The Civil War Letters of Sarah Kennedy

"Sarah Kennedy (1823-1899) was the wife of a wealthy slaveowner, D.N. Kennedy, at the outbreak of the Civil War. D.N. Kennedy was a major supporter of secession in Tennessee who was rewarded for his devotion to the new nation with a job (though vaguely defined) in the Confederate Treasury Department. He shipped off for Mississippi, leaving Sarah Kennedy to care for six young children (including a son, 'Newty,' with special needs) and watch over numerous slaves on a large plantation in Clarksville. She was burdened by ill health (both her own and her children), slaves that, one by one, disappear under federal occupation, and by the lack of consistent contact with her beloved husband owing to the Confederate mail system--which comes under surprising scrutiny here. Her letters are mostly about personal matters, but they offer significant insight into slavery and social relations in Clarksville under occupation"