The Rosswood Plantation diary has recently been released on CD and provides a fascinating account of life on a real Southern cotton plantation before and during the Civil War.

Dr. Walter Ross Wade recorded his medical practice, his cotton business and day-to-day events from 1834 to 1862. Volumes 1 and 2 of the diary are primarily ledgers, listing expenses, income and taxes, while Volume 3 is Dr. Wade’s candid and often humorous narrative account of what was happening on the plantation.

Dr. Wade bought the 1,250-acre plantation in 1849 from the Prospect Hill estate of his grandfather, Captain Isaac Ross for the princely sum of $5,000. The plantation is located near Lorman, Miss., in Jefferson County, roughly midway between Natchez and Vicksburg.

He named the plantation Rosswood for his grandfather, and built the Rosswood mansion in 1857 for $10,850. It was a gift for his second wife, Mabella Jane Chamberlain.

The diary includes the construction of the mansion, his courtship and marriage to Mabella, parties and balls in the mansion, foxhunts on horseback with dogs, the management of slaves, the events leading up to the Civil War, and finally the case of cancer that cut Dr. Wade’s live short at age 52.

Originally written in longhand, the three diary volumes were typed and preserved by Dr. Wade’s descendants and now have been put on a CD-ROM disk that is readable on computer.

The CD also contains interior and exterior views of the mansion, the story of how Isaac Ross freed his slaves and paid their way back to Africa long before the Civil War, plus how Mabella got her slaves back home after the Union Army botched its attempt to carry out Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This is one of the best available accounts of Southern plantation life available and provides a good genealogical record of marriages, births and deaths both on the plantation and in the surrounding areas. Even the slave records are immaculately recorded for posterity. Rosswood has been a bed and breakfast and tourist attraction since 1979 and is currently the home Col. Walter R. Hylander, U.S. Army, Retired. The original diaries are on exhibit at the house and have been one of the most popular features for visitors.

The CD is easy to both navigate and read and becomes positively addicting to study! The Rosswood Plantation Diary CD is available for $7.50 postpaid. It may be ordered by sending a check made payable to &uot;Rosswood&uot; or by sending your Visa or Mastercard information to Rosswood Plantation, 2513 Red Lick Road, Lorman, MS 39096. Perhaps better yet, take a day trip down to visit Rosswood in person, get the feel for the old plantation, and bring home the CD as a souvenir!

DOES ANYONE KNOWŠŠŠ

ŠŠŠ.Sara A. Prince (206 Park Lane, Brandon, MS 39047, email-

Shasynshea@aol.com

) is searching for information on her PRINCE line. She is looking for descendants of WILLIAM PRINCE and his wife, LUVENIA/LEVENIA (maiden name unknown). Their known children are: Jesse A. (born about 1830 in South Carolina); William L. (born about 1832 in South Carolina); Michael (born about 1834 in Alabama); Greenberry(born about 1838 in Alabama); Louisa A. (born about 1842 in Alabama); Levi (born about 1845 in Alabama); and David A. (Ms. Prince’s great grandfather). Michael Prince married an Emily AXTON. They resided in the Taylorsville, Miss., area. Michael fought in the Civil War. Louisa A. Prince married a JONES and a JORDAN. She is believed to have lived in the Sumrall, MS area. Levi Prince fought in the Civil War and married Leona GATEWOOD and Nancy PRINCE. He lived in the Ellisville area of Jones County, Miss. Many of Levi’s descendants moved to Louisiana. Ms Prince would like to find descendants of JOSEPH and DAVID PRINCE, the twin brothers of her grandfather, MARTIN TAYLOR PRINCE. They were born 23 July 1875 and moved to Louisiana. Can any reader help with more information on the Princes?

Please send your announcements and queries to FAMILY TREES at 900 Main St., Natchez, MS 39120 or E-mail to

Famtree316@aol.com

. All queries printed free of charge.

We look forward to hearing from you!