October 19
Mrs Butler was written to by her Lawyer and came from the North by the way of Washington where she got a permit from Gen. Scott, was forwarded to Fortress Monroe and from thence to Norfolk where she arrived with a Flag of Truce. She left Cornelia at School at the North. She looks very well is thinner than she was and still very handsome, expects to go to Georgia the last of the Month to be there perhaps to the end of the war.
Things seem to go on so slowly, and are so ruinously low and high that I suppose at the end of it we shall be in a deplorable state. I think it was all right to sepparate from the North but to us as a family it was just ruin.—
The Northern property was then sold, and we were about to realize something from it the prices last Fall were very high, & now this is all over and the attainment of positions are so difficult the boys have nothing to do now apart from the war.
John is a Lieutenant, which he greatly enjoys, but William & Arthur are much in need of Commissions they belong to Militia Companies they do not pay except on service. The regular companies always pay & always have something to do, such a young man as William seems to deserve all distinction, but it is not easily got.—How dreary life is & how sinful we are.—
There have been some interesting speeches in Court, about the sequestration of property of alien enemies, Mr Pettegrew Nelson Mitchel on our side and others against their view.—
Mrs Butler is at the Mills House & has dined here twice & spends all her evenings with us. Her daughter is at her place at the North.—near Philadelphia. She comes on to secure her property. After spending 3 weeks here she went on to Savannah and had her business arranged to her satisfaction.
The Yankee fleet attacked Hilton Head and Bay Point silenced the Batteries there and are now in Broad River. The poor Beaufort people fled in every direction, leaving the Town to be sacked by the negroes. The Batteries were abandoned it is now thought too soon and as is always the case where there is a failure it is considered mismanaged. Gen. Drayton, Trapier & Ripley & Lee has come on from Virginia to take charge. Troops have come from North Carolina to assist, and they are waiting to protect the Rail Road. The Women were seized with a perfect panic and many fled into the interior, such terror stricken creatures disgrace their Revolutionary Ancestry. William, Berkley & Arthur are with their Company encamped at the Race Ground every day or two they come in and I see them. John paid us a visit and it was charming to see him he has been away all the Summer. Berkley is not very enthusiastic about Military affairs, and finds the camp life perfectly horrible. It is very amusing to hear him recount his annoyances, damp hay to lie on, & such a hard bed, was in a nice mess, but did not know how to arrange paying his share, got some tea & sugar to put in and went off rather pleased. Charles has been passing the Summer at Savannah in the same house with Miss Emma & Miss Clem Wallister and not long since he offered himself to Miss Clem was accepted & engaged 3 days when Miss C. found out she loved another Charley & not Charley Morris so C. came here with Mrs Butler, & having business in Savannah returned there and having a conversation with Miss Emma again reconciled himself to Miss Clem & arrived here in a state of great beatitude was now engaged & to be married on Wednesday 20 Nov. On the 15 a telegram arrives telling him to come to Savannah & then another to come on alone so we are all in a maze fearing Miss Clem has again pranced off and Charles went off yesterday & was in Savannah at 8 this morning. He is so crazy to get married it is quite ridiculous. Ella says when Clem first pranced off Charles having just recovered from an attack of fever was terribly nervous & Miss Emma & herself had to administer nervines to him and sustain his sinking spirits & on one occasion when Miss Emma left the room he said he thought it was a pity he had not addressed Miss Emma. Last summer Richard who is here told Ella Charles felt himself very near dying and told R. if that happened he must give all his effects to Mrs Nightingale which highly insenced Mrs B. who has always been very kind to C. She says at any rate she would keep the things she had in charge the Nightingales should not have them.—Richard looks very well & is very agreeable, he is stouter & improved in appearance. Papa & Mr Grimball came to Town on a visit, both looking well & reporting all quiet and going on as usual. We are to stay here for the present. Mr Grimball will be on the Plantation keeping the negroes together & I taking care of the girls, the boys in the tented field:—
The Yankees have not made much progress, a Flag of truce came from the fleet to one of the Batteries and one of the Officers said they had no wish to disturb quiet & loyal Citizens, the reply given by Captain O Barnwell was there were no such about there. Mr Edward Barnwell has his nephew Cap W. Barnwell, the son of the Rev. Mr Barnwell at his house desperately wounded by accident by a pistol said to be a very clever young man. His Mother & Sisters are with him a very sad case. Arthur made $51 in the Medical Director’s office which enabled him to purchase with others a tent. John is in Wapoo with his Davis.—John is now here with his Davis quite busy & happy. Charles has married Miss McAllister and brought her here, Clementina, as she chooses to be called. A woman of the world, of good family & in peace times would have 40 thousand dollars. Has red hair a good figure & add is a sensible educated woman, quite accustomed to society and will manage Charles & take care of his money & make him very happy. Mr Grimball writes that Pinebury is a Military Station and seems to be having an interesting time there entertaining the Officers.—There is a detatchment of Cavalry on the lawn, 2, 6 pounders at the Bain landing, a bridge of Flats accross the river.
I think we are in dark & trying times, and I am afraid. The people of the Sea board so loud in their expressions of determination while the war is in Virginia feel very faint now that it has come upon us. The Yankees have landed on Tybee & put up the Flag, so these two States, Georgia & South Carolina have now the Flag of the enemy floating on their coasts. In Florida they have Brag to Fight it out on the Coast, Pensicola fortunately for them Gen Drayton & Trapier are not men to be depended on, they have not heads to command. Gen. Lee, who was thought slow, & said to be a grand General he is superior over all.
The Camp seems to be a nice place William, who has lost his watch a gift from me (I think through carelessness) says they live very well in his mess. He looks very well indeed.