The Di ary of El l a Youman Pro j ec t f i rs t began dur ing the ear ly years of COVID, when a loca l res ident brought a di ary to Oxford County Archives in hopes tha t s t a f f could he lp de t ermine the di ary ’ s provenance and dec ipher the t ext . St a f f soon di scovered tha t the di ary be longed to a young woman named El l a Youman , who would l a t er become the mother of Woods tock ar t i s t F lorence Car lyl e . Moreover, s t a f f di scovered she had an incredib l e s tory to t e l l of her year work ing as a t eacher in Wi l son , Nor th Carol ina be fore the outbreak of the Amer i can Civi l War. ELLA
E l l a s t a r t s h e r j o u r n e y by t r a v e l i n g t o Wi l s o n , No r t h C a r o l i n a . WILSON
NORTH CAROLINA Came to Wi l son , Nor th Carol ina the 20th of January not wi th an exceeding ly k ind recept ion , but was a t once possessed wi th fear ful forebodings Dec idedly var ious have been my vi ews s ince tha t day – my opinions l i ke the sands upon the seas shore , so numerous I am more dec idedly now. M A R C H 8 , 1 8 6 0
Al l absorbed in reading “Beul ah” by Mi ss Evans . * Am pl eased wi th the manner in whi ch she has to [ ? ] the doc t r ines of Emerson , Swedenborg , panthe i sm and anthology** . The work i s genuine – t ruly beaut i ful – f i l l s my hear t wi th hi gher convi c t ions of woman’ s grea tness her t rue sphere . Oh tha t I had t a l ent – could wr i t e – I worship a t the shr ine of genius – I long to be an authoress – have l a t ent porous? – are not the f acul t i es of my mind dreadful ? – Al as for my empty cranium – i t s vacant ha l l s reverbera t e in unmi s t akab l e echoes - & sa t i s f i es my hungry soul wi th nothingness . M A R C H 1 0 , 1 8 6 0 BEULAH
BY MISS EVANS D e m o n s t r a t i n g h e r l o v e o f l i t e r a t u r e a n d s u p p o r t o f c a r e e r wo m e n , b o t h v a l u e s s h e wo u l d l a t e r i n s t i l l i n h e r d a u g h t e r F l o r e n c e , E l l a i s a b s o r b e d i n r e a d i n g B e u l a h b y A u g u s t a J . E v a n s ( 1 8 5 9 ) .
A DELIGHTFUL TASK
M A R C H 1 2 - 1 3 , 1 8 6 0 A f t e r a b o u g h t o f f e v e r wh i c h m a k e s h e r wo r r y f o r h e r J u n e t r a v e l p l a n s , E l l a w r i t e s t o h e r f u t u r e h u s b a n d , a n d F l o r e n c e ’ s f u t u r e f a t h e r , M r . W i l l i a m C a r l y l e , wh i c h s h e d u b s “ a d e l i g h t f u l t a s k ,” a n d r e f l e c t s o n h e r r e c e n t r e a d i n g o f T h a y e r . Have enjoyed reading Thayer on Universal i sm – at tempt ing to prove the doctr ine of endless puni shment of heathen or igin – fal lacious argument certainly. THAYER
WILLIAM I fee l lone ly wi thout Wi l l i am to day – every thought i s ma inly of him – my prec ious Wi l l i am how I long to be wi th you to day - these long years – these dreary mi l es tha t separa t e us . THE LONELINESS OF LOVE M A R C H 2 5 , 1 8 6 0
ALLEGORICAL LIBERATION
SINFUL T h i s f o r e s h a d ow s t h e u n r e s t p r i o r t o t h e c i v i l w a r t h a t E l l a w i l l e x p e r i e n c e d u r i n g h e r s e c o n d s c h o o l t e r m , i n f a l l o f 1 8 6 0 . I am reading a work on the or igin and phi losophy of s lavery by Smi th – the argument i s conci se and seemingly good, but in real i ty fal se – the system of domest ic s lavery i s “per se” s inful . A P R I L 1 0 , 1 8 6 0
HOME SOON I long to see my brothers and s i sters – my father – but thousands of mi les intervene – above al l would I see Wi l l iam. MY HEART IS SO FULL M A Y & J U N E , 1 8 6 0
EXAMINATIONS Examina t ions cont inued – my c l asses in Chemi s t ry and Geology surpassed my mos t earnes t hopes – The l adi es acqui t t ed themse lves f ine ly and I am g l ad – Only two more days – how fool i sh I am to count the days and moment s . J U N E 1 2 , 1 8 6 0
The school c losed former ly thi s morning by Capt . Radc l i f f – par t ing words g iven e t c . … a f t er and ear ly t ea wi th Mi ss Ripl ey prepared to t ake our depar ture . DEPARTURE J U N E 1 4 , 1 8 6 0
A TELEGRAM FROM WILLIAM
J U L Y 1 8 6 0 I n m i d J u l y , E l l a n e r v o u s l y p r e p a r e s f o r W i l l i a m C a r l y l e ’ s a r r i v a l a f t e r t wo y e a r s o f n o t s e e i n g e a c h o t h e r . A telegram from Wi l l iam – wi l l be here tomorrow at f ive o’clock. Can I wai t – I have not mani fested any feel ing of di squietude – at least I think not but oh my heart . HEART I have labored very hard to day – have not accompl i shed much but have been busy. I wonder i f Wi l l iam wi l l be here tomorrow … i t i s so long s ince I parted from him that I fear i t wi l l seem strange .
