Louisa Tallmadge died in her sleep on October 1st, 1834.
The next year, Benjamin died on March 7th.
She had taught him everything, except how to live without her.
They were buried next to their unborn child Maria, and the entire family of James, Mary, Lydia, and Jack.
Their three children, Samuel, Ruth, and Lydia, lived long after their parents' death and raised families of their own.
William and his new bride lived in Litchfield for the rest of their lives, and he never forgot the kindness the Tallmadge family had shown to him. He made sure that the graves of Louisa and Benjamin were always well-maintained and covered in wildflowers.
The Memoirs of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge were published by Samuel after his father's death, and read widely. Ruth and Lydia agreed that their favorite part of the journal was the description of their mother as a "companion and friend" and "the most desirable woman in the world."
Georges de Lafayette returned to America to attend the funeral of both Louisa and Benjamin, after last visiting them in 1824 with his father.
The surviving members of Benjamin's dragoon who had also escaped imprisonment from the HMS Jersey (including Lemuel Cook, the longest surviving veteran of the war) visited the Tallmadge family many times before Louisa's death, becoming close friends with them once again.
Neither Benjamin nor Louisa knew the impact on the lives of so many others they would have when they met that day in New Haven. Benjamin Tallmadge's reputation stands as one of the most influential people of the Revolution, and Louisa's work in the medical and intelligence fields saved hundreds of lives.
The girl of the wildflowers and the Calvary lad were most undoubtedly in love, and their legacies have continued to grow.
YOU ARE READING
Of Parchment and Saltwater
Historical Fiction(The sequel to "Of Wildflowers and Gunpowder") Nearing the end of the Revolutionary War, Louisa and Benjamin Tallmadge have finally begun their lives together. It is not as peaceful as they both imagined, though, and each new celebration brings with...
