John and Dolley Todd were married with two young sons. John was a successful lawyer. In 1793 that terrible yellow fever epidemic struck Philadelphia. Congress itself nearly was driven out of town by the illness.

Dolley fled to the suburbs with her two children, her mother, and three of her siblings, to be safe from the devastation and death caused by the epidemic. John stayed behind in Philadelphia to care for his parents, minister to the sick, and write dozens of wills.

John pressed his luck to far. He was stricken with the disease. Dolley returned to comfort him. He died in her arms, and on that same day, her infant son also passed away. Dolley herself was not well. But she struggled to survive. With the inheritance from her husband and her now deceased parents, Dolley found herself financially taken care of.

In the spring of 1794, Dolley Todd was a beautiful, vivacious, and one of the most eligible women in all of Philadelphia. She had previously met Congressman James Madison, possibly at a tea hosted by her uncle or another relative. James, the confirmed bachelor, and Dolley, the vibrant 26 year old widow, soon became friendly. They even arranged for covert meeting in Virginia where they could be alone.

On September 15, 1794, the two dissimilar and unique personalities were united in marriage. This began 42 years of mutual devotion and support for two seemingly different people.

The strict Quaker community disowned Dolley for marrying a non-Quaker before a hireling priest.

More about James and Dolley tomorrow.