Camp Meeting
1 October 1824
I am very excited today, for Warner and I are going to attend our first camp meeting at Graves’ Campground. Nan will be there, too, as will Joseph and the Terrys and most of the other members of our Wednesday night class. As we understand it, we shall travel by ox-cart to the campground with provisions for today, tomorrow, and Sunday. There are services twice per day, in the morning and in the evening, with lunch, social hour, and light supper in between. This is repeated each day for three days, except that today being a travel day, we shall arrive just before lunch.
We are bringing with us two chickens, three loaves of bread, bacon, eggs and vegetables from our garden. There will be cattle and pigs brought in by some of the other planters to provide some of the food that will be shared by all.
TJ is coming with us. It seems that his new beau is a Methodist, and she will be attending with her parents. I am saddened, though, that John will not be there, as he is still traveling back from Mobile. But I shall see him very soon, I believe.
I am so happy that TJ will have the chance to be with us all for some prayers and sermons, but especially the singing. He, like my brother Warner, sings marvelously well, and although I suppose one should not be overly proud of such things, I cannot but smile at the thought of these two singing together. I wonder if Miss Evalina Young can sing as well, for ours is a musical family.
Everyone there will be dressed as though we will be in the fields, almost, because this is not a time for wearing finery. I suspect that this will be like when we traveled from South Carolina to Alabama; comfort and practicality is important.
This is a good time of year to go, as the food harvest is done and the cotton has not yet opened. It is a time for celebration of the harvest, sort of like an early Thanksgiving. The Germans among us will be reminded of their Oktoberfest, I imagine, but without the beer. The Negroes love the camp meeting most especially. They are able to escape their normal duties, and it is a time when all come together for worship, food, singing, and even some fun. I have been hearing Jack and Alick singing all morning as they ready the wagon, they are so happy.
Tents will be put up for sleeping, some for the men, and some for the women, although some of the younger families will have their own tent.
I will be bringing a Bible that Sarah lent me. At some point, I shall purchase my own from the Book Concern, but the journal was more important to buy first. Sarah may not agree with that, but neither she nor Reverend Terry said anything when I asked to have one.
I hear the wagon being brought around. Time for me to go!
1 October 1824
I am very excited today, for Warner and I are going to attend our first camp meeting at Graves’ Campground. Nan will be there, too, as will Joseph and the Terrys and most of the other members of our Wednesday night class. As we understand it, we shall travel by ox-cart to the campground with provisions for today, tomorrow, and Sunday. There are services twice per day, in the morning and in the evening, with lunch, social hour, and light supper in between. This is repeated each day for three days, except that today being a travel day, we shall arrive just before lunch.
We are bringing with us two chickens, three loaves of bread, bacon, eggs and vegetables from our garden. There will be cattle and pigs brought in by some of the other planters to provide some of the food that will be shared by all.
TJ is coming with us. It seems that his new beau is a Methodist, and she will be attending with her parents. I am saddened, though, that John will not be there, as he is still traveling back from Mobile. But I shall see him very soon, I believe.
I am so happy that TJ will have the chance to be with us all for some prayers and sermons, but especially the singing. He, like my brother Warner, sings marvelously well, and although I suppose one should not be overly proud of such things, I cannot but smile at the thought of these two singing together. I wonder if Miss Evalina Young can sing as well, for ours is a musical family.
Everyone there will be dressed as though we will be in the fields, almost, because this is not a time for wearing finery. I suspect that this will be like when we traveled from South Carolina to Alabama; comfort and practicality is important.
This is a good time of year to go, as the food harvest is done and the cotton has not yet opened. It is a time for celebration of the harvest, sort of like an early Thanksgiving. The Germans among us will be reminded of their Oktoberfest, I imagine, but without the beer. The Negroes love the camp meeting most especially. They are able to escape their normal duties, and it is a time when all come together for worship, food, singing, and even some fun. I have been hearing Jack and Alick singing all morning as they ready the wagon, they are so happy.
Tents will be put up for sleeping, some for the men, and some for the women, although some of the younger families will have their own tent.
I will be bringing a Bible that Sarah lent me. At some point, I shall purchase my own from the Book Concern, but the journal was more important to buy first. Sarah may not agree with that, but neither she nor Reverend Terry said anything when I asked to have one.
I hear the wagon being brought around. Time for me to go!
For the benefit of anyone that may be interested, slaves Jack and Alick mentioned above are, unlike Susie of this story, based on real people of the same name. Jack and 'Alexander or Elic'[sic] were named in the 1840 will of Louisa's mother, Judith Elmore Williams. She bequeathed Jack to her son Thomas, Alexander/Elic to son Warner & family. Also named in her will was a female slave, Mimi, ownership of whom was split between son Josiah H. & family and grandson Thomas P. (son of Daniel) but who, "as a reward for her faithfulness", was to have her choice of whom to serve from among the families of sons Josiah H., Daniel, Warner & Thos. Based on census enumerations and tax records, in 1840 Jack and Alexander/Elic were most likely between 15 and 35 years old, and Mimi no more than 25 years old.
ReplyDeleteOther named slaves proven from contemporaneous records of this family:
"Dick", "Lander & her child Joe", and "Poll", received in 1790, Amelia county, VA, by Josiah Williams under the residuary clause of his father's (Philip Williams Sr.) will.
"Tom a fellow about 35 years of age, Doll a negro woman about 30 years old, Bet a girl about 14; Munna a girl about 9 years old" were purchased from Josiah Williams by John A. Elmore "for the use and benefit" of Judith Elmore Williams, 08 Jul 1811, Laurens cty., SC, Deed Book J, p.224.
"[O]ne negro man by the name of Dick[same as rec'd. 1790?]" and "one small negro boy by the name of Richard" were transferred from Josiah Williams to his son Josiah Hundley Williams, 24 Dec 1817, Laurens cty., Deed Book K, p.44.
"[O]ne negro man Joe [same as son of Lander, above?]" was among property bequeathed by Josiah Williams to sons Josiah Hundley, Daniel & Thomas J. in his will (Autauga cty., AL, 1826).
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Judy Baugh (5th generation descendant of Louisa Williams DuBois)
I plan either extensive endnotes or a separate book explaining what is fact. The rest is fiction. The endnotes will include a lot of genealogy, to be sure. One struggle I had for years was trying to do interesting writing while staying factual. I for one cannot seem to do that. So, I'm going into the fiction side. A prologue will explain this. Next draft...
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