Love in Tragedy

It was the time of the United States going through changes and challenges. The southern states were close to declaring independence from the northern states, and personal feelings were rocked and diminished to the core. A simple farming family in South Carolina was navigating the changes coming to their home and beloved new country. Samantha was a fledgling, young 20-year-old woman coming into her own. Her blonde hair, soft red lips, and hourglass figure were a vision of perfection in the eyes of the local farm boys. Samantha knew the world was changing, and her family was on the verge of being a part of a terrible event that would forever change her and the world she knew. Living in the south during this time was an exhausting life as Samantha and her family were farmers with enough to provide for them and still had a little left to sell at the local store in town for extra money. They were just a small farm family with no slaves. They worked as a family to keep the farm going. Samantha would take the remaining eggs and milk to the store to sell each Monday of the week and, during one trip to take the family's extras to town, she happened to meet Thomas, another local farm boy from the town. Thomas was a tall boy with dark hair and blue eyes. His skin was tanned from the sun, and his hands were hard from the daily task at his family's farm. Like Samantha, he knew things were changing, and he wanted to be a part of it. Samantha would look forward to taking the family's merchandise to the store on Monday after seeing Thomas there. She would smile with excitement as she got closer to town with the hopes of seeing Thomas and hoping for a chance he would speak to her. She never felt the feeling she had each time she saw him. There was a nervous feeling when she saw him, and yet, she could only think of wanting him to speak to her. As she delivered the goods to the store owner one hot Monday, Thomas was there doing the same and was just about to finish unloading his last bit of goods as Samantha was starting to place her goods on the counter for the store. Thomas finished and looked over to Samantha and jumped down from his wagon, and moved towards Samantha to assist her with her goods. “Hello Samantha, Can I help you with your things”? Thomas asked She smiled and felt a rush of nervousness run through her as he asked. “Yes please, that is mighty nice of you Thomas”. Samantha replied As she blushed slightly and spoke softly, telling Thomas she would greatly appreciate his help. Samantha and Thomas saw each other every Monday for the next few weeks and continued to exchange small talk. Samantha knew he was the one. Each time she saw him she felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Thomas knew she was the one also. Every time he was around Samantha, he stumbled on his words, was distracted by her beauty, and found himself daydreaming about her on his way home after attending the market. On a day close to fall when the crops were coming to an end and the days at the market would be limited, both Thomas and Samantha were sharing their ideas about family and life a little more. As the weeks went on and the country became closer to an internal conflict, Samantha knew she wanted to be closer to Thomas. Every Monday, they would speak and share with each other who they were and what they wanted in life. They both knew they wanted to be together and start a life outside their own families. Samantha knew Thomas followed the news of the issues facing their country and how he felt about it. Although she did not truly understand the entire political issues going on, she knew he wanted to preserve the way of life he knew. Thomas spoke many times of the "Yankees" wanting to change everything he knew, and he wanted to fight to preserve it. Samantha loved everything about Thomas and grew closer and closer to him as time went by. As the store owner was counting and writing the goods in his store log, Thomas got the notion to go to Samantha’s farm and ask her father if he could court Samantha. Thomas called on Samantha’s father later that afternoon after they had both returned to their families from town and the market. “Sir, I have taken a strong liking to your daughter Samantha and would like your permission to court her”. Thomas nervously said. With her father’s blessing, Thomas and Samantha started a relationship. The smiles on their faces could be seen by family and friends each time they were around each other. Thomas listened as Samantha explained how she and her momma would can the vegetables and fruits for the winter. He listened as she showed him how she takes fabric materials and mends them and sews holes to repair tattered clothing, so the family could continue to wear them. Thomas showed Samantha how his family raises tobacco and the animals they have on their farm. He showed her how to hunt and how to skin various animals he kills for meat. As more time went by, Thomas and Samantha spoke of having their own family one day. Thomas had been wanting to ask for Samantha’s hand in marriage for the past few weeks and decided it was time to ask her father for her hand. One day, Thomas went to Samantha’s family's farm and spoke to her father. “Sir, I have courted your daughter for going on 6 months and I would like your blessing to have her hand in marriage”. Thomas asked “Thomas”, her father said, “You are a good boy and come from a good family. As long as you love her and take care of her, you have my blessing”. Thomas could not wait to see Samantha. He wanted to shout it out from the tree tops, but Samantha had gone into town with her mother to gather some supplies needed on the family’s farm. Thomas headed into town knowing the road that Samantha and her mother would be taking to return home and hoped he could