The Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation
Sep 24, 1862
Richmond, Virginia



     Oh there is wonderful news! Two days ago Abraham Lincoln, our president, or should I say my president as I am the only person in this town to agree with him, announced Emancipation! The law shall go into effect on the first day of the coming year. It states that all southern slaveholding states shall let all slaves free by law on the first of January! Now, of course no one will do this, because they consider themselves part of the Confederacy. But at least the president is acknowledging this. Oh I do wish he said this would also apply to border states, but I understand how crucial it is for him to keep them on the Union side. I do wish the war wasn't so close though. At times it can be so frightening to hear of battles only miles away. So many people have lost members of their families.

 (Britannica Image Quest)

Now that the Emancipation Proclamation is Law. I must to everything I can to get her the information necessary to ensure the Union will stay together so all of those slaves will be freed. I plan on making my visits to Libby Prison more frequent, as I have only been going once, maybe twice a month. Whenever there is a battle, new men come with new news. I was able to contact a General through one of the men and agree on spying for the Union. Mary Bowser will work at the Confederate White House and I shall entertain important figures in my home. None of them can turn up a dinner party now. Not only could they never spare an opportunity to show off, but food has been getting scarce and one should always eat when being given food nowadays. This is true no matter how rich you are. Anyways, with so much entertaining planned, (at least in comparison to our quiet house with hardly a singer visitor each fortnight)
 I may have to hire another servant girl. I'll most likely go down into town whenever there is a slave auction and go and free a girl, and any family with her. She'll need to be good at dusting for sure, as the house just sits, most of it never used! Oh! She’ll have to be good in the kitchen too, as our cook will need all the help she can get for large parties. I talked this over with mother as we prepared bandages the night before we visited Libby prison. While she rolled up a strip of gauze, she told me  it was a fine idea.