25 [April]
Mr Grimball returned and brought up John, who is now a Midshipman again, with the prospect of being made Master, like the rest of his date, as he resigned when his State did, 2 weeks before his examination, had excellent letters from the Officers who were on board the Macedonian with him 1 of course from the Captain, and an unusual honor, one signed by the other Officers,—he seems to have through all the stirring events of this winter, conducted himself well, & Gov. Pickens who gave him a Lieuts. commission. always behaved well to him.—
He sent his letters to the Secretary of the Navy, at Montgomery, and the reply from Malory was that owing to all the circumstances of the case, it should be presented to the President for consideration, and Gov. Pickens endorsed a letter from John to the same effect.—So the matter stands.
Papa has been arranging a plan for Mrs Butler to reside for the summer at Grass Knowl , a healthy place & belonging to Georgia: Charles having a home there suited to his Plantation. She wrote that she was very much disgusted with her situation, and the annoyance of contending with Mr Butler, who had arrived in Darien to take posession as soon as she left. We hear that she has gone North so suddenly that she had not time to write; if she can live there without any annoyance from owning Southern Property, or rather being supported by it, I think she has done best for herself. For 34 years, ever since her marriage, she had enjoyed a degree of affluence and fashion, there, which must have made her identify herself with the people & with the place. She is now a very stout old woman; & these comforts which she has there must be very dear to her. She has been much separated from her own family, and is accustomed to her luxury, & her loneliness.—I hope she may enjoy the former, all her days, & have the other remedied by the society of her daughter & grandchildren.