Eunice Tripler: Some Notes of Her Personal Recollections

by Eunice Tripler

Inside the life of a 19th-century military family and the woman who watched history unfold

This collection of personal recollections presents Eunice Tripler’s memories of a life tied to the U.S. Army, its leaders, and the social world around them. It offers vivid vignettes from the Mexican War era through the Civil War and into a rapidly changing America, seen through the eyes of a devoted wife and keen observer.

The pages mix intimate family moments with battlefield notes, public duties, and the daily realities of service, faith, and community. You’ll meet generals, doctors, politicians, and many ordinary people whose lives intersected with a remarkable era of American history. Personal stories, anecdotes, and reflections about notable figures and events Milestones in Dr. Tripler’s medical career and his influence on military medicine Snapshots of life in Detroit, Washington, and Mexico during times of war and change Themes of devotion, faith, resilience, and duty across a long public life Ideal for readers of memoirs and historical biographies who enjoy a detailed, human perspective on a pivotal period in American history and the people who shaped it.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1910

Reviews

[Avis Black · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Tripler's memories go back pretty far. Her father took part in the War of 1812, lost his health, and was transferred to Washington. Eunice remembers hobnobbing with the city's elites, and she recounts stories about people such as Martin Van Buren and Lafayette. Her parents knew Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, and the childhood Tripler recalls was a world in which everyone drank and everyone gambled--even the ladies, and no one thought anything of it. However, Eunice recalls her profound dislike of being kissed and fondled by drunken men, and she took to hiding when certain callers came to her house.

Her father was then transferred to the wilds of Michigan, and Tripler eventually married a doctor. Her husband held high positions in the medical service during the Mexican and Civil Wars, though he was pushed out because of army politics. Dr. Tripler was thought to be a McClellan supporter, and Eunice says John Sherman (William T. Sherman's brother) told her that her husband was purged in a secret congressional meeting without a proper hearing simply because of that.

All in all, An interesting portrayal of life in the early American Republic.

[Nancy Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book contains the very precious reflections of my spouse's great great great grandmother. It is almost impossible to overstate the value this little-known book has to our family. At the same time, the detail and insight into the early days of our nation, the governmental, military, and political landscape revealed by Mrs. Tripler's observations are even more priceless.