Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-09-01

4
hecking them like dim isles Of grey. Here
and there a sail lazily woos the wind, and
the fishing boats lay out in the shadows
near the shore
As idle as painted ship,
Upon painted ocean"
"But what has all this to do with your
queer life 2p soze one asks. just this !:
that with that village Of white people in
sight, with all those ships and sll those
steamers fitting before us and around us,
we live as it we're alone-three of us now
only three white people to population
of over four hundred blacks.
-Four weeks sgo left New York city,
and have seen but three white women
since; one my daughter and companion.
The other two I went twelve miles to see,
at Beaufort, and saw them once All this
might be endured cheerfully i: there were
other comforts 10 take the place Of society
But the weather is fearfully warm, and
heavy rains make it fesrfully damp, moul-
dy and uncomfortable, and if ever bugs,
worms, insects and reptiles had an Eden
all to themselves this is the spot. Muske-
toes sing love songs from morn till night
and from night till morn; gnsts and sand
flies attack us without warning; bugs and
beetles, spiders end reaches, never say
Thy your leave" but plunge headlong into
you and your tee, milk or broth. Lizsrds
creep where they will and even hop at you
in your bedrooms, and snakes wriggle
on to the porches and ask the time o day"
in striped hldeousness at your windows
but as they are innocent, only wanting a
little milk, we try not TO be discourteous.
But 10 the rattlesnskes of the marsh we
make no friendly greetings. We hold the
vengeful copperhesd in as great abhor-
renee here, though he be but serpent as
Wedo his improved namesake at the North
but as We have seen neither Of the latter
reptiles here (only heard them talked of
we do not fear them. But they are here.
Summer in the Sea Islands Of South Car
olina, " long staple" 10 the contrary, is
about IS undesirable thing as ones
imagination can well depict. No good
fruit of any kind, few vegetables, and those
inferior, no cool water, flee impossible,)
no good butter, no good meats, every
thing spoils.) Well, what is ike use Of
any more mos, except-no good company
but ourselves only ENTHUSIASTICALLY, no
good newspapers or letters only once in
ten days, no good books, no sermons, ex-
cept what Black Abram breaches, no lee
lures but what one gives ones self, and
only tive eomfOrts-One the hope of doing
good, the other to set inside of musketOe
bar and enjoy the rage Of the blood-thirsty
crew outside Such is summer life (in
part) in South Carolina.
But these are only the she'll Of the life.
Busy hands and hearts make all these
lesser things trifes. We look out, or ride
out and find what we hepe are good crops.
The corn is very promising we know
for we have seen corn in our day, and
though an acre of Ohio bottom, or Miami
or Soiota valley land would give three
bushels to one over this land, still we are
proud to think we have a good crop for
this country.
The cotton is in full pod and will begin
to open its bOlls in 3 week; then will come
the busy bustliRg time. For as Govern
ment offers two cents and half pound
for picking, and good hand with nimble
fingers can pick from thirty to a hundred
pounds q dsy-it is probable that such
pay will call or the energies Of the ne
groes, if any thing33 will. But there is
much sickness and they say themselves
this has been the most unhealthy season
for some years. This we can account for
in two ways: the exceeding wet July and
the freedom of these people to indulge
their sppetites, to the fullest extent, in
green corn, sweet potatoes, fish, melons,
Sea- thing never before in all their lives
SO fully done. They have all these things
to sell, and money to buy any thing they
desire, and very little discretion.
Their condition, if we take into consider
rtion the value of liberty, is every way
improved, but whether they are truly hap
pier than Of old is a question. The re-
sponsibility Of taking care OF themselves,
weighs heavily on them; they do not
comprehend it, nor know how to meet all
its exigencies Their faces are thought
ful, almost sad, yet fancy there is much
less Of that sullen desgair in look and
tone than [ saw at frst-less of cloud and
more Of shadow, through which sunshine
glows here and there.
Of our population Of between four and
five hundred in the spring we have left
but two men not subject to draft on the
Island; tWenty-seven soldiers ara before
Charleston from our little company, and all
the rest, that we're we'll and strong, are in
the QusrtermasteT's Department or on the
war vessels.
Our work is done by women and those
exempted from military duty by disease,
dnhilitv m ora Thav bo-. --.--I-.I Ill
all things considered, with few exceptions,
and will average an acre and half under
cultivation for each, man, woman, child,
cripple, old folks, babies and all, which
with the tools to be worked with and the
inconVeniences that have TO be met at
every point, is not at all discouraging.
One thing is certain, the freedmen with
rig BIT treatment and prompt pay may be
self-sustainingr and they will never trou-
ble the North If the North will give them
leave to toll on the lands where they we're
born.
l would be glad to tell you Charleston
has surrendered, but I would not speak
truth and say it so Ionly say " wait q lit
tie longer" 1t is a question Of time not
Of fact that it shall fall into our hands. as
has every place where stern, uncomprom-
ising Union men haveled up loyal soldiers
to the work.
Many q reader Of this will sigh as he or
she think Of some son or brother, of the
Ohio sixty-second or the Ohio Sixty-sev-
Eenth whose remains are biding their
time IN that fearful place. No state has
cause to be more proud Of its gallant men
than Ohio has Of those veterans Of msnv
hard fou1ht battlas Nov fbe u