Biloxi (eBook)

R. J. Bonett (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2021 | 1. Auflage
360 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-6678-0632-7 (ISBN)

Biloxi is a novel set in the Antebellum South between 1850 & 1865. It deals with life as it existed through a painful era of American history. The characters interwoven throughout the novel are but one view from a different perspective by the author. Although it's a fiction novel, the author is quite sure some circumstances portrayed, were prevalent during that period. The brutal treatment of fellow man by some, compassion from individuals caught in an era trying to wright some of the injustices, all play a part in this novel.

For Tom Stewart, 1850 was the year his dream of owning a plantation came to fruition. With the financial help of his older brother David, he was able to buy at auction, Cliveden, a 600-acre property on the edge of the Mississippi Delta. Not fully understanding the depth of responsibility that goes with owning and operating a plantation, he has difficulties, which leaves him no alternative but to seek further financial assistance from David. David, wealthy in his own right, owns a shipping dock in Biloxi, and half interest in a dock in New Orleans. His primary business is shipping and trade, but occasionally dips into the institution of the slave trade, a necessity for keeping a plantation going. Realizing Tom's disadvantage, David barters for the beautiful slave girl, Elizabeth who works in the kitchen at Cliveden. Wealthy enough to possess any woman freely, what was the underlying force fueling his overwhelming desire for her?With the impending Civil War over abolishing slavery, plantation owners realized there would be a devastating effect on their businesses of growing cotton and tobacco. With the blockade of southern ports eminent, David turns to Edward Atchison for advise. Edward his future father-in-law, a prominent figure in New Orleans and wealthy sugar plantation owner in Cuba, advises him to seek the help of an unassuming character in Havana, by the name of Frank. Little did he realize, Frank wielded such immense international connections, stretching from New York, Washington, D.C., Cuba, and beyond. Could he be the solution to one of David's biggest problems?

Chapter 1

Cliveden

The rich history of Cliveden can be traced back throughout its 150 year Dubois family dynasty. Augustus Dubois, the last connection to the plantation had just died. His wife Joan died childless 10 years ago and without siblings to pass it down to, the old mansion was auctioned off.

Cliveden, a 600-acre cotton plantation, is situated at the edge of the Mississippi Delta, 55 miles northwest of the city of Biloxi. It’s bordered by a swamp on one side, and 100 acres of forest on the other.

The main house stands like a white monument, with its wide front porch roof supported by four white columns. Two wrought iron gates at the entrance of the main road were secured by two brick columns that stood like sentries guarding the old plantation.

The road coming in is lined on both sides with 100-year-old oak trees, their thick branches extending across the road almost touching, made it appear as though they were holding hands. Spanish-Moss, an air plant that’s a muted olive green and gray in color, hangs from the branches like a shroud, moving gently at the slightest breeze. A section of the road has a split rail fence to keep the horses from straying, and beyond the fence just over the rim of the hill, are the quarters. Fifteen two-room wooden cabins with roofs made of cedar shakes fashioned from trees harvested in the swamp, were aligned on a secondary road leading to the fields.

James and Luke were two 12-year-old boys that lived in the quarter with their parents. After their morning chores, it was like every other summer day, too hot to do much besides fighting boredom.

“Betcha can’t walk the top rail of this here fence!” James said, slapping his hand against the top rail.

“Betcha I can!” Luke replied.

Accepting the challenge, Luke climbed to the top rail, and with outstretched arms for balance, began the slow walk. Successfully reaching the other end, he jumped down and slung the upper part of his body over the second rail, letting his feet come off the ground.

“See, told ya I can,” Luke said mockingly.

“Look, Luke! Here come the flat wagon. Old Mr. Moses, Adam and George, they be in it. Where they be goin’?” James asked inquisitively.

Still swinging his feet off the ground, Luke looked up replying, “My daddy say they dun been sold to Master Henry at Five Oaks.”

“You think they be mean to them?” James asked.

“Na… they just probably make Old Moses do the garden. You know, like he be doin’ here,” thinking for a moment, “’Dat, and maybe sittn’ ‘round by the fire at the old oak tree at night. Like he be doin’ here. You know, tellin’ stories.”

“They have an oak tree like us?” James asked.

“Yeah dummy!” pausing for a moment, “I’m sure gonna miss his stories,” Luke said.

“Me too! Look, he’s crying. Why he be doin’ ‘dat?” James asked.

“I heard my daddy tell my momma he was crying when he came to our cabin to say goodbye last night.”

“Why?” James asked.

“I heard him tell momma he been here at Cliveden all his life. We the only family he know. I use to see him bring wild flowers from the meadow every Sunday and put ‘dem on his wife’s grave. He puts ‘dem on his two little girl’s graves too,” Luke said.

