Litchfield enquirer., 1856-09-18
The Sandhillers.

Between the |" low country" and the Upper country" of South Carolina, lies the middle or sandhill region. X large portion of this tract, which varies in breadth from ten to thirty miles, is covered with forcsts:ofspine, interspers- ed here and there with variety of other trees Where it is under cultivation, the principal crop is cotton. But the land is not generally fertile, and much of it is likely to remain for long time partial wilderness
 The country itself presents few interesting features, but it is the home of a singular race or class of people, to whom I may proftably devote a few paragraphs of description.
 In travelling through the middle country" often passed the rude and squalid cabins of the sandhillcrs. All the inmates usually flock ed to the door of their windowless domicile to stare at me. And such q lank, scrawny, filthy set of beings | never beheld elsewhere-not even within the purlies of the Five Points !- Their complexion is ghastly yellowish white, without the faintest tinge of wholesome rod The hair of the adults is generally sandy, and that of the children nearly as white as cotton. Thc children arc even paler, if possible, than the adults, aud often painfully haggard and sickly looking They are entirely unedncated, semi-barbarous in all their habits, very dull and stupid, and in general social position, far below the slave population around them. In fact the negro looks down upon them with the mingled pity and contempt. They are "squattcrs" on lands belonging to others, either with or with out their consent. They sometimes cultivate, or rather plant, small patch of ground near their cabins, raising little corn aud a few cab. bages, melons, and sweet potatoes. Their az ricultural operations never extend beyond this
 Corn-bread, pork, cabbage Cried in lard aud whiskey, seem to be their principal articles of diet. To procure the latter and the few clothes they require, they make shingles, or baskets, or gather pine knots and wild berries, which they sell in the village but beyond what is required to supply their limited actual necessi- ties, they will not work Their principal, em- ployments hunting and fishing, and their stand ard amusements drinking whskey and fighting. Their dress is es primitive as their habits. The women and children invariably go bare-footsd and bareiegged. their only garment apparently, ton shirt, and trowsefs Of the coarse homespun cloth of the country, with the addition sonae' times of an upper garment too rude and shape less to be named or described.
 l one day met an emigrating family of these miserable people. On Q most sorry, lank, and almost heshless substitute for horse, were packed the entire household effects of the fami. ly, consisting of . bed and few cooking uten- sils. Two small children occupied the top oi the pack. Two larger ones, each loaded with . bundle, trudged behind with their mother who appeared to he scarcely more than ssfen teen years of age. The father, . wild, sinister
 looking fellow, walked . little in adva6ce ofths rest, with his long rife on his shoulder and Iii huntink ponch at Aia side. A correspondent o& one of the c;ty dAilie. thus describes m encounter with ssuihil
 family: z
 ' HRe, ca tls road, we usst family wh, have been to town. II netle I'll of ten ycsr
 cd, with . ooarse old ft1guenk II dress on
 is sitting on the backbone of . moving skeleto,