Editor’s Note: Often considered one of the more important “Lost
Cause” post-bellum narratives, Letitia Burwell’s A Girl’s Life in
Virginia Before the War offers a captivating glimpse of life in the Old
South. Her grandfather had been Thomas Jefferson’s private secretary and
her father served in the Virginia legislature ten times. Americans
often marvel at the social mores and customs of old Europe–see the
popularity of the PBS series Downton Abbey–but consider similar stories
from the American South to be fabricated. This has more to do with
preconceived prejudices than historical knowledge or understanding, for
if the Burwell was telling the truth (why would she lie?) then modern
interpretations of the South are the real “myth” of American history.
The extent of these estates precluding the possibility of near
neighbors, their isolation would have been intolerable but for the
custom of visiting which prevailed among us. Many houses were filled
with visitors the greater part of the year, and these usually remained
two or three weeks. Visiting tours were made in our private carriages,
each family making at least one such tour a year. Nor was it necessary
to announce these visits by message or letter, each house being
considered always ready, and “entertaining company” being the occupation
of the people. Sometimes two or three carriages might be descried in
the evening coming up to the door through the Lombardy poplar avenue, –
the usual approach to many old houses; whereupon ensued a lively flutter
among small servants, who, becoming generally excited, speedily got
them into their clean aprons, and ran to open gates and to remove
parcels from carriages. Lady visitors were always accompanied by colored
maids, although sure of finding a superfluity of these at each
establishment. The mistress of the house always received her guests in
the front porch, with a sincere and cordial greeting.
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