Krisluvsdogs Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Looking though the attic one day, I discovered a worn leather bound book. It was tied with sting and look well used. Opening it, I was stuck with a feeling of nostalgia. This book had traveled though years of hardships and good times. I had found the book of legends in my family’s history. I had found my Great(x4) - Grandmother Amber’s dairy. Examining the front page, I was stuck with awe at it. After years of abuse the writing was still clear and the first entry seemed to be written for the future generations. The first entry read: This is for the future generations of my family line. I merely want to introduce myself to whoever time dictates to read this dairy. My name is Amber Jackson; I am the oldest daughter of Samuel Jackson and the younger sister of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. This first entry that meets your eyes has been written years after the Civil War. I want to explain that why the next and even future entrees are talking about the Civil War that this is been written to share my views now that death’s call is near. I am a woman and in the time we are discussing women views were not shared with the men. I, during this time, was headstrong, stubborn, and expressive in my ideas. I was raised by father’s sister in Clarksburg, VA. My family was loving, kind, yet we were guilty in one crime, we owned slaves. I never agreed with this and being the lady of the house after my aunt’s death, it was not accepted. I would help many slaves escape at night, and at day, cheer my brother on in the Civil War. For my Tommy had gone into battle for the Confederacy. I leave you at this point so you can judge me though my hand over the years of my youth. But know that all I did, or might still do till my soon death was for my family, country, and most importantly, my Tommy. Yours truly, Amber Jackson I turned the page to find the first dairy entry she wrote the date was December 2, 1859. Settling down against the trunk that I found the dairy in, I got ready to read about the past. It went like this: 02 December 1859 Dear dairy, Today, my brother Tommy and I went with our uncle George to Charlestown. He had to attend a business luncheon with some distant business partners. Tommy and I walked around town and explored. We arrived to the town center of Charlestown, when we saw a sign announcing the hanging of John Brown. Now Dairy, I know who he was from the newspapers that I stole from Uncle’s desk but I could not speak about that to no one but you. So, I asked Tommy who this John Brown was. My brother was silent for a moment and then proceeded to answer me. I love him for that, He knew that I had read the stolen newspapers but explained to me everything. He told me that John Brown was a Yankee (Tommy called him that) that loved God and felt it was his duty to free all the slaves by helping them with a nationwide rebellion. Tommy does not know of my feelings towards slavery but I felt that he was close to believing the fake concerned act for the South I told him was my reason for taking those papers. Just as he finished telling me, there was a drum roll. We turned to see John Brown being led to his death. We followed at a safe distance, and soon we arrived at the gallows. I was surprised to see as many women as men. John Brown gave his last words after being led on stage. Then he turned to the noose and …Dairy, they hung him. Tommy tried to turn me gaze but I watched him die there. It was horrible, he was human and people cheered after he died. They were HAPPY, he was gone. Tommy and I left and returned to my uncle. I don’t think anyone saw the tears on my face as I cried for poor Mr. John Brown. The entry ended there but I seemed to see a few traces of tear stains on the page. I turned my gaze to the next page. But soon I grew bored with the next one and flipped though towards the middle. My eye was caught on a picture of what looked like Stonewall Jackson, my great-uncle. The entry for the day was tearstained but I could read what it said. 12 May 1863 Dear Dairy, We lost him. We lost my brother, Tommy. He died two days ago in a field hospital. He was shot during a battle, but not by the enemy. No, his own men killed him. The letter that uncle received today said that the officer that took my brother’s life had mistaken him for an enemy troop charging the Confederate line. Over the years I grew to dislike this war but now I hate it. I have made up my mind, I will move to the North as soon as Tommy’s funeral is over. I will stay with my friend and live there. Dairy, I must confess that I will miss the South. It is my home, no matter how much blood is shed that will stay the same. I will never forgive this war for taking him away. Tommy was my brother, friend, and partner. He and I shared everything in the mixed up life we led till auntie and uncle took us in. I will miss you, Tommy. No matter what happens I will always stay your little sister. I love you Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, My one and only brother. My eyes welled up and I closed them to get rid of the salty water leaking out of them. Amber must have really loved her brother. She seemed heartbroken and distorted when the news was told to her. I thought about my own brother and how I would miss him when he died. I was close to him, maybe as close to him as Amber was to Tommy. I felt a huge urge to read the end. So I turned to the very last entry in the book. I wanted to hope that she was alright after the war. This is what my eye saw: 20 February 1867 Dear Dairy, It has been four years since Tommy’s death. I still love him as much as I did when we walked together on this earth. Now I am in my 28th year in life, I think I found my mate for life. He is a wonderful man by the name of Andrew Wilson, I love him very much. Dairy, a lot has changed in these past years living in the north. The war that took my Tommy is done and Mr. Lincoln was killed. Now we are under a man who I like but do not always agree with. There are gangs of white men with hoods over their head. They call themselves the Ku Klux Klan. I fear them; they have declared their hatred for the free slaves and their helpers. They are horrible people, Dairy. The war that plagued this country is finally over and I am glad to still survive. I have changed, along with this land, Dairy. I am no longer trusting of others, and I know that since my Tommy’s death I have never been so sharing with my thoughts. Not even with Andrew, who I love dearly. I do not know if I will write anymore, Dairy, because if I do it will be of no real importance. I started this journey with you to go over the course of the war. Now that is over and so is our journey. I will continue my life with your future brothers. So goodbye, My Dairy. I have enjoyed our journey together. Closing the age long book, I closed my eyes and thought about all that I read. That was amazing! I had to tell someone about this amazing woman’s life. Jumping up, ran to my room and gently putting the book on my bed, I continue to the kitchen. My motive was to tell my mother, for she, like me; would be interested in Amber’s life. I did not look back but if I had I would have seen a transplanted figure of a woman touching the dairy and smiling. I would have seen this ghost of the past sit on my bed and read her long lost dairy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog lover Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 WOW!!!!!! Awesome story!! Thanks for sharing it! ~Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mushroom_king Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 *~*The Grand Illusion*~*The Final Cut*~* Must not...make joke....about typo...in title.... good job, btw... *~*The Psychedelic Luau*~*The Atronomy Domine*~* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 *~*The Grand Illusion*~*The Final Cut*~* Must not...make joke....about typo...in title.... good job, btw... *~*The Psychedelic Luau*~*The Atronomy Domine*~* What typo? :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoops Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 *~*The Grand Illusion*~*The Final Cut*~* Must not...make joke....about typo...in title.... good job, btw... *~*The Psychedelic Luau*~*The Atronomy Domine*~* What typo? :blink: Horatio's some kinda magic man. xD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisluvsdogs Posted January 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 haha anyway thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 haha anyway thanks My pleasure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisluvsdogs Posted January 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 what was the typo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 what was the typo? Don't remember. My apologies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoops Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 what was the typo? "dairy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisluvsdogs Posted January 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 what did i spell instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 what was the typo? "dairy" *quotes the post above yours* You wrote dairy instead of diary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krisluvsdogs Posted January 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 oh, well I'm sure a cow is lost somewhere....just not in a attic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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