_May 30._ We have moved just in time, I guess, for the weather will
grow warmer now. Between eight and eleven is the warmest part of the
day; after that the sea-breeze is sure to come up.
_May 31._ There is a line cut through the trees all across the
islands so that they can see the light-house from Beaufort. I asked
Tom who cut it, as I rode over the other day, and he said, "Yankee cut
it." "Since the Fort was taken?" "Long time ago." "The old Masters cut
it, then?" "No, Secesh neber cut down trees, make nigger do it; poor
white men cut 'em." I finally came to the conclusion that it must have
been done by the Coast Survey. I daresay they think we are all "poor
white." Mary, a mulatto here, told Mr. G. his clothes would be fifty
cents per dozen for washing; that she used to have seventy-five cents
in Charleston, "for real gentle folks!"
_Sunday, June 1._ H. called in Betty, Joe, and Uncle Sam while she
read, and after Mr. Philbrick had repeated the Lord's Prayer, Uncle
Sam of his own accord offered a very simple, touching prayer. He is an
Elder, and as honest and true as "Uncle Tom" himself--a genuine
specimen of that class among the negroes, which exists in reality as
well as in story. The younger ones do not seem to be quite so
religious a class, though perhaps they are too young to tell, for
young married men like Joe and Cuffy seem to have genuine principle,
and belong to the church. H. told Joe, when he had been sulky for the
first time, that she hoped he felt better; she did not like to see him
so. "Yes, Marm, feel better now, Marm; you know de ole marn will rise
sometimes." And he told Mr. G. once that he should not cry if his baby
died, "'cause de Lord take him to a better place--not punish him,
'cause he have no sin;" but he said he should cry hard if Wil'by died,
because he knew she would be punished. (His wife is not a
"professor.")
_June 2._ An officer from the gunboat off here came ashore to see if
he could hire some men, but Mr. Philbrick told him that General Hunter
had taken off more than he could spare. The officer seemed to think
that Hunter would be recalled and the regiment disbanded[46]--in which
case Mr. Philbrick told him he did not want the men and he might take
what he needed. We hear they are made sick by the change of diet; army
rations can't be very good for men who have lived on hominy all their
lives. He told us, moreover, a most interesting piece of news; that
the firing we heard the other day was from the blockading fleet off
Charleston, which captured six and sunk three of a fleet of English
steamers, ten in number, laden with arms and munitions of war, which
were making an attempt to run in to Charleston--thus letting only one
escape. I don't know whether it got in or off.
A semiweekly _Advertiser_ and _Tribune_ of May 14th, with full
accounts of the taking of New Orleans and the battle of Williamsburg,
which we have not heard about, and the splendid doings have roused me
all up to full war pitch again. We have been so peaceful I could not
realize all that was going on.