What was it like living as a slave? Vilet's Diary
July 27, 1856
I discovered wot was the cos of marses foul mood last time I wrote. Seems the tobacco harvest has brot less then marse spected. I heard him say so to miss Katherine at supper. He has decided in the spring to sow wheat and sow less tobacco. He says that they too many planters plantin tobacco fo him to make no profits at it. He says wheat will be a better choice of crop.
July 29, 1856
My good friend Lilly come to visit today. I was happy to see her, but soon my happiness turned to sorrow. Her little girl, the one at the Cambell plantashun, is gone. The marse of that plantashun sold her off with some other negroes that was of little use to him. By the time Lillys marse did come to send fo the girl, she was sold an gone. Cambell says the buyer was a company dealin in the buyin and sellin of negroes, and he has no way of noin where the girl could be. I believe Lillys marse was truly sorry for the loss, but it was of little comfort to miss Lilly. Dis made me thankful today that my girl has always been wid me. Before I come to miss Katherine, I belonged to her fathuh. All my marses been Godly enough to send o take my baby wid me. Theys a slave here name Twila dat tells me once wen she wos bot and put on the train wid the other slaves, the new marse made the womens wid little babies leave them beside the train tracks to die or whatever God want to happen to dem babies.
I discovered wot was the cos of marses foul mood last time I wrote. Seems the tobacco harvest has brot less then marse spected. I heard him say so to miss Katherine at supper. He has decided in the spring to sow wheat and sow less tobacco. He says that they too many planters plantin tobacco fo him to make no profits at it. He says wheat will be a better choice of crop.
July 29, 1856
My good friend Lilly come to visit today. I was happy to see her, but soon my happiness turned to sorrow. Her little girl, the one at the Cambell plantashun, is gone. The marse of that plantashun sold her off with some other negroes that was of little use to him. By the time Lillys marse did come to send fo the girl, she was sold an gone. Cambell says the buyer was a company dealin in the buyin and sellin of negroes, and he has no way of noin where the girl could be. I believe Lillys marse was truly sorry for the loss, but it was of little comfort to miss Lilly. Dis made me thankful today that my girl has always been wid me. Before I come to miss Katherine, I belonged to her fathuh. All my marses been Godly enough to send o take my baby wid me. Theys a slave here name Twila dat tells me once wen she wos bot and put on the train wid the other slaves, the new marse made the womens wid little babies leave them beside the train tracks to die or whatever God want to happen to dem babies.
