A Belle of the Fifties Memoirs of Mrs. Clay of Alabama, covering social and political life in Washington and the South, 1853-1866. Put into narrative form by Ada Sterling

In this intimate memoir, a Southern woman who grew up among the grand plantations of North Carolina and Alabama recounts her early years with vivid clarity. Her keen social grace and magnetic personality earned her a place at the heart of political circles, where she mingled with presidents, cabinet members, and influential leaders. Through her eyes we glimpse the genteel world of the pre‑war South, its customs, ambitions, and the delicate balance between tradition and the looming national tensions.

As the nation hurtles toward crisis, she describes the shock of President Lincoln’s assassination and the turmoil that followed, capturing the personal impact of a tragedy that gripped the entire country. Her narrative weaves together family devotion, the challenges faced by her husband, and the shifting loyalties that defined those turbulent years. The memoir offers a rare, first‑hand portrait of a woman whose optimism and courage sustained her through the upheavals that reshaped American life.