Among the families who left the United States after the Civil War to seek their fortunes in Brazil, and settled in the vicinity of Santa Barbara, Sao Paulo, and later Americana, was the clan of Henry Strong. Henry left his home in Brookhaven, Mississippi, in 1867, and headed South with his daughter Sarah Amanda (Sally) and other family members. Sally Strong did leave behind a love-sick young Mississippian named Tom Atkins. From the middle years of the war, through its convulsive conclusion and into the turmoil that was the Reconstruction, Tom pined for his love across the seas. Sally kept his letters in a little suitcase. and these letters were preserved over the years until, through the tireless efforts of Maria Elisa Byington, they have come to light in this collection. Tom's chronicles open a window onto life in 19th century Mississippi. — Cyrus B. Dawsey