“He had two little girls? I never knew dat’. I guess he be alright when he gets to tellin’ ‘dem stories over there,” James replied.

“Look James, he’s wavin’ to us.”

Swinging on the bottom rail as the wagon past, Luke said as he looked up, “Sure hope I don’t never be sold. I hope Master Tom don’t sell us.”

“Why he sellin’ everybody?” James asked.

“My daddy say he ain’t never owned a plantation. He don’t know how many people he be needin’.”

The boys sat in reverence that sunny afternoon as the flat wagon slowly passed, realizing they would probably never see them again.

Old Moses was a deeply religious man, always having a kind word for everyone. No one really knew for sure how old he was, not even him. He had been here the longest, and always wore a tattered old straw hat that looked like it could have complimented a scarecrow in any cornfield. It was sort of an identity with Old Moses that somehow fit his personality. With his sleeves rolled up, the signs of old age couldn’t mask the hard work he had done throughout the years. In the evening when he set the fire by the old oak tree, he would tell stories or start humming gospel songs. This would always generate a reaction from at least one or two people, and before long, everyone was participating. The strong voices of the baritone men mixed with the sopranos’ repetitive responses, were inspiring enough to compete with any professional church choir. With the coolness of the night air, it seemed to be a much needed relief from a hard day in the fields.

Slaves that were born here, like Moses, and fortunate enough not to have been sold, actually lived their entire life without identity. If it wasn’t for the bill of sale, no one would have ever known Old Moses or the other two were alive, for the exception of the people here at Cliveden, and the people where they were bound.

Master Tom only owned the plantation for a year, and your dependence on whether you lived out your life as a slave in one place had everything to do with the owners. Most plantations were handed down from generation to generation, and that sort of secured your future. Since there was less acreage sold to Master Tom from the original plantation, he felt he had to sell some slaves to adjust economically.

Luke’s mother, Flora, worried constantly for the past year, wondering whether they would be sold. They didn’t know the new owner well enough to feel free to ask. Flora, as well as Luke’s father Daniel were born here, and both their parents were buried out back of the quarter.

Master Tom, not wanting to get familiar with the slaves that were still here, realized he would probably have to sell more, but was waiting for the cotton season to end, to see how many he would keep.

Flora begged Daniel almost daily to ask, but he kept telling her, “We be better not to bring attention to ourselves. Just do your chores as best you can, and pray every night we don’t be separated. Master Tom, he don’t seem to be the type ‘dat ain’t fair.”

Tom Stewart, a man in his late 30’s, is tall and muscular, with brown curly hair. You could tell he too, was used to doing some manual labor.

The only one in Luke’s family they feared for was Luke’s sister Elizabeth. Being 22, she would have brought a fair price at any auction. With a fair complexion, she was well built with long black wavy hair, and didn’t possess one visible flaw.

Miss Bertha was the cook at Cliveden, and although she was no blood relation to Flora, Flora’s family always looked on Bertha as their grandmother. Through Miss Bertha, Flora hoped Elizabeth would eventually get recognized with her cooking skills; Bertha had been patiently teaching her for the last year and a half. She would often visit at the end of the day, and teach Elizabeth how to prepare certain foods the new Master liked. If Elizabeth had any chance at all of staying, it would be through Bertha and her relationship to the family.

Everyone loved Bertha. She was a heavy set woman in her late 50s, with dark skin. In the kitchen, she always wore a bright yellow flowered bandana around her head knotted at the front. When someone said or did something funny, she had a laugh that was contagious.

Daniel was a better field hand than anyone else on the plantation, and didn’t fear Elizabeth being sold as much as Flora. They lived in the best cabin in the quarter, and unlike some of the other cabins, they had a wood floor. There weren’t many cold days on the delta, and the cook stove was more than adequate to make the cabin comfortable on chilly days.

Master Tom knew Daniel was his best field hand, and would work much better if his family stayed intact. To separate the family might have a negative effect, so in Daniel’s eyes, they had several things going for them.

Luke and James were like the other young slaves in the quarter, relegated to the easier duties, like caring for live stock, and other chores they could handle. When they finished their chores, they would sometimes go down by the swamp and sit at their favorite spot, a hollow log next to the water’s edge. There, they did what they liked to do best -fish. Trying to catch a catfish or snare a snapping turtle when it raised its head above the surface of the water isn’t easy....

Erscheint lt. Verlag	24.9.2021
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Historische Romane
ISBN-10	1-6678-0632-7 / 1667806327
ISBN-13	978-1-6678-0632-7 / 9781667806327

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