MAGNOLIA JOURNAL Submitted By: Gladys Stovall Armstrong Excerpts From The Journal Kept At The Magnolia Plantation During The Civil War Takened from "Louisiana's Plantations" By: Charles P. Roland ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** PRAYER OF OVERSEER OF MAGNOLIA PLANTATION AS HE WROTE IT "This day is set a part by President Jefferson DAVIS for fasting and praying owing to the deplorable condishions over Southern country is in my prayer Sincerely to God is that Every Black Republican in the Hole combined whorl Either man woman o chile that is opposed to negro slavery as it existed in the Southern Confederacy shal be trubled with pestilence & calamitys of all kinds & drag out the balance of their existence in misry (&) degradation with scarsely food (&) rayment enough to keep sole (&) body to gether and O God I pray the to direct a bullet or a bayonet to pirce the hart of every northern Soldier that invades southern Soil (&) sfter the body has Rendered up its tralerish Soul gave it a trators reward a birth in the Lake og fires (&) Brimstone My honest convicksion is that Every man women (&) child that has gave aid to the abolishionist are fit Subjects for Hell I all so ask the aid the Southern confedercy in maintaining ower rites (&) establishing the confederate Goverment Believing in this case the prares from the wicked will prevailth much - Amen -" EFFINGHAM LAWRENCE Effingham LAWRENCE quited his workers down when on November 1. 1862 he promised them a "handsome present: if they would continue to work faithfully. They remained on the job, but production dropped. The owner was pleased with his Negros considering the problems in the country. He claimed no slaves on other plantations did s well as his . He said attempts were made to lure his Negroes from the place, but that they remained faithful LAWRENCE was true to his promise and on June 24, 1863(2?), he distributed &2,500 among the laborers as a bonus for their good conduct (Magnolia Plantation Journal 21 Oct 1862) Matters wern't going so well on 3 September 1862 when LAWRENCE wrote in the journal that his manager had resihned, due to unruly Negroes. Due to his faithful surface, Lawrence told him he had a home on Magnolia as long as he chose to remain. Due to hard times during the Civil War years, many plantation owners leased their plantations to people with capitol to run them and LAWRENCE sis the same. In September 1862 ( journal - 25 Jan 1863) James PARTON wrote in "General Butler in New Orleans"That it was like thrashing a walking stick into an ant hill, that many slaves harbored a longing for freedom and sensing that the northern soldiers meant freedom, they flocked t Federal encampments and left cane fields unattended. Before the capture of New Orleans the overseer of Magnolia frequently wrote in his journal that slaves were slipping away to the "Lincolnits" at Fort Jackson to the enemy . However most soon became disappointed and returned and said they had seen the "Elephant" and were happy to be home. Planters realized that a disruption of their labor by the presence of the Union Army would ruin them if not stopped. The Magnolia Plantation overseer applied on 14 June 1862 to the Union Authorites at Fort Jackson and Fort ST. Phlip to collect his workers and take them back to their cabins. The Federal Commander, doubtless happy to be rid of the responsibility of providing for great numbers of indolent blacks, gave their consent (Journal - 14 June 1862) MAny other plantation owners were there on similar missions. During the summer of 1862, the workrs grew increasingly restive, large gangs of plantation Negroes wandered into New Orleans and to the union camps, seeking freedom and escape from work, they also went again to Fort Jackson and Fort ST. Philip. The overseer of Magnolia wrote in the journal 22 August 1862, " Henry DIAMOND returned this morning from the army, was in fight at Schilow he as fought Bled (&) Died for his country." E. LAWRENCE wrote in his journal 16 April 1862 that " He had sant his family to New Orleans and that his overseer had fled" His negores had crowed the levee for a glimpse of the pagent as the Federal Commander led his fleet up the river - Lawrence wrote " The fleet are now passing the house---- appears to be uninjured. They have burried a few bodies in coming up a few miles below here...."