Our Plantation: Life on a Southern Cotton Plantation during the Civil War

At the beginning of the Civil War in April 1861, Clare Ellen Fairchild and three of her children were left to fend for themselves on their beautiful Mississippi cotton plantation. Her husband and elder son rode off to save slavery in the Confederate Cavalry. Their plantation would now be controlled by a brutish slave master and sadistic slave overseers. Would their slaves revolt? Would Yankee armies attack and destroy their way of life? The slave master already had designs on Clare Ellen Fairchild and couldn t wait until her husband rode off to war and hopefully die for his Cause. It was April, planting season. The very long and very hot summer awaited them. Clare Ellen was told that this war would be over by September and to not worry her pretty little head about it. Clare Ellen was told wrong. She and her children should have worried their pretty little heads.