Susan Smith,
Georgia Slave

 

December 10, 1860

Dear Diary,
I believe the election of President Abraham Lincoln is marvelous and phenomenal circumstance. I believe he is the messiah we have all been waiting for. He will set us free. I know he will. He thinks slavery is evil and shouldn’t spread any further. I don’t know if can take being a slave any longer. But Lincoln will set us all free, free forever. I just know it’ll happen.

December 20, 1860

Dear Diary,
Oh no, they did it. I can’t believe they really did it. South Carolina has seceded from the United States. I’m glad it wasn’t Georgia because then it would be even harder for me to be free. My plantation is near the capital, Atlanta. I hope it doesn’t secede from the Union. Then I’ll be doomed. I hope no other states follow the lead of South Carolina. I have to go, the overseer is coming.

February 1, 1861

Dear Diary,
Oh, no my worst nightmare has come true. Many other states have followed South Carolina’s lead in the secession of the Union. Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and my home state of Georgia have all seceded. They named the seven states the Confederate States of America. I think they are all attempting to take power over the North. I truly hope this does not happen, otherwise I may be a slave forever.

April 14, 1861

Dear Diary,
I can’t believe it the President of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis it trying to take over Fort Sumter. But, President Lincoln will not give it up; Lincoln knows the importance of the fort. So, Davis commanded General Beauregard to attack. The army attacked around 4:30 a.m. The next day General Anderson surrendered the fort. This is not good at all, now the war is really going to start. Northern blood was shed and Lincoln is not going to tolerate it. Bless those northern soldiers. I’ll be praying for them.

-Susan Smith

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