True story?

No, this is not a true story. The name of the last widow of a Union soldier is known for sure, and the names of the contenders for last widow of a Confederate soldier are also known (there is some debate among these as to whether some of the "soldiers" lied or were mistaken about their own birthdates, so nobody knows with absolute certainty). Among these possible contenders, there is no such name as Marsden.

It was based on a novel of the same title which I highly recommend that you read. I think the author may have taken stories from that time and created a story based on that time that era. It could be true.

"Ya makin' fun of me Riz?"- Sandy

Lucy Marsden is a fictional character in the 1989 novel Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. In the novel, she is the oldest confirmed widow of a soldier in the Confederate States of America army.