Walter Ross Wade

Walter Ross Wade (1810–1862) was an American medical doctor and planter in the Antebellum South. He owned the Rosswood Plantation, a cotton plantation in Jefferson County, Mississippi. His diary was published posthumously.

Biography

Early life Walter Ross Wade was born in 1810 in South Carolina. His father was Daniel Wade and his mother, Jean Brown Ross.

Career He worked as a medical doctor, treating patients in the Natchez District. He kept a diary of his patient visits and other activities. He owned more than 100 African slaves who picked cotton in the fields. It was built as a gift for his second wife. The Wades entertained guests regularly and went fox-hunting on the grounds. During the American Civil War of 1861–1865, they invited the Confederate States Army to use the mansion as a Confederate hospital.

Personal life He married a cousin, Martha Taylor Wade. They had two children. After she died, he married Mabella Jane Duncan Chamberlain, and they also had two children.

Death He died in 1862.

Legacy His diary was published posthumously. In 2003, it was recorded as an audio book on a CD.