Sarah Louisa Walker Reed

Killed in the Wawaset explosion, wife of Joseph W. Reed.

The Evening Star, Saturday, August 9, 1873
The Life Preservers, were in the gangway, and could not be reached by reason of the smoke and flames. The wife of Mr. J.W. Reed, who was lost, was on the bow deck, and could no doubt have been saved, but for her alarm and anxiety about her children. It is believed that she jumped overboard with them.

Mrs. Reed who perished on the Wawaset was his second wife, to whom he had been married only about a year, and who at the time of her death was near confinement.

The Evening Star, August 11, 1878
The Body of Mrs. Reed was brought in just above Chatterton. It was so much disfigured that it could only be recognized by the clothing and jewelry. Her brother, Mr. George W. Walker, and the brother of Mr. Reed were present, and after consultation it was deemed advisable to put the remains in a coffin and remove them to Mount Holly, King George county, for burial. Mr. Reed was very loath to consent to this, having promised to have it sent to Washington for burial with the children; but the body was in such a condition that he concluded not to do it now, leaving it for the future. It was placed in a wagon and started immediately off to its destination.

The Evening Star, October 15, 1873
Reinterment of the Remains of Mrs. Reed
A Victim of the Wawaset Disastar
Police Officer Joseph W. Reed, who lost his wife and four children on the ill-fated steamer Wawaset has had the remains of his wife exhumed and brought to the city for burial. Funeral ceremonies were held on Saturday last, at King George county, Va., where the body was temporarily interred after the disaster, and the body arrived here on Monday night and was then in charge by Mr. R.W. Barker, undertaker, with whom Mr. Reed had previously arranged for the interment yesterday at 3 o'clock p.m. By some unfortunate misunderstanding between the undertaker and the sextion at the Congressional burying ground, however, the grave was not prepared, and the relatives and friends of the family who had assembled to witness the last rite were disappointed, and the interment was necessarily delayed again until 3 o'clock today, the remains in the meantime being placed in a vault.

Reed. On the ill-fated steamer, Wawset, Sarah J., aged 28 years; Sarah L., aged 7 years; Marion B., aged years; Joseph B., aged 2 years and 6 months; wife and three children of John Reed; also, his aunt, Julia A. Kelly and cousin, Bettie A. Reed.

A HOME NO MORE
My home it was my greatest pleasure,
To meet my dear one there together;
Their cheerful faces made me glad,
My happy home is now made sad.
By the raging fiery flames and water,
My wife, my son, and two sweet daughters
Were drowned on the eighth August last
On the ill-fated steamer Wawaset;
My dear ones are gone, my heart is sore,
I have no happy home no more;
Tis hard, tis hard, can I endure
To think I have a home no more,
My heart is sad, I am bereft,
Not one dear one to me is left;
My Sallie dear, my wife so true,
With Lucy, Manie and Jessie too
Have perished in the waters deep,
I trust they now in Jesus sleep,
Oh! may I there my dear ones meet,
To hear them sing their songs so sweet,
My wife, my children, my cousin and aunt,
Their last days here on earth have spent;
With joyful hearts their friends to greet,
But lost their lives in the briny deep,
My wife so dear my children three,
Was such a pleasure on earth to me;
My dear ones' voices I cannot hear,
The sadness of my heart ot cheer,
My dear loved ones, good bye, good bye
I'll try to meet you when I die.
They are gone, yes, they are gone, oh to where?
My God, my God, oh! take me there.
Joseph W. Reed