Kate Stone (1) (1841–1907)

Sarah Katherine "Kate" Stone grew up on Stonington Plantation, near Delta, Louisiana. After her father's death, her mother Amanda Ragan Stone bought a large cotton plantation called Brokenburn in northeastern Louisiana. Kate, age 20, and six of her siblings and her mother were living at Brokenburn when the American Civil War broke out in 1861. A well-educated and sensitive young woman, Kate Stone was aware that she was living in a momentous era, and started keeping a journal describing her life and experiences. In January 1863, Union foraging parties invaded the Brokenburn neighborhood, confiscating horses and supplies, and seizing slaves. During the worst of the war, Kate and her family fled to Texas. Two of her teenage brothers died serving in the Confederate Army. In 1869, she married Henry Bry Holmes, with whom she had four children. Kate Stone Holmes became a leader in the civic, social, cultural, and religious life of Tallulah, Louisiana, her home for many years.