Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-01-16
pnso1ATnp PLANTATIONS.


condition of things on some of the large Sea
Island Plantations, including that of John
Stoddard, sometime IL resident of this place:
From the top of our house-whch, by the
way was formerly owned by Rev. Mr.. Law.
ton of the Baptist persuasion, who united the
two professions of preaching and planting
can be seen, looking South across 1ybee sound,
the gray walls of Fort Pulaski with her rebel
flag still FIXING the shores of Tybee and our
boats living at her eastern side. Have pa
tcnce for an hour, and you will he apt to see
white puff of smoke from Fort Pulaski, and in
a few seconds a rumbng report which makes
the windows shake even here, while about the
same time, another smoke will burst out over
the middle of 1ybee Island, three or four miles
from the fort, showing where a ponderous
shell has burst. This exercise is kept up daily
at intervals, there being real or imaginary L.
S. forces there working on the trenches. From
the same elevated position, saw our gun-boats
when they shellcd the deserted batteries on the
same island. and their skirmish with Commo-
dorc TatnalFs Mosquito fleet which ! notice
the New York papers dignify into naval bat
tie. Looking TO the right, you have the
Catalogue sound, a sheet of water perhaps a
mile and a half in width across which are
Dawfuskie and Bulls islands, separated from
each other by narrow inlet which winds
around into several channels, making still
another tier of islands before you come to the
"main,' Jumped off as the Savage Islands
These are insignificant affairs as to SIZE COM
prising one plantation only which is owned by
Mr.. Joe Crewel. One need not have expect
cd much from a S. c. planter. blessed with so
significant cognomen as that of "Joe Crewel
OF Savage Island" but think his name a very
fit one. One of his darkes, muscular fellow
of about 80, padded over to us one day, hav-
ing made his way from Bornwell Courthouse,
about eighty miles up country, where his mas
ter had removed his chattels. In the course of
the questioning we gave him, DR.. Bacon asked
who was his master? "Joe Crewel, sah"-
"Where did he live P" "On Savage Island
sah." "What kind of a man is he" "Lor'
bress you, massa he's de meanes' man de deb
bil eber puke out of um mouth" and the poor
fellow showed his back where the inhuman
wretch had logged him till it was raw, and had
melted sealing wax along the line of the cuts
Dawiuskie and Bulls islands are somewhat
larger, the former comprising five plantations,
and the latter three. Both these we're desert
ed when our forces landed the pfoprietors
taking their negroes with them to the main and
leaving their household goods to the mercy of
our army. There was no real need of their
being in such haste, as it was two weeks after
our arrival here before Gen. Sherman would
allow us TO send scouting parties over to their
shores. After much urging, Col. Terry at last
obtained permission, and with about a hundred
of our deta :hment, in half-a-dozen big fiat
boats and dug-outs'-which latter craft arc
followed out of single tree, and some of
them capable of holding seyenty-fve men
started for the unknown land of Dawfuskie.-
half hours pull brings the party to Pope's
landing, near plantation of VIM. Pope, Esq,
consisting of an oyerseer's house. a score of
cabin quarters" and tall, white chimney,
where had been the planters house-burned a
year or two ago, since which the grounds have
been neglected and gone to waste dozen
negroes cautiously come down on the beach to
see ''de terrible Yankee man." and inform us
that there are no soldiers ON the island. 1t
won't do to trust them too much. and skirmish-
ers are sent out ahead to guarU against an am
buscade. The negroes are right, however, and
the coast is clear The next plantation is
"Melrose," owned by Mr.. Stoddard, North
ern man who married Southern 'heiress, and
said now to be the richest man in Georgia. A
most beautiful place, three or four acres around
the house being laid out in flower gardens, and
kept in excellent order by an English garden
or. who had the courage to remain-he and his
wife being the only whites left on the island
They had a little cottage at one side of the
grounds, over which hoated the British Union
Jack. As our men come up, he comes out to
receive them, having in his hand an English
| "protecion," from the consul at Savannah,
evidently with some idea of our being the van
dals we have been represented. He soon secs
his mistake, and goes in and gets the keys TO
the "great house" We 90 in and look about.
There are all kinds of fine furniture, piano,
bureaus, elegant mirrors, Paris clocks, library,
pictures, and all the minor ct ceteras which go
to make up an establishment of the first class.
Col. Hawley seats himself at the piano, and
rattles of the Star Spangled Banner and the
heretical John Brown hymn, and the deserted
house rings for the first time in year, at least,
with the Union chorus. The house is locked
up and we go out on the grounds. Flowers
that only flourish in lighthouses North, are in
full bloom in the open air in this December
morning, and gather boquet as a trophy and
return with the rest of the boats, having salts
| Fl ourselves that we are in undisputed pos
session OF the island. / forgot to mention that
we took a prisoner-a Mr.. Chaplin, who had
yentured from Savannah to secure some proper
ty of his aunt's who had fled with the rest. a
negro had told us that he was there, and Lieut..
Wright was sent down with a squad to arrest
him. The poor fellow was evidently afraid
that he was to be hung, drawn and quartered,
for the big tears ran down his cheeks, as he
| persisted that he was no spy. We assured him
that no harm would be done him as he was not
found in arms which somewhat pacihed him,
and by the time we reached home he was quite
communicative and Id us many things which
would have hung him in Savannah. He was
taken before Gen. Sherman, and allowed to re-
turn, where | now presume he is as rampant q
secesh MS ever.
ForognS parties after this, have been quite
frequent to Dawfu Aie, and on one of these
Mr.. Harding expressed q desire to return
/ North The only obstacles to his inclnations
was the loss of his summer wages which Stod-
dard owed him but on the reflection that Sa-
yannah paper money was all that he would re-
ceivc, which would be good only at Savannah
he had concluded to let that slide, and get out
of il as soon as posi- le. The result was in.
structions from headquarters to bring him
over also all the furniture in "NIelrose" house
to be slld under the confscation act. So the
next day, with thirty soldiers and twenty-four
stout negroes, we took all the flats, dug outs
and other craft in our "navy," and went over
and soon transferred the furniture of the house
and that of Mr.. Harding to the beach, loaded
it, and it now graces the parlor of our head.
quarters, waiting for transportation to the fort
STATE OF MORALS AT PORT ROYAL.
A GRAPHIC PICTURE BY AN ENGLISH CoRRE.
sPONDENT
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