader of novels.
Lattitude: 38.627° N
Longitude: 90.1994° W
Region: North America
Modern Day United States
