Myra Gaines and Edmund Gaines

In this dual portrait, Myra Clark Gaines holds a sheet referencing her 1840 lecture “On the Horror of War” and that by her husband on “National Defense by Steam Power.” The Gaineses undertook a multicity tour to promote their ideas. Edmund Pendleton Gaines advocated for the use of railroads as a key part of national defense, citing his frustration with roads and waterways during military engagements, while Myra spoke about the atrocities of war in terms of soldiers and families. Myra was also an advocate for women’s suffrage, as well as the plain- tiff in the longest running court case in American history regarding her rights as heir, which she won posthumously. Auguste Edouart highlights Mr. Gaines’s military roles through his depiction of elaborate clothing; note the ornate buttons, the epaulettes, and the sword on which he leans. Mr. Gaines was a hero of the War of 1812. Gainesville, Florida, is named for him.