The Lawyer who Freed Soloman Northup, 1813-1855
The Life and Diary of John P. Waddill
The Life and Diary of John P. Waddill provides a rare view into the Antebellum South through the eyes of Solomon Northrup s lawyer, John P. Waddill. Born in 1813, John P. Waddill worked his family lands in Tennessee and then Louisiana before entering Augusta College in Kentucky. At Augusta, Wadill began keeping a daily diary, recording in detail thoughts, events, and conversations. Upon completing his education, he returned to the Red River Valley in Louisiana, settling in the burgeoning town of Marksville. There, Waddill became a successful attorney, politician, and family man. Like many well-off white southern gentlemen in the decades prior to the Civil War, he also bought both land and slaves to work it. Though a slave owner himself, Waddill is known today as the lawyer of Solomon Northup, author of the classic memoir of freedom, captivity, and redemption, 12 Years a Slave. Through Samuel Bass, a mutual acquaintance of both Northup and Waddill, Northup secured Waddill s aid in regaining his freedom in 1853. The daily recordings of John P. Waddill and the careful research of Charles Riddle give readers not only a detailed biography of this Marksville attorney, but a unique and important glimpse into the people and culture of the antebellum Deep South.
Charles A. Riddle III was born and raised in Marksville, Louisiana. He majored in history and law at LSU, and began practicing law in Avoyelles Parish in 1980. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 2003 and continues to serve as District Attorney. His first book, The Outhouse Report, is the humorous story of his time in the Legislature. His love of history led him to the story of John P. Waddill and the writing of this book. He is the father of three sons and grandfather to seven grandchildren. In July 2018, he lost his wife of forty years, Susan Noone Riddle, to whom this book is dedicated.
- Publisher : Univ of Louisiana at Lafayette (May 10, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 390 pages / black and white
- ISBN-13 : 978-1946160201
- Item Weight : 1.35 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.9 x 1 x 8.9 inches