Prologue
Charleston, South Carolina June, 1851
William Chapman smiled to himself as he walked through Battery Park. He patted his breast pocket reassuringly.
As a plantation farmer, he was a bit concerned over all the talk he was hearing about slavery, states’ rights, embargoes and other factors that might affect his livelihood. He had to look out for his family. Now he had taken matters into his own hands, and his family wouldn’t ever have to worry about where they were going to live, even if the plantation in Columbia, South Carolina was lost to them.
He knew his wife Amelia would be angry with him. After the crops were sold there was little enough money to be had. But a man had a duty to provide for his family, no matter what his womenfolk said.
Imagining the row he would have with Amelia, and the making up later, he stepped out of the park to cross the road to get back to the Harbor. He was so anticipating getting home that he did not notice the horse and buggy racing in his direction.
