Hatchie, the Guardian Slave; or, The Heiress of Bellevue A Tale of the Mississippi and the South-west

"Hatchie, the Guardian Slave; or, The Heiress of Bellevue" by Warren T. Ashton is a 19th-century story set in the American South, deeply engaged with concepts of slavery and right and wrong through the intertwined lives of Emily Dumont, a wealthy heiress, and Hatchie, her devoted slave. We meet Anthony Maxwell, a New Orleans lawyer with hidden plans involving Emily and her fortune. After the death of Emily’s father, Colonel Dumont, she finds herself in danger as her uncle and Maxwell plot to steal her inheritance. With themes of betrayal and the desire for freedom, Hatchie becomes Emily’s protector against the threats surrounding them, highlighting loyalty in a society built on injustice.