April 20, 1861

The day after my last entry my world died.  
Virginia seceded from the Union.  That means 
that Preston will have to enlist!  Now I wont 
be married by Christmas.  But I'll probably 
be married by Easter, Jessie says.  

One of our slaves ran away yesterday.  Papa 
says he's too busy to try and find him, but 
I think the reason he's not going to try and 
find him is because Papa never did like that 
man after he killed one of Papa's hounds.  
Papa's hound bit that man one day, and the 
man had to kill it.  I saw what happened.  
That dog just went crazy and started chasing 
the field hands when they came in for lunch.  
I'd never seen such a funny thing, until it 
ran up to that slave and jumped on him.  It 
bit his face and so he wrung its neck.  Papa 
was very sad about his hound.  It was his 
favorite.  And Papa told him it was alright 
that he had killed it, but Papa never did get 
over it.  I think Papa's glad that that slave 
ran away.