A "Secesh Lady"
Reports The War
. . . Some excerpts from a uni«|ue anil
long-awaiitcd book.
Bi; Biri ll GILBERT CRABTREE
In the Archive s Division of the N.C.
Department of Cultural Resources is a
collection of papers of a prominent
North Carolina family, covering a time
\pan from the colonial period through
the Civil War. The papers include a
lelterhook of colonial Governor
Thomas Pollock, plantation records of
the family's vast landholdings and
many other items. One of the most in¬
teresting is the four-volume manu¬
script diary of Catherine Ann Dever-
eux Edmonds ton, now being published
by the department, entitled "Journal
of a Secesh Lady: The Diary of Cather¬
ine Ann Edmondston. IH6U-IS66." It
is a detailed account of life on a Hali¬
fax County plantation, interrupted by
the War Between the Slates.
Editing the massive document was a
project which occupied Beth Crabtree
for a long period of years. At our re¬
quest she has here chosen some
passages from the monumental story'.
intended to give a sample of the insight
and charm of Mrs. Edmondston' s
writings. - ED.
“On ihe firs! day of this month —
July — I commenced with a new ac¬
count book. I am determined to keep it
regularly and correctly." wrote Mrs.
Edmondston.
Catherine Ann Devereux Ed¬
mondston had kept a journal for many
years, but upon recognizing the sig¬
nificance of events immediately pre¬
ceding the war she recapitulated the
first beginnings of the conflict before
returning to her daily comments in the
diary. From this point, daily entries
reflect her total interest in the war and
its effect on her home and family.
The organization of local military
companies began in anticipation of the
war. Patrick's company (Patrick M.
Edmondston. her husband) observed
ABOUT THE BOOK
In a rare move which emphasized Ihc
significance of Ihe diary of Catherine Ann
Dtvercux Kdmondston, Ihe 1977 Central
Assembly of North Carolina appropriated
$5,000 to aid in selling type for Ihe book,
because “this diary is a unique manuscript
containing information of value to re¬
searchers and to all citizens interested in
the War Between Ihe States era". (House
Bill 978>
Mrs. Kdmondston. the wife of a promi¬
nent planter, spent the war on the family
plantation in Halifax County, but her
carefully kept diary reaches well bevond
the plantation, and rivals some of the
best-known accounts of the war. "The
diary is filled with copious data for histo¬
rians and genealotfsts." notes Mrs. Mem¬
ory F. Mitchell, historical publications
administrator.
The manuscripts were entrusted to Ihc
Stale in 1921. and rights to publication
were obtained in 1959. Kdited by Beth G.
Crabtree and the late James W. Patton.
"Journal of a Secesh Ijidy" is now due
from the printer, and is available from
Historical Publications Section, Div. of
Archives and History. 109 K. Jones St..
Raleigh, N.C. 27611; frontispiece, intro¬
duction, illustrations, epilogue, appendix,
index pp. 850. $28.00
the occasion with speeches and a
parade and presentation of a troop flag.
She describes it as: "a beautiful one of
blue silk with heavy bullion fringe and
tassels. On one side is the coat of arms
of N.C. surrounded with gold stars. . .
on the other a wreath of com in the silk
and ripe ear. cotton in blossom and boll
and wheat encircling the words. Scot¬
land Neck Mounted Rifcmen — or¬
ganized November 30th. 1859; and on
the ribbon which ties the wreath the
words ‘Pro aris et focis'. ..."
The War Begins
The Edmondstons visited Aiken and
Charleston, South Carolina, to cele¬
brate his parents' fiftieth wedding an¬
niversary and were witnesses to the
actual beginnings of the war: ". . . on
the 27th the Government of S.C. took
possession of the vacant forts —
Moultrie and Pinckney, and hoisted
the Palmetto Flag in defiance, as it
were, of the U.S." Later during their
visit:". . ,onthemorningofthe9thas
we were dressing we suddenly heard
the report of a heavy gun. ... A few
moments sufficed to collect us all out
in the front of the house where we had
Hoscoseo ond Looking Glow, Ike Edmondston fam¬
ily plontotions
-не
locoted near Scotland Neck and
the Roonoke River. This »os Hascosea in the lote
1950's; since razed.
18
THE STATE. February 1979
