John Stephens from Lusmagh in County Offaly, Ireland arrived in America in 1850. He was only 17 years of age and nobody could have predicted the impact on American history his family would have. For you see, John Stephens from County Offaly, was the Grandfather of Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Margaret Mitchell.

Her novel “Gone With The Wind” is still considered today as one of the great American Literary masterpieces. When the book was made into a film in glorious technicolor in 1939 Margaret Mitchell‘s place in history was secured. Some of the characters portrayed in the film were said to be inspired by her Irish relations and of the stories she had heard of their Civil War experiences in the City of Atlanta, Georgia. The capture of Atlanta by Union General William Tecumsah Sherman, would prove to be the most pivotal moment of the bloody US Civil War.

John Stephens would fight for the Confederate Army during the war and would obtain the rank of Captain in the 9th Georgia Infantry Regiment. He would be involved in many of the major battles of the conflict. After the defeat of the Confederate forces in 1865 John would return to Atlanta and become an extremely successful and popular business man in the city. He would marry Annie Fitzgerald and they would have 7 children. One of those children, Maybelle Stephens, would marry Eugene Mitchell in 1892. Their Daughter, Margaret Mitchell, would be the Author of that famous novel “Gone With The Wind“.

John Stephens would unfortunately not live to meet his Grand daughter and would pass away in July 1896 at 62 years of age. He is buried in the Stephens family plot in Atlanta. His Civil War service in the Confederate Army is noted on the maker placed on his grave.

So the next time you see the colorful images of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler on your TV, think of John Stephens from the small village of Lusmagh in County Offaly and of the big part it played in the creation of probably the greatest and most epic novel in American History.

If you wish to read more on this story, Danny Leavy has a previously published a great article on www.offalyhistory.com/.