Thomas Wright's Diary

April

1, April 1859

Finally startin ta warm up, Poppy think we should start tillin the land soon. Lot acreage ta plant this year. Get seed in the ground about end of the month. Mister Bowman be sendin out few ta handle the plows an such not sure how many yet.
Figure take a good month ta get it done.

Betsy been cleanin fish fer supper, fish cornbread an beer. Not much but it's supper all that matters.
Have a duck in brine, Betsy say duck an dumplins fer supper tomorrow, warm bread ta sop up the juice. Lan sakes, makin myself hungry. Joe cut me back ta three days a week, work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. That's fine, Poppy been checkin the bounties at the Sheriff's Office.

Gettin warm they be runnin soon. Hate ta say it, don't want ta hunt thum down anymore, Poppy can't do it alone. Uncle Thom is gone, don't trust anyone else. So I gots ta do what needs done. Money is all it is, an help keep Poppy alive maybe. Well best put this down.

                         2, April 1859

Saturday, headed inta Dover need some dry goods beans flour see ifin they need some soap. Betsy an Ma still have plenty ta sell. Betsy don't care ta go, think she will be fine the two hours I be gone. Black girl alone ain't safe all the time.

Got red beans, black eye peas, flour, cornmeal an grits. Two pounds black powder and twenty five, thirty six caliber ball an shot fer the shotgun. They didn't need any soap. Betsy had supper goin that duck in with some dumplins. Cooked most the day.

Tilled a small garden up fer Betsy, grow some potatoes maybe few green beans an stuff,  ta have through the summer and fall ta eat. Looks like rain tonight or tomorrow. Checked back few months on this here diary. Lead a might dull life, unless I am trackin a slave or doin somethin fer Mister Bowman. Guess that's a good thin, not sure truly ain't. Glad this thin just fer me, put a person ta sleep it would.

                         3, April 1859

Betsy wanted ta go ta Church, she is not allowed in the Church proper. Told her Bowman Plantation have go ta it, fer Church. She looked little disgusted at me but, nodded say fine need the lord in my life. It rained the way over ta Rivers Edge, heavy least the wagon had a cover on it. Quit about the time we gets there. About noon Reverend sets up, I left Betsy ta hear his sermon gots that look from the Reverend, like you are damned ta Hell Thomas Wright.

Well good fer him, an his looks of hate. I suppose your sermon on Adam an Eve, an her bein tricked into eatin that apple, guess women dumb like a darkie ya don't allow in ya Church! Makes no sense at all. Ran in ta Mister Bowman while waitin out the Reverend. Asked about Betsy ifin I wanted ta sell her. Say he give two hundred dollars fer her.

Tell him she not fer sale, then say ya gots a Fancy one. He say she with child. I bits my tongue keep from laughin about that, knowin it's his child an all. He say Theo needs a young Fancy one. I say best get ta lookin then. Sorry won't sell her, Theo in town? Turns out he is, me an Theo got along decent. Visited with him a spell. Be goin ta V.M.I next year. Lan sakes he a smart one that Theo is.

Theo don'ts want no Fancy Girl, his Pops wants another. Turns out makes good money breedin those Fancy ones. Hell I told Theo his Pops bought two breedin winches, hell use one those. Turns out the lighter the skin, the more they worth. Start with lighter skin more apt ta be lighter skinned babies. Not sure ifin that is true, sounds about right.

Theo say he stop over, visit some while the Slaves be workin at the Old Place, tell him stop on over. Rather like Theo more open friendly than his Da is.

Left about dark, Betsy had some fun I got ta talk some ta Theo, hope he does stop over. Didn't get chance ta ask about that school he went ta.
Caught myself lookin up at the stars again. Might foolish ta wonder on that. How many why, lan sakes. Just makes me numb, not knowin how many.
Catch myself countin those blame stars. Stupid no reference ta start at. Hell might dense ta think I could count thum.