The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-08-26

Armstrong, formerly 81 tins city, aut viii nU
doubt De read with much interest by her friends
and acquaintance. W. copy it from the 5. F.
Bulletin by request
RIcHH3SD, Va, June :, 1865