_Sunday, May 8._ I have been wanting to see a Baptism performed as it
is here in the creek, and as there was to be one to-day C. arranged
yesterday for us all to go up. We had a lovely drive, reaching the
bridge by the church just as the Baptism began, and, sitting in the
wagon where we could see and hear everything, we witnessed the whole
ceremony and saw the vast crowd that had collected for the same
purpose. As the last came up out of the water the people began to
sing, and we moved with the crowd towards the church, which was
presently filled, as many more people outside sitting about. We sat
for about four hours, through all the services. The minister soon
changed his clothes and came in, but in the meantime the people sung.
Mr. Parker took occasion in his sermon to express very liberal views
towards other denominations of Christians, and then invited "all
members of sister churches to remain to the Communion service." There
has been so much talk and trouble about this, and all who were not
Baptists have been so vigorously excluded,[165] that we were very glad
to see the new minister take a different ground, and remained gladly.
While the deacons were arranging the Table, those who chose went out,
after which the elders went to the doors to call them back. "Member,
member, what you keep de church waitin' for?" and again the church was
filled, floor and gallery,--I never saw such a sight,--but the
minister's earnestness and the general seriousness of the people made
it unlike a spectacle, and a serious, most interesting occasion. Then
there was a collection taken up in the elders' hats, the people making
change while old Robert would attempt to persuade them to leave the
whole bill! Then two couples were severally married, not both at once
after Mr. Phillips' heathenish fashion, pronouncing them all husbands
and wives!
_May 16._ I found that the Court was to meet here at nine o'clock. Mr.
Soule asked me to be present, and I listened all day to the
examination of the various witnesses. It was very interesting; but it
was very sad to see how little dependence could be placed upon their
word. Men and boys took the oath one after the other and then lied as
if they had sworn to do so. Their ingenuity was wonderful, and we had
to come to the conclusion that if those who we supposed spoke the
truth had been on the other side they would have lied as badly as the
others. It has now become very important to carry the case through and
discover if possible who have perjured themselves, as they must learn
how important it is for them to speak the truth. But little additional
light was thrown by the labor of to-day, and they adjourned at night
till Thursday, at Pine Grove.
_May 19._ The court sat at Pine Grove, but though the moral certainty
was very great, it was almost impossible to convict on the evidence,
because they lied so.
A man came in great excitement to tell us that the rebels had made a
raid during the night onto Morgan Island and carried off all the
people. F. and R. immediately took the sailboat and went over to the
gunboat to let them know.
_May 22._ F. went to church to find out about the poor Morgan Island
people, and heard from Mrs. Wells that eleven people, men and women,
had been carried off by fifteen Secesh--three of Hamilton Fripp's sons
were among them. They took all the clothes, money, and eatables they
could find, and told the people that they were living well and earning
forty cents a day while their old mistress was starving and had no one
to work for her, and they thought it was time they went to take care
of her. One man escaped after his hands were tied, and one woman
refused to get into the boat, and they knocked her down and left her.
They have frightened poor Mrs. Wells pretty effectually by saying they
should like to carry Mr. Wells off on the points of their bayonets.
"That man that pays them forty cents a day." A picket has been
stationed there and another on Eddings Point.
_May 27._ My "seamster," Maria, has a little girl who she sent me word
should be my little chambermaid, and she wished me to name her. Her
youngest child, Noble, I did not know, he is such a great boy, and I
remarked that he was bigger than Cicero was two years ago. "Too much,
Missus, him lick Cicero now," and she explained that it was because he
was a Yankee child, and then she and Rose enlarged upon the general
superiority of the Yankee children, who could all "lick" all the
Secesh children of twice their years! It was very funny, but I daresay
there is some truth in it, as the women only work when they feel able
to do so, and moreover they all have a greater variety of food.
The boys returned from the gunboats with full accounts from the
officers of the disgraceful abandonment of the expedition[166] and its
complete failure, owing in the first place to the drunkenness of an
officer and then to the failure of common sense. General Foster has
arrived[167]--I hope he will prove to be somebody; this poor
Department seems doomed. General Birney seems to have shown as little
sense in this matter as on the negro question.
_May 31._ To dine at Pine Grove, stopping on the way to see if I could
find any of Pierce Butler's[168] people among the St. Simonians who
have settled on the deserted plantation of Hamilton Fripp. Found one
woman who was nursery-maid at Mr. Hazard's, who she said was a cousin
of "Butler's;" she remembered him well and his two daughters, also
Mrs. Butler. "She was a very great lady--a _very_ great lady, and a
most beautiful lady--slender-like: she tell Mr. Butler if he give up
the slavery, she would likes to live there, but she couldn't stan'
that; but he wouldn't 'grees to that, so she goes 'way and she get a
dewoce. Oh, but she could ride hos'!" She said that Mr. Butler was a
very kind master to his servants indeed, "but sometimes he have bad
overseer."
_June 15._ Rode through the quarters to tell the people myself that I
was going home for a visit. "But you comin' back dough--arter we get
use' to you you mustn't lef' we--and you sarvice to we when we sick
too much." "Hi!" said old Betty, "you brudder an' sister been eat you
like one oyshter!" "Dey tink you like one angel come down," said old
Judy, "and they no ben see you so long time."
The long letter that comes next is perhaps the most
interesting and convincing of all that Mr. Philbrick wrote.