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Mary Gresham’s grief over invalid son’s death echoes from 1865 - RJNorton - 08-06-2014 01:12 PM
Thank you to Laurie for sending the link to this moving article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/library-of-congress-posts-mothers-letter-over-invalid-sons-1865-death-and-his-diary/2014/08/04/86f384fa-1beb-11e4-ae54-0cfe1f974f8a_story.html?tid=hpModule_13097a0c-868e-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394&hpid=z10
RE: Mary Gresham’s grief over invalid son’s death echoes from 1865 - Rsmyth - 08-06-2014 03:07 PM
Roger, Laurie, thank you for posting this historical record of a bygone era and the sorrow felt by a mother for the death of a son who suffered for years but brought her joy. Leroy's daily notations of life in the south during the war are enlightening. Some sections of the diary and the mother's letter to her sister makes one think of the turmoil that brought about the war. The son of a privileged planter, the family had about 70 slaves at their in town mansion and plantation. Leroy writes almost nonchalantly that a neighbor hung one of his slaves for insubordination and the mother decries that not one of their recently set free slaves returned to pay their respects when her son died. I am sure the sister agreed that it was quite an insult. The diary is written honestly by a teenager suffering physically, isolated and engulfed by the war time drama around him. It is quite remarkable.
RE: Mary Gresham’s grief over invalid son’s death echoes from 1865 - LincolnToddFan - 08-06-2014 06:44 PM
[Leroy writes almost nonchalantly that a neighbor hung one of his slaves for insubordination and the mother decries that not one of their recently set free slaves returned to pay their respects when her son died]// quote
I swung back and forth between feeling genuine empathy for this woman's anguish at the death of her child to astonishment at her surprise and resentment that her slaves didn't choose to stay and care for him after they were free, even if they had been fond of him.
What a bubble some of the people of that time lived in. But it's absolutely pointless to try and apply 21st century sensibilities to an era long past.
On a completely different note...how articulate and witty young Leroy was. I don't think I know any teenagers today who could express themselves so well!