Otelia Voinard Butler Mahone was the wife of Confederate Major General William Mahone, who was a civil engineer, teacher, railroad builder, and Senator in the United States Congress. A "character" in her own right, strong-willed Otelia Butler Mahone became almost as well-known in Virginia as her famous husband. The Mahones made their home in Petersburg, Virginia.
Biographical
Otelia Voinard Butler was the daughter of Dr. Robert Butler of the town of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia and the former Otelia Voinard, originally from Petersburg, Virginia. The Butler family was prominent and it is said that young Otelia Butler came from "cultured" background.
In the pre-Civil War era, William T. Mahone was hired to build the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad (N&P) through isle of Wight County near her home and was named its president. She married 29-year old Mahone on February 8, 1855.
Popular legend has it that Otelia and William Mahone traveled along the newly completed Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad naming stations from Ivanhoe a book she was reading written by Sir Walter Scott. From his historical Scottish novels, Otelia chose the place names of Windsor, Waverly and Wakefield. She tapped the Scottish Clan "McIvor" for the name of Ivor, a small Southampton County town. When they could not agree, it is said that the name Disputanta was created.
When he became an officer in the Confederate Army, she served the cause on Richmond. Small of stature, he was nicknamed "Little Billy". When Otelia was notified that he had been injured in the Second Battle of Manassas, but had only received a "flesh wound", she replied "now I know it is serious for William has no flesh whatsoever."
Otelia and William Mahone had 13 children. Only 3 of their children survived to adulthood, two sons, William and Robert, and a daughter, also named Otelia.
William T. Mahone, Jr. attended school at Hanover Academy. He was engaged in the tobacco trade for a time and later served as collector of customs at Petersburg.
Robert Butler Mahone was assigned to his father as private secretary for a number of years and afterward was in the government service. He was appointed Consul of the United States at Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, across the U.S. border at Laredo, Texas.
Otelia Mahone traveled extensively in Europe and in 1895 married William L. McGill, from a prominent Petersburg, Virginia family.
In the post-war period, William and Otelia made their home in Petersburg. He was a railroad executive and active in Virginia politics for almost 30 years, serving from 1881-1887 as a Senator in the United States Congress. William Mahone died in 1895.
Otelia lived for 11 more years, and died in Petersburg, Virginia on February 20, 1911. They are buried in Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg.
The Mahone's former home in Petersburg is now part of the Petersburg Public Library.
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