December 24, 1750 Augusta, Georgia
On this eve of the birth of Our Lord, I find myself looking back on the blessings life in the colony of Georgia has provided. I, once an indentured servant girl known as Mary Jones, am now Mistress Sowell, the merchant's wife, mother of fine sons and lovely daughters. After my seven years of service ended, I became betrothed to the nephew of my former Master, who came to the colonies at the same time as I did, as an apprentice to his uncle. Together, we traveled to the young settlement of Augusta, where we opened the town's first mercantile, providing goods to the flood of immigrants now coming to the city from Scotland, Ireland, and the Germanic states.
Other developments in the colonies have helped our family to find success here. The moderate climate has made it possible for us to find success in small farming. Recently, the beginnings of the slave trade in this colony have allowed us to acquire a group of field slaves and expand our farming to include the popular tobacco crop. Interactions with the local Creek Indians, who first treated with James Oglethorpe under the leadership of Tomochichi, have helped us to learn the lay of the land and the crops that grow best here. Traveling to the colony of Georgia has truly been the greatest blessing in my life, from which all others have come.
Other developments in the colonies have helped our family to find success here. The moderate climate has made it possible for us to find success in small farming. Recently, the beginnings of the slave trade in this colony have allowed us to acquire a group of field slaves and expand our farming to include the popular tobacco crop. Interactions with the local Creek Indians, who first treated with James Oglethorpe under the leadership of Tomochichi, have helped us to learn the lay of the land and the crops that grow best here. Traveling to the colony of Georgia has truly been the greatest blessing in my life, from which all others have come.
