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[Linda Anderson]

Julia Grant and Varina Davis became friends in 1893 after their respective husbands died.

"In June [1893], Varina went to Cranston's Hotel on the Hudson River to enjoy the cool weather and Mrs. Grant, who often summered at the hotel, happened to be there when Davis arrived. Grant said she had long wanted to make Davis's acquaintance and sought her out, knocking on her door.
'I'm Mrs. Grant,' she announced when Davis opened the door.
'I am very glad to meet you,' Davis replied and extended her hand."

They had friends in common and both had "sociable temperaments." In addition, "the widows shared something else, the intensity of the war experience and its profound effect on the memory."

Their friendship lasted until Julia's death in 1902.

Source: First Lady of the Confederacy: Varina Davis's Civil War by Joan E. Cashin.