With this little city I was exceedingly pleased. The weather was
remarkably mild, the sun shone brightly; and I took much pleasure in
wandering along the quiet sandy streets, flanked by double rows of the
Pride-of-India tree.
Except the range of buildings immediately facing the river, the
dwellings are nearly all detached; each surrounded by its own offices,
many by a garden filled with orange and other evergreens: they are
mostly built on the true Southern plan, of two stories, with a broad
gallery running entirely round; being of wood and painted white, with
bright green _jalousies_, they give to the streets a gay and lively
look, which is exceedingly cheerful and attractive.
Here are, however, several very ambitious-looking dwellings, built by a
European architect for wealthy merchants during the palmy days of trade;
these are of stone or some composition, showily designed, and very
large, but ill-adapted, I should imagine, for summer residences in this
climate. They are mostly deserted, or let for boarding-houses, and have
that decayed look which is so melancholy, and which nowhere arrives
sooner than in this climate.
Here is a very well designed and well-built theatre, but, like the
houses I speak of, a good deal the worse in consequence of neglect: the
materials and design were, I understood, all imported from England, at a
prodigious cost when the smallness of the population is considered; but
it is now, I fancy, rarely occupied.
On this occasion I had the pleasure of seeing it well filled for the
four nights I acted, and had to regret my time was of necessity so
limited, since my audience was as merry and intelligent as heart could
wish.
My days were passed at the hospitable house of Mr. G----n, where I
encountered many pleasant people; and was attended by the sleekest,
merriest set of negroes imaginable, most of whom had grown old or were
born in their master's house: his own good-humoured, active benevolence
of spirit was reflected in the faces of his servants.
The trade of this port was at one period great; it offered at this time
a cheerful prospect of well-lined quays, and I was glad to learn that
the prospects of the community were again brightening; indeed, the high
prices of produce this year are infusing additional life and spirit into
the whole Southern community: the speculators in cotton are ardent, and
the prices continually on the rise.
On the 15th, left this in a steamer called the George Washington, to
proceed up the Savannah river to Augusta; a distance, by this route, of
rather more than two hundred miles.
I got on board late at night, went immediately to bed, and, on coming on
deck the next morning, found myself in the bosom of a dense forest, the
trees growing as it were out of the very water, and all of them, with
the exception of the gloomy cypress, still thickly covered with their
gay autumnal foliage: numbers of the willow tribe were as fresh and
green as in early springtime, at which season a sail up this river must
be overpoweringly fragrant: even now, although offering little change of
character for two hundred miles, it was not wholly devoid of interest;
for it is constantly upon the wind, the longest reach limiting your
view to a few hundred yards.
Our boat was small and very deeply laden, making hardly four miles an
hour; but she had few passengers, was capitally provisioned, and
possessed an indefatigable and most obliging commander, so that the
tedium consequent upon such a progress had at least no nuisance
superadded to make it more irksome.
Every few miles we brought up to take in a fresh supply of fuel; we were
thus enabled constantly to stretch our legs in the forest; but
throughout the whole distance so exactly similar were most of these
landings that a light-hearted countryman of mine, whose company I was
lucky enough to have, constantly used, on stopping, to say,
"I'd like to be sure we haven't gone back; and that this place is
itself, and not the other."
We went ahead however, though but slowly; and after passing four nights
and three days upon this miniature Mississippi,--for the characteristics
are exactly similar, even to the owls and alligators,--we were safely
landed at Augusta; perhaps, the most enterprising and most thriving
community in Georgia.
By Mr. G----n's recommendation, I proceeded to the Planters' Hotel,
kept by Judge Hales, a kind man and a worthy magistrate; and found that,
in anticipation of my arrival, he had already secured me the earliest
chance for a vacancy on the way-bill for Millidgeville.
Augusta consists of one very wide street, a couple of miles in length,
and composed of a mixed description of building; many of the houses and
stores being of wood, and exceedingly humble in appearance; others are
built of brick, large, handsome, and well fitted up, in emulation of
those in the northern cities; all, however, exhibited evidences of
active and successful trade.
This was the high season for the arrival here of cotton from the
plantations in the interior, whence it is forwarded by the railroad to
Charleston, or down the river to Savannah. The streets were crowded with
planters, and the suburbs with waggons either empty or laden; and these,
together with their hardy drivers and assistants, who camp in all
weathers amidst the forest, make a picture at once interesting in a
commercial point of view, and in itself singularly striking.