For the f i rs t t ime I am in Toronto – the capi t a l of my count ry… Took the s t eamer for Ni agara Fa l l s … enraptured wi th the f a l l s – saw the rope wa l kers per form the i r wonder ful fea t s . TORONTO WONDERFUL FEATS A U G U S T 1 5 , 1 8 6 0 I n A u g u s t , E l l a t r a v e l s a r o u n d S o u t hw e s t e r n O n t a r i o , o f t e n w i t h f r i e n d s , f a m i l y , o r W i l l i a m C a r l y l e b y h e r s i d e .
A U G U S T 2 9 , 1 8 6 0
A MOST MAGNIFICENT BUILDING
HAMILTON I n A u g u s t , E l l a t r a v e l s a r o u n d S o u t hw e s t e r n O n t a r i o , o f t e n w i t h f r i e n d s , f a m i l y , o r W i l l i a m C a r l y l e b y h e r s i d e . Mr. James Carlyle so kind to take me out in a most elegant carr iage – went to the Univers i ty – a most magni f icent bui lding – surpassed the Smi thsonian inst i tute in Washington. A U G U S T 1 8 , 1 8 6 0
Thi s morning Wi l l i am and I went to the top of the Mount a in to see the sunr i se… na ture has cer t a inly deployed her handy work in so r i chly decora t ing these hi l l s and va l l eys SUNRISE NATURE' S HANDY WORK A U G U S T 3 1 , 1 8 6 0
S E P T E M B E R 2 , 1 8 6 0 LAST NIGHT Thi s i s my last night in Canada – whi le I have knel t wi th Wi l l iam and prayed, I was overwhelmed wi th gr ief – can I leave him – my fr iends – my country. CAN I LEAVE MY COUNTRY?
Prepar ing to l eave – Wi l l i am re l eased f rom dut i es and accompani es me to the f a l l s . How k ind he i s – Never was my hear t so broken as when I par t ed f rom him… Reached Al bany about 5 o’c lock in the morning . S E P T E M B E R 3 , 1 8 6 0 ALBANY 5 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING
O C T O B E R 1 9 , 1 8 6 0 T h e f i r s t s t r o n g w a r n i n g s o f w a r a p p e a r i n E l l a ’ s p a g e s i n O c t o b e r 1 8 6 0 . To night i s facul ty meet ing… Mayor Gray and Mi ss Wi l l iams spent the evening wi th us . Talking incessant ly of the insurrect ion – oh how I feared and trembled – when wi l l the danger pass and leave us in peace . POLITICS At my old work again – i t i s stormy most fur ious ly – some vi s i tors – pol i t ical meet ing at the Court House – Gov. Wi se advi s ing al l to have thei r arms ready – oh i t i s fr ight ful . O C T O B E R 3 0 , 1 8 6 0
Wha t a day thi s has been – wha t a ni ght may thi s be…. A hundred armed men are s t a t ioned about our bui lding – wi l l we be sa fe? Should the negroes r i se can they be de fec t ed? … I wi l l t rus t in the Almi ghty – he a lone can de fend ARMED N O V E M B E R 5 , 1 8 6 0 N O V E M B E R 6 , 1 8 6 0 Ten armed men to s l eep in the room oppos i t e mine toni ght – sure ly I wi l l be sa fe f rom harm.
N O V E M B E R 8 , 1 8 6 0 PRESIDENT I have been exceedingly happy today. Nothing to mar my pleasure – we have just heard that Lincoln i s elected Pres ident and that South Carol ina has al ready seceded – I suppose war wi l l be inevi table LINCOLN IS ELECTED
Oh how beaut i ful are these southern skies – these indescr ibable sunsets . SUNSETS N O V E M B E R 2 2 , 1 8 6 0
TEMPER A northern man here on bus iness – has been stayed and taken into custody – merely for saying he was a Republ ican. These southerners stoop to mighty low things N O V E M B E R 2 3 , 1 8 6 0 N O V E M B E R 2 7 , 1 8 6 0 I am too indignant to l ive – my blood boi l s – my temper r i ses to the highest point… I would[s ic] that every Southerner might di srobe himsel f for a moment of hi s degeneracy and exceedingly demoral ized condi t ion and appears in the clear sunl ight of honesty and true worth – they would blush wi th shame at thei r own pol lut ion – thi s ut ter degradat ion made vi le and vicious by thei r traf f ic in human beings .
The f i rs t day of wint er – i t seems very unl i ke our wint ers a t home – thought i t i s chi l l ing . I think I sha l l soon exper i ence them aga in – I am not cont ent ed here – t imes are so changed – pover ty i s s t ar ing us in the f ace . I am going to l eave . WINTER TIMES ARE SO CHANGED D E C E M B E R 1 , 1 8 6 0
A s E l l a p r e p a r e s t o s p e n d h e r f i r s t C h r i s t m a s i n t h e S o u t h , s h e w r i t e s o f w a r . To day South Carol ina has seceded from the Union. To night Mt . Moul tr ie i s to be taken – should South Carol ina be the f i rst to shed blood or to rebel against the government she wi l l have no sympathy from the civi l ized world – for the fort i s not state property but belongs to the Union. D E C E M B E R 1 8 , 1 8 6 0
D E C E M B E R 1 9 , 1 8 6 0 School has closed. Mr. and Mrs . Ratcl i f f have lef t for Wi lmington – I hope our vacat ion wi l l not be intruded upon by wars and other outrages – forebodings are fearful – everyone i s on the alert… now our mi l i tary students are leaving – house f i l led wi th arms and ammuni t ion, certainly we shal l be at tacked f i rst… HOUSE FILLED WITH ARMS WAR
D E C E M B E R 3 1 , 1 8 6 0 FAREWELL My bless ings have been numberless , joys and sorrows have been commingled. It has been a year of events I WOULD NOT PART WITH THIS YEAR’ S EXPERIENCE
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