re: Mid 19th century life in the American south, what do you think it was like?

Hot with a chance of secession.

My great grandfather was born in 1910 in North Louisiana. His dad had him old in his 50s. They lived in tents apparently until the mid-20s.

I asked him when I was a kid, shortly before he died in 2000, what it was like for him and his dad/family growing up.

All he said was "I wiped my arse with two reds and one white (corn cob), and they didn't even have that."

As a kid, I thought that meant my great great grandfather wiped his arse with his hands