As in the smallest American towns, I here met with an excellent bathing
establishment; and found a hot bath, after being mewed up three days on
board the steamer, a most joyous luxury.
The Planters' Hotel afforded an excellent dinner and a good bottle of
sherry; and in the evening the mail-stage arrived, when to my great joy
I was informed my place was safe, although there were many expectants
necessarily left to abide the next stage. At this season of the year the
current setting South is enormous: every stage from the North is laden;
and, once thrown out, a man may have many days to wait before he gets a
chance of proceeding.
_19th._--At six P.M. quitted Augusta, with nine other victims, in a
stage otherwise laden with mail-bags and luggage. About an hour before
we started rain set in, and the weather-wise prognosticate that the fine
season is now at an end for this year. I certainly have no right to
complain, but could desire the rain might yet be postponed for a few
days. The roads were from the start as bad as could be, and the heavy
fall was not likely to improve that part of our route which was to come.
We passed in the course of this night several camps of emigrants, on
the move from the Carolinas and Georgia: they managed to keep their
fires blazing in the forest, in spite of the falling shower;
occasionally might be seen a huge pine crackling and burning throughout
as it lay on the ground, whilst, ranged to windward, stood the waggons
and huts of the campers.
The rich alluvial lands of Alabama, recently belonging to the Indian
reserves, and now on sale by government or through land-speculators, are
attracting thousands of families from the washed-out and impoverished
soil of the older Southern States; and, during this and the preceding
season, the numbers moving along this and the other great lines towards
the South-west are incredible, when viewed in reference to the amount of
population given to the countries whence the emigrants are chiefly
derived.
At a season like the present, the sufferings of these families must be
considerable. The caravan usually consists of from two to four tilt
waggons, long and low-roofed; each laden, first with the needful
provisions and such household gear as may be considered indispensable;
next, over this portion of the freight is stowed the family of the
emigrant planter, his wife, and commonly a round squad of white-haired
children, with their attendants: on the march these vehicles are
preceded and surrounded by the field slaves, varying in numbers from
half a dozen to fifty or sixty, according to the wealth of the
proprietor; a couple of mounted travellers commonly complete the
cavalcade, which moves over these roads at the rate of twelve or fifteen
miles a day. At night, or when the team gives out, or the waggons are
fairly stalled, or set fast, the party prepares to camp: the men cut
down a tree for fire, and with its branches make such rude huts as their
time and ingenuity may best contrive; the females prepare the evening
meal, and perform such domestic duties as may be needful. On these
occasions I have frequently passed amongst or halted by them, and have
been surprised at the air of content and good-humour commonly prevailing
in their rude camps, despite of the apparent discomfort and privation to
which they were exposed.
Many of the negroes, however, I am informed, are exceedingly averse to a
removal from the sites on which they have been bred, and where their
connexions are formed: in these cases, planters who are uncertain of the
personal attachment of their slaves, generally dispose of them amongst
their neighbours: when they are really attached to their owners,
however, there is little difficulty experienced in their removal.
In most of the parties I encountered, I should say, judging fairly by
their deportment and loud merriment, despite the great fatigue and
constant exposure, the affair was taken in a sort of holiday spirit, no
way warranted by their half-naked miserable appearance.
Thus they crawl onward from day to day, for weeks or months, until they
have reached that portion of the forest, or cane-brake, fixed upon for
the plantation: and here the enterprising settler has to encounter new
toil, and a long series of privations, cheered however by the hope,
seldom a delusive one, of ultimate wealth accumulating to the survivors
of the party; for, unhappily, health is the sacrifice, I believe,
generally paid for the possession of the fat soil lying along these
sluggish rivers.
Along the whole line of our route from Augusta in Georgia to the banks
of the Alabama, we found the road covered by parties of this
description; and, according to the opinions of well-informed residents,
with whom I conversed on this subject, not fewer than ten thousand
families have quitted the two Carolinas and Georgia during the course of
this season.
Amongst these families journeying to the land of promise, inspired by
hopes for the future and cheered by the presence of those on whom they
relied for their fulfilment, we now and then met little parties of
broken-men retracing their sad steps toward the homes they had consigned
to strangers: of these, one family, which we encountered camping near
the banks of a swollen river whose bridge we were compelled to repair
before we could cross it, excited deep commiseration. The establishment
consisted of a single covered waggon, a small open cart, and
half-a-dozen slaves, principally women: its conductress was a widow, not
exceeding thirty years of age, having by her side five children, one an
infant.
