Monmouth Historic Inn

Civil War & Monmouth - Continued

July 10 2015 | News

Wondering what life at Monmouth was towards the end of the Civil War and after?  Here's an excerpt from "Monmouth:  Its Majesty & Legacy."  A love of history is what draws many to Monmouth, along with the many other things we have to offer:  tranquility, beauty, love of nature, romance . . . Be sure to stop by here on your travels and if you come between now and the end of August (2015) take advantage of our Summer Special and receive 15%-30% off your stay.  You can book directly by going to our website and entering the code SS15MW and the amount will automatically be calculated.  Until next time - Happy Travels!

Before the War ended, the Quitman daughters witnessed, in utter dismay, soldiers . . . encamped on the estate grounds, taking the ample produce and supplies for their own needs.  Accounts by the soldiers encamped on the property describe “a garden of several acres.  It contained all sorts of things from onions and potatoes to pineapples, pomegranates, figs and large pecan nut trees.”  This left the Monmouth household in difficult straits indeed.

Impoverished by the Civil War, the Quitmans sold household possessions to survive.  Items, such as furniture, clothes, carpets, glass jars, and personal possessions, were sold to any taker, often to soldiers and former slaves…The family lacked even the money to purchase milk for the granddaughter of Quitman.  For example, according to household cash records, house slave Viola bought an old dress for $5.00.  Viola’s husband, Marcellus, paid for the Palmyra Buggy.  The formerly enslaved of Natchez and of the south were able to buy these items because of the implementation of a wage system by the united States Army.  In the Monmouth household, wages were divided by gender; the women were paid a wage of $4.00 per month and the men received $5.00 per month.  Nonetheless, as the war progressed, the newly implemented wage system at Monmouth faltered.  Unable to maintain wages for an entire staff, Monmouth cashbook records show a gradual tapering off of entries for wages paid for the duration of the war.