Mary A. Nolan (1842 – May 19, 1925) was an American suffragist known for her narrative recounting the Night of Terror. She spent much of her life in Jacksonville, Florida, and was often described as one of the oldest suffragists active on the National Woman's Party (NWP) picket lines. Sent to prison five times, she was the only suffragette from Florida to go to prison as a result of their activism. Nolan also became one of the first women to vote in Florida. She was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville. Biography Activism Mary Nolan was born in Martinsburg, Virginia in 1842 and attended Mont de Chantal in West Virginia. As a young woman she worked as a teacher and leader in the Southern library movement. She was also prominent in Confederate organizations and a suffrage pioneer. She was the wife of a Southern Railway Company superintendent and also worked with the Red Cross. In 1917 she joined the National Woman's Party (NWP) and came to Washington, D.C.,to take her place among the women demanding liberty. She was arrested on November 10, 1917, and sentenced to six days in District Jail, but was actually sent to Occoquan Workhouse. Of the thirty one picketers arrested that day, Nolan was given the lightest sentence (six days) on account of her age. The judge, believing prison would be too severe and harsh for an older women, urged Mrs. Nolan to pay her fine instead. In response, she allegedly said “Your honor, I have a nephew fighting for democracy in France. He is offering his life for his country. I should be ashamed if I did not join these brave women in their fight for democracy in America. I should be proud of the honor to die in prison for the liberty of American women." She was there for the "Night of Terror" on November 15, 1917, during which guards turned violent and attacked imprisoned protesters. Days after she was released, Nolan wrote an article for The Suffragist and published a narrative describing in detail her experience at Occoquan Workhouse. Though she only spent a short time in the prison, Nolan's narrative provided the first full account of The Night of Terror. After the Night of Terror Nolan and seven other prisoners attempted to sue the District of Columbia Commissioners, Warden Zinkham of the District Jail, Superintendent Whittaker, and Captain Ream of the Occoquan