Within a year after the location of his family on the banks of the
Black-warrior, her husband, we learned, had died; and the widow was thus
far on her way back to Virginia, accompanied by such of her household as
remained to her; this was the 22nd of December, and there yet remained
five hundred miles of her journey unperformed. I know my heart was sore
as I contemplated her forlorn condition, and thought upon the toilsome
way yet dividing her from the changed home she sought.
Between Millidgeville and Macon the route became all but impassable: at
each mile we anticipated a stand-still; the rain was incessant; the
creeks were flooded, and the bridges in an indescribable condition. We
were frequently compelled to alight and walk, being in momentary
expectation of an overturn: and so we journeyed on, our numbers reduced
to six, in order that a lighter vehicle might be adopted. The way in
which this drafting was effected was on principles perfectly fair, and
submitted to without a murmur: at Sparta, the agent informed us that
only six passengers could be taken on; and that, unless we arranged
otherwise, he should strike off the last three names entered in the
way-bill, as being the juniors in this hard service: luckily for me, I
had just the magic three under my name,--a piece of good fortune that
rescued me from a sojourn at Sparta, which, with all due deference to
its venerable name, I could not contemplate without a shudder.
Six hardier or better-humoured men, if I may venture to include myself
in the number, never roughed it through Georgia in company. At one
pass, through a swamp lying a few miles north of Macon, we were turned
out, at a hut where large pieces of light-wood, as the pitch-pine is
called, were procured for the party; from this point we were instructed
to make a cut through the forest, whilst the lightened coach followed
the road. We struck into the line pointed out, guided by one of the
party who had journeyed this road before; and six merrier men, having
less cause for mirth, might not have been found within this fair state.
After floundering along for an hour or so, we saw the torches of the
stage, and heard the halloo of the driver: hence, without mischance, we
reached Macon before daylight; and here one of our company knocked up
through cold and over-weariness; a vacant place was thus afforded for
the judge of the district-court, in whom we found a well-informed and
most intelligent companion.
Nullification was the subject for the morning, and much was advanced
_pro_ and _con._; its opponents being two New York men who had been my
fellow-passengers from Augusta. On this occasion, as I have always
observed amongst Southern men, the right of separation from the Union
was vehemently insisted upon, even whilst the policy of such a movement
was deprecated; the principle, in fact, of nullification was maintained
by those who were against the practice of such an experiment.
The condition of justice upon these wild frontiers was next freely
canvassed, and was on all hands admitted to be weak and short-armed
enough: very few, in truth, seem in criminal cases to seek for or
approve of its interference, except in some so monstrously atrocious
that no sympathy can be felt for the criminal; and even in such cases
his flight, if he condescends to such a movement, is a matter of small
difficulty.
Most of the many murders committed are the result of quarrels or
personal rancour. Jealousy of a favoured rival, a gambling or a
political dispute ends in a defiance, mutual and deadly, the ever-ready
dirk affords present means; or, if the interposition of the bystanders
prevents this, one of the party shoots down the other on the road or at
his own door; when, if the slain man has friends, the feud is adopted by
them, and the first homicide is revenged by another, or several, as may
be. These affrays are by convention termed duels; and, in fact, as on
our borders a century back, each man rights with his own hand his
wrongs "wherever given," in street or forest, in the court of justice or
within the house of prayer.
In the mean time, notwithstanding all this, the frontiers flourish;
trade yearly increases; and, as well as I can learn, civilization and
security also slowly but steadily march onward; but, from the very
nature of the country, it must be long before the wild spirits
congregated here can be subjected to the wholesome rule of
well-administered laws.
At Talboton we found six passengers, the freight of the stage preceding
us, which had been upset in the swamp the night previous; one of them
had a couple of ribs broken, and all were badly bruised. One young man
begged to be taken on the seat of our coach, which was readily
permitted, with cautions against his venturing on such an experiment.
The additional mail-bags were also to be carried forward; and the
largest were accordingly stowed into the coach, in the space usually
considered by passengers as designed for their legs; complaint, however,
was quite useless; those who did not like the conveyance being at full
liberty to wait on any part of the road they might select, until one
better adapted to comfort chanced to come by.
We quitted this place, six men, with just space enough left for us to
crawl in, and we sat, bent almost double, with our legs stretched out
before us. I consoled myself by concluding that we now had reached the
extremity of our inconveniences; but I knew mighty little about the
matter. It would have been impossible, for any length of time, to have
borne the position we were now compressed into; but luckily this was not
expected, since constant occasions were afforded us of stretching our
legs, and getting cool under as heavy rain as the lover of a shower-bath
could desire.