_Feb. 22._ Did you know we had long ceased to be philanthropists or
even Gideonites? We are nothing now but speculators, and the righteous
rail against us. A great crowd of our brethren have just come down to
be present at the late sales. Mr. Philbrick and the purchasers of last
spring paid about $1.00 or $1.25 per acre; now prices run from $5.00
to $27.00 per acre.[154] There has been the most disgraceful
squabbling among the tax-commissioners, General Saxton, Rev. Mr.
French, and other authorities. The people are the victims. At first
most of the lands were to be sold at auction in large lots; that
brought in white settlers--and only a little was for negro sales. Then
one commissioner sends up to Washington, gets orders for a Western
preëmption system, and with a grand hurrah the negroes were told to go
and grab the lands. The other commissioners then throw all possible
obstacles in the way till they can get dispatches up to Washington
too, and the answer comes back,--Preëmptions don't count, sell by
auction.--And so!--This is a precious Department of ours.
_March 14._ The past two months have been full of unpleasant
work,--the people were unsettled, discontented, and grumbling. I hope
their growling is nearly over, and look for quieter times soon. The
disputes among the tax-commissioners have been very unintelligible and
prejudicial to them. On some places I understand that the negroes
refuse to have anything to do with the new proprietors. On others they
have agreed to work, and the year as a whole will probably witness
much more industry than either of the last two.
At about this time an appraisal was at last made of the
"chattel property" which had been found on the plantations,
with a view to selling it at auction. Of course Mr.
Philbrick and his superintendents, who had been using these
things ever since they came into possession, desired, in
most cases, to buy them. At the Fripp Point auction the
negroes showed their ungracious, not to say ungrateful
spirit, by bidding against W. C. G. and actually buying all
the mules, oxen, and cows away from him. In looking forward
to the auction at Coffin's Point; where the movables alone
had been appraised as worth more than Mr. Philbrick had paid
for the entire place, H. W. writes:
_March 6._ We were doubtful how far the behavior of the Fripp Point
people might affect ours, though C. was quite confident there would be
no trouble--and moreover expected a good many outsiders, as R. said
Beaufort people had been inquiring all through the week when the sale
was to take place here, with the significant remark, "Coffin's Point's
the place!" and we knew if they did come things would be run up very
high. So that it was impossible not to feel a most uncomfortable
anxiety all day.
_March 7._ Monday morning the first thing I heard was Mike in excited
tones calling to C. that the Fripp people were coming over "to buy
everything out de gate"--that they would leave everything on top
Massa Charlie, but that he must not let the stranger black people get
anything.
Fortunately Mike's fears proved to be exaggerated, and Massa
Charlie got practically everything that he wanted.
The next letter, from Mr. Philbrick to W. C. G., is
concerned with several different matters. The last paragraph
will serve to introduce a number of extracts all concerned
with criticisms directed against Mr. Philbrick by
Abolitionists and negroes.