Elizabeth Osborne Carter Diary

The Elizabeth Osborne Carter diary records various happenings at Oatlands Plantation in Loudoun County, Va., throughout and after the Civil War. The diary begins with Carter's death notice, which praises her generosity during life and describes the circumstances surrounding her death. The first entries date from July 1860, and are particularly concerned with weather and wind direction, livestock sales and purchases, visitors, and trips to Leesburg and Upperville. The diary frequently mentions Carter's son, George Carter, Jr., Dr. Eliason, and various members of both the Grayson and Carter families. The Civil War is first mentioned on 14 Apr. 1861. In succeeding entries, Carter records the names of friends and family who have joined the Company of Arlington Heights, making calico shirts for Confederate volunteers, bringing back runaway slaves, and the ransacking of Oatlands by "insolent Yankees." Also mentioned are the Battle of Balls Bluff (1861) and the Battle of Seven Pines (1862). Entries after the war are brief, mainly noting financial transactions and illnesses of family members. The last recorded entry is on 31 Oct. 1872.