Cassandra was a privileged slave on her father’s plantation until her father went broke.  She was sold downriver to a plantation that grew indigo and sugar cane.  She got into a privileged position in her new plantation because she could read and write and had math skills. The plantation had problems because of succession.  And additional problems because this plantation was captured by the federals.  And she had additional problems because the captain who was in charge of the troops at the plantation fancied her