The Diary of Elizabeth O. Carter: Loudoun County, Virginia 1860-1872
Item
Title
The Diary of Elizabeth O. Carter: Loudoun County, Virginia 1860-1872
Creator
Lori H. Kimball
Abstract
Elizabeth O. Carter was a wealthy and prominent woman in Loudoun County at the start of the Civil War. She began her diary in July 1860 and wrote almost daily until December 1872. The diary is rich in information about the time period. She recorded the temperature and wind direction, domestic and agricultural activities, and frequent visits by family and friends. She often wrote about the people she enslaved, providing the names that descendants, researchers, and genealogists would use over 150 years later, and their lives after freedom. This is one of the most important aspects of her diary.