_May 13._ Old Peggy, the "leader" from Fripp Point, came over, and
Flora brought her to see the school. She sat on the doorstep, very
much interested and uttering frequent ejaculations of "Oh Lord!" H.
had her sewing-school, and then I my regular session, with diminished
numbers. Hope the men took their books. Saw Wil'by to-day and asked if
she did not feel pretty well, when Susan answered, "She feel pretty
well, Missus, but I don't; can't feel right with five boys all gone,
not so much as that (pointing off the end of her finger) left of one
of them; two carried off by Secesh, one with a Captain of ours at Fort
Pulaski,[34] not heard from since Christmas, and now two gone
yesterday." But she seemed to feel, spite of her regrets, that if they
could help she was glad they should. Flora said old Peggy and Binah
were the two whom all that came into the Church had to come through,
and the Church supports them, and she contributed thirty-five cents to
get her some flannel for garments, which she had always been used to
till now. Of course we gave them to her.
_May 14._ Our new equipage with its two horses drew up, and I got in,
while H., shocked at the rags, cut out the lining of the top of the
buggy, showering me with sand thereby. The buggy and horses were
legacies from Mr. S., the cotton-agent, who departed yesterday.
There have been seven babies born on the three plantations since we
came, and thirteen since Mr. Philbrick came, for which we have been
able to supply but little and that only on this place. The Master
always provided for the new babies two of each garment and half a
dozen diapers.
I found that they had a most heart-rending time [at Mr. Eustis'
plantation] on Monday. The two companies of soldiers coming over
Sunday night had frightened them, and they kept watch all along the
creek through the night of their own accord, for fear of Secesh. The
thing was not judiciously done the next morning, and seems to have
made a great deal of suffering which was avoided here.
_May 15._ After lunch I walked down to the quarters and stopped at all
the cabins. Found two of the men had already come back from Hilton
Head and had eased the minds of all the mothers and wives by the
reports which they brought back of comfortable quarters, good food and
clothing, confirming all our statements. I think here a greater degree
of confidence than ever will be established by this painful episode.
Mr. Philbrick says they have not behaved so well at Coffin's Point as
to-day since he came. We walked down to the field to see them hoeing
corn in their own "nigger field"--what is raised for the plantation,
not their own private patches, but that out of which their weekly peck
comes, and which therefore they will work on out of hours. Their
task[35] is done, often, by eleven o'clock.
Went to see Binah. She is always very glad to see us, and to-day
reached to a little shelf at the foot of the bed, off which she took a
small tin pail and gave us three eggs--her last. I remonstrated, but
she said, "You gib me ting, I say tank 'ee," so I picked them up and
thanked her.
Mr. Philbrick sent for the people to make the final payment for
cotton-planting, which is now finished, and we stood at the window to
watch them as they came up, and help give out the money. One woman,
who had not done so much work, was disturbed at not getting as much
money as the others, and Mr. Philbrick could not make her understand.
Flora came to H. afterwards and said, "You must excuse we niggers, we
no sense, and Mr. Philbrick _so_ patient; all Secesh on these islands
couldn't make so much as he has with we."
_May 16._ Dr. Wakefield arrived with the news of the rebel
Flag-steamer's having escaped from Charleston through the inside
passages, passed Beaufort and gone to Hilton Head. It was manned by
blacks, who came off at two o'clock night before last with their wives
and children, the officers having all gone ashore. It mounted two
guns, and had four others on board which were to be taken[36]
somewhere, passed Sumter with the right signals, and Beaufort with a
Federal flag, and was sent back there again from Hilton Head. I should
like to have been in Beaufort. It is magnificent.
The sales have been quite large, as Mr. Philbrick's denims[37] have
arrived, and the negroes had yesterday their second payment. The cloth
is sold at the wholesale price, as it was bought. I am afraid they
will never get it as cheap again. Now we can give away the made
clothes with more freedom.
Got old Peter to make me a piggin for fresh water in my chamber; as
they always carry everything on their heads, a pail is no advantage.
It is of a red color, and very nicely made. When I gave it to Flora to
fill, she said, "him name Harriet"--whether intended as a compliment
to me or to the piggin I could not understand. When we told Joe about
the steamer, he exclaimed, "Gracious! 'zackly, that done beautiful,"
and kept exploding through the rest of dinner, "my glory," "gracious,"
"smartest ting done yet."
_May 17._ H. called me out of school this morning to see one of the
crew of the _Planter_, the steamer that ran off from Charleston. He
proved to be a man from McKee's plantation who had a wife and children
at Coffin's Point and had come round in a boat with a crew and pass
from General Stevens[38] to take them to Beaufort. Almost all the men
came from about here; David had two brothers with wives at Coffin's
Point who were afraid to run the risk, and, though they belonged to
the crew, went ashore. The pilot first proposed the plan, and they
arranged a day or two beforehand with the wives they had there, took
them on board in boats I think at two o'clock, passed Fort Sumter with
the signal, two long whistles and a short, and came round inside the
islands so that they did not encounter any of our blockading fleet
till they came off Otter Island, where there is a vessel lying within
sight of Coffin's Point. Then they raised the Federal flag which was
on board, were boarded by our men and _cheered_ as they passed on
their way. Beaufort was amazed at a steamer with the Federal flag
coming from that direction. The guns were to be mounted between Sumter
and Charleston at the new Fort Ripley. David said they had made up
their minds to blow up the vessel rather than be taken--they knew they
should have no mercy. I hope the men who stayed were not hung for not
informing. He said Charleston was "very interrupted," not a white
woman left in the town, as they were expecting an attack from the
Federals. He reports coffee at $1.50 a pound, sugar 50 cents there,
but I don't know how much he is to be relied on; he was very quiet and
modest--the fireman; said he used to work in the field here, but would
"go furder" before he ever would do it again.
To-day a quantity of bacon, which was sent from Philadelphia, was
given out to the hands on both the Fripp plantations. There has been
a good deal of trouble about their working Saturday, and the bacon was
only given to those who went into the field to-day, I hope with good
effect. They have not done a third the usual work this year, and it is
hard to bring anything to bear upon them. I hope Captain Saxton, who
we hear is coming out as head of the whole concern, will have
sufficient authority to settle some points which have been left to the
individual superintendents and with regard to which they have not
pursued the same course, making it very hard for some.
Rufus Saxton, Captain in the United States Army, had been a
quartermaster at Hilton Head ever since its capture. On
April 29, 1862, he was assigned, as Brigadier-General of
Volunteers, "to take possession of all the plantations
heretofore occupied by the rebels" in the Department of the
South, "and take charge of the inhabitants remaining thereon
within the department, or which the fortunes of the war may
hereafter bring into it, with authority to take such
measures, make such rules and regulations for the
cultivation of the land and for protection, employment, and
government of the inhabitants as circumstances may seem to
require." He was to act under the orders of the Secretary of
War, and, so far as the persons and purposes specified were
concerned, his action was to be "independent of that of
other military authorities of the department," and in all
other cases "subordinate only to the Major-General
commanding." Many of Saxton's orders are signed
"Brigadier-General and Military Governor," but of course he
was never a military governor in the sense in which that
term was used of Lincoln's military governors of states.
Doubtless Saxton was recommended for his position by General
Hunter, both being ardent anti-slavery men.