November 7th, 1849, Chattam County, Georgia.

A woman stands on an auction platform in Savannah’s public market.

Her hands bound with rope, the skin worn raw from the rough cords.

She is 22 years old, five months pregnant, and is about to be sold for 19 cents.

Not $19, but 19 cents, less than the cost of a pound of coffee.

The auctioneer, Cyrus Feldman, stands with the deed of sale in his hands, his voice cutting through the crowd.

But something feels off about this auction.

Even the hardened slave traders in the crowd shift uncomfortably, sensing something dark unfolding.

What was about to transpire would haunt the city of Savannah for decades, as they worked to bury the truth.

This is the story that they tried to erase.

It begins with Dinina, a woman whose name appears in records only twice, both times misspelled.

Sold into slavery at a young age, Dinina endured unimaginable hardship, including a life with Elias Cartwright, a tobacco merchant, who used his power to repeatedly abuse her.

When she became pregnant, Elias refused to acknowledge his child, while his wife, Constance, placed the blame entirely on Dinina.

In March 1843, Dinina gave birth to Ruth, a daughter whose features were undeniably linked to Elias.

Despite the abuse, Dinina raised her daughter with love, but in 1847, when Ruth was just 4, Elias sold her without warning, ripping the child from Dinina’s arms.

Heartbroken, Dinina fell into a deep grief, and for three years, she endured the unimaginable.

Then, in 1849, Dinina became pregnant again, the father being none other than Elias Cartwright himself.

Constance’s fury escalated, and Elias was forced to make a decision: Dinina had to go.

He sold her to a merchant named William Hadley for a paltry 19 cents, a sum deliberately chosen to humiliate and degrade her.

Dinina was transferred to Savannah, where she was auctioned off at the public market.

Her minimum price, 19 cents, raised questions and suspicion among the crowd, with many wondering what was wrong with her.

Some saw her as damaged goods, while others whispered of her past.

Three men remained interested in buying her, but one stranger named Jacob Marsh made his move, bidding $1,200—a sum far beyond her worth as property.

Jacob Marsh’s intentions were clear: He didn’t want Dinina as a slave; he wanted to protect her from the horrors she would face under the ownership of men like Thornton Graves.

Graves, a local plantation owner, was notorious for his brutal treatment of enslaved women, purchasing them cheaply and using them until they disappeared.

He had a pattern of buying pregnant women and making them disappear, leaving behind only whispers of their fate.

But Jacob Marsh wasn’t just helping Dinina for charity’s sake.

He was involved with the Underground Railroad, an organization dedicated to helping enslaved people escape to freedom.

His mission to save Dinina and her unborn child was not just an act of compassion but a calculated resistance against the system of slavery.

By purchasing Dinina and keeping her hidden, Jacob Marsh had disrupted Thornton Graves’ plans, but the danger was far from over.

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Dinina’s escape is more than a personal struggle—it’s a fight for freedom, and a test of the lengths people are willing to go to for justice.

The struggle continues as Dinina begins her journey toward freedom, assisted by those willing to risk everything to ensure her safety.

The stakes are high, and the system that enslaved her is far from willing to let her go.

The discovery of hidden records and the courage of those who helped Dinina reveal a story that must not be forgotten.

The women who fought for their freedom, the men who risked their lives to help them, and the cruel system that sought to keep them enslaved are all part of a history that is too often buried.

As we reflect on Dinina’s story, we are reminded of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of resistance.

Dinina’s survival and escape serve as a testament to the strength of those who fought against the evils of slavery.

Her story is not just one of survival but of defiance, of fighting back against a system that sought to destroy her humanity.

And while the world tried to erase her, her name, her journey, and the lives of those who helped her will never be forgotten.