get into town before they started back. He found them just loading their supplies into the wagon and was getting ready to return home. Thomas ran to Samantha and grabbed her hands and smiled. Before Samantha knew what to say about his odd behavior, he looked at her and excitedly said that he had been out to her farm and spoke with her father, and he had a question he wanted to ask her. Samantha froze as she knew what the question might be, and she did not know how to express what she was feeling at that moment. “Well get on with it Thomas, what is it you have to ask”? Samantha calmly said. Inside she was full of emotion. She was nervous, scared, and happy at the same time. Her mind was flashing dozens of thoughts through her brain. “Samantha, from the first day I laid eyes on you, I felt something. Every day I think of you every moment I see you my heart only grows larger and larger with love for you”. Thomas stated. “I had never felt this way about a girl until I saw you and I would like to know if you would be my wife”. Thomas exclaimed as his voice cracked as he was trying to get the words out. Samantha felt a rush of joy and happiness in her body and mind as she looked at him and started shaking her head yes. She was trying to speak as the emotions kept her lips sealed. Suddenly, she excitedly said, “Yes, yes, Thomas I will. I will marry you”. Later that week, both Samantha and Thomas finished their wedding plans with the help of family and friends and would be husband and wife by the end of the month with a ceremony at the local town church. It was a small wedding and just family as a few close friends were there to see the marriage, but that didn’t bother Thomas or Samantha. They both loved each other more than anything and could not wait to begin their lives together. With the wedding behind them and the future in front, Samantha and Thomas began their life on 80 acres of land that his father gave them as a wedding gift. Thomas knew getting a home built and a farm started with his new bride would be a challenge, and along with that, the country was inching closer to a major conflict. Thomas started building a home for him and Samantha with the help of the family, and a few slaves were loaned to his father for the work. Samantha worked closely with Thomas to create a loving home and used her knowledge from growing up on a farm to gather some tools needed to start their own farm. As time went on day by day, Thomas and Samantha settled into their new home and started to plan for their future on the farm. Slowly, each day, they worked side by side, building what the farm needed. The farm saw its growth with a barn, then a chicken coop, then a garden. Each day, Thomas was busy building a fence and plowing some land for their garden. Samantha was busy acquiring some chickens from her father as well as 2 goats. She would feed the chickens and gather their eggs while also milking the goats. Some weeks later, Thomas had saved enough money from extra eggs they were able to sell to purchase a heifer and her baby calf. Thomas had built enough fencing to provide the new cattle to have 10 acres to graze and roam on. Each day after Samantha had prepared supper and the meal had ended, she and Thomas would talk about their dreams for the farm and their future family. They both wanted children as soon as they could conceive, but Thomas was worried in his own mind that the issues developing within the country would lead to a difficult decision he would have to make. He never spoke of his thoughts to Samantha, as he did not want to burden her or cause her to worry. As the days turned to weeks, the farm that Thomas and Samantha became a productive farm that had grown into more than a dozen head of cattle and more than 20 chickens with a few horses and half a dozen goats. Their garden had produced a good crop of tomatoes, corn, lettuce, and cucumbers. Samantha was constantly busy picking and canning their spoils. Thomas continued to plow and had the ground ready for a large plot to grow tobacco to sell at the market. “Oh no”, Samantha thought as she realized she was late with her cycle. “The state is in turmoil and the crops are only halfway through the growing season. How will Thomas be able to do everything as the baby grows inside me”? That evening, when Thomas came in from working on the farm, Samantha excitedly yet nervously spoke to him about being pregnant. “Thomas”, Samantha said, “I think I am with child”. He stood up from his meal and walked over to Samantha and hugged her and smiled from ear to ear and excitedly said, “Oh baby, besides you saying yes to marrying me, that is the next best thing my ears could hear”. Samantha returned the hug and smiled and kissed him and told him she had a lot to do before she could no longer help with the physical chores around the farm and to prepare for the baby. Time went on and days turned into months. They planned on using the yield from the tobacco to provide the finances to expand their home since Samantha was now 3 months into her pregnancy. As the days went on, Thomas and Samantha worked side by side in the southern sun to build their dream. Each passing day, Samantha grew larger with her pregnancy of their first child. The tobacco crops were nearing harvest season, and Thomas knew his loving wife could not handle the work that needed to be completed as she drew closer to the birth of their child. Thomas put extra time on the farm, getting as much done as he could before the daylight disappeared. Samantha worked more in the home now since she was nearing the end of her pregnancy. She sewed new clothes, made quilts for the baby, and for the coming winter. Samantha would venture to the small garden near the house and pick the ripened vegetables to prepare meals for Thomas and herself each day.