[January] 12th
Lewis returned from Town with an uncomfortable account of the Forts, Sumpter is still in charge of Major Anderson and a vessel the Star of the West with men & supplies on board for the Fort, was fired into and prevented from communicating. Major Anderson declared the Port blocaded, and that he would fire on any boats coming in or going out. And after a spirited letter from the Governor, requested that Lieut. Talbot be permitted to go to Washington with letters which was granted. The Fort has to be taken. William with his Company will be at Morris’s Island, and Arthur with him. John in Fort Moultry. If I were to allow myself to think of these things I should be wild; but there is no use. Went yesterday to see Charlotte, Papa and Mrs Wayne, found C. & Mrs W at home. C’s governess not come which rather surprises her. Mrs W. tells me Mrs Lewis’s governess has left her, Mrs L. has a favorite maid, Emma, a very light Mulatoe & her son, who tell her every thing which goes on in her house, and made a great many extraordinary communications about the Governess, which she refused to submit to and left. I do not think my cousin Annie will ever have a Governess. Mrs Stevens has, C. says, quite a nice one, and she takes to flirting with Mr Stevens greatly to the disgust of Mrs S. who flirted away most violently with a Dr Foster, a homeopathic man, and says openly she does not care for her husband, yet will not willingly submit to his attentions to the Governess. I think upon the whole they are rather trying additions to ones family, I am very thankful there is no need of one with us. Mr Grimball went off to Town the day Lewis came up, he must have gone at any rate, for he said he wanted to see the boys. Every one feels restless & excited in these transition times, I only hope we may have a peaceful settlement of this sepparation . I expect up Mr G. & E. to day , & Mrs Wayne is to dine with us and to hear the news, & Papa is coming too.—
Mr Grimball & Elizabeth arrived from Town and had seen John. Mrs. Wayne dined, Papa arrived here before we had finished our soup and seemed altogether in a bad humor, in answer to most news he said he did not believe a word of it: and aluded in rather a bantering tone to the fact of the raw Carolina recruits running at, or even before the fire of the English, Elizabeth fresh from Town and seeing her brothers, heartily earnest in the service of the State, said anyone who says the Carolina troops would run, should be shot. Papa was very angry, and the next day wrote me a letter, the thing will of course drop.—
We all feel very anxious about the taking of Fort Sumpter, it is in negociation but that failing, must be got for the State even at great loss of life, and in view of this I wake in the night and pray most heartily to my Father in Heaven, and my merciful Savior to save us or we perish.
Went to see Papa on his return from Town, he had an attack last night, and seemed very tired.
Had a nice visit from Mrs Barnwell and Ann, she is very clever. We were talking of men, I said the result of my experience was to say, if asked for advice, if you want to do so you had better do it, and if you don’t want to do so you had better not do it, for I never found my advice was attended to, Ann said if she ever had an offer when the man was on his knees, she would make him promise all sorts of things;—I said they never went on their knees, & asked Margaret if Mr Barnwell offered himself on his knees. Ann said I can never imagine Papa the least sentimental & think he must have proposed as a passing remark between a conversation about the crops. In view of Mr Barnwells very stiff & settled manner, this is quite funny.
In looking over my account of things I find I neglected to notice a very handsome entertainment which Mr Lewis gave to introduce his daughter, the boys were all invited, and Berkley & William went. They arrived at Ashapoo in time for Lunch & afterwards went out with horses, riding or driving, & rowing on the river. Had a very handsome dinner, sat down 30; and in the evening music from Town, and a band with some outside additions, & danced until five o’clock they then went to their rooms, and after resting 3 hours had breakfast, hot cakes, omlet , sausages, spare ribs, which B. said were not spare at all. Just our boys, and Frank Frost & Jim Fraser even slept in the same room, Mr Lewis doing the honors, the rest sat up. Most of the party were to return to the City by the 1 o’clock train, our boys came by the early train, & Mr Lewis must have been making arrangements for a long time, and succeeded.—
Elizabeth staid while in Town with her Aunt, they are in a great state of excitement about the Forts, & Martin & Berkly in military exposure. M. has gone to Castle Pinckney, and as he is delicate I predict that he will either be made ill, or a great deal better by the exposure.—
Papa has determined this winter of all times to remove Elizabeth Morris remains from the vault at Morrisania and put it in the Lowndes vault in Charleston & also Ralph and put him into a grave up here at the Bluff[?] Church for when the property is sold the vault must be emptied of the remains, (Papa had to give up this removal), for which he has provided a sum of 5 hundred dollars to get another vault at a Church near by.—Mr Whaly says Mrs Wayne is coming to perfect poverty, but she will entertain to the end, she has Friday for her receptions days, I like to go, it amuses me everything is so odd, shoes under the chairs and bags of dirty calico full of feathers on chairs for cushions.—She reminds me of Grandmama who always at Morrisania had her shoes, hat and shawl in the drawing room.—
The first of this week Mr Grimball sent 10 men, under the charge of Lewis, to work at the Fort which they are putting up at the mouth of the Edisto river to protect the coast. Col. Jenkins sent 6 hands, his son Dr. Paul, 3, Col. Ashe 10, & they all went together. Lewis had some stores, & Georgy Jenkins, who went with his Fathers hands, told Lewis not to trouble himself, for he intended taking a whole sheep. Papa went while on one of his visits to the City, to see the Gov. and told him during the War of 1812, with England the Coast had been surveyed & it was judged unnecessary to build Forts as owing to the bars at the mouth of the rivers that they were inaccessable . The Gov. thanked Papa for his advice but—they are putting up two Forts, & Papa says he will not give a cent, or send a hand; so says the Miser, Ephraim Bainard, but others send, Mr Barnwell and others. Mr Grimball preferred sending here to Morris’s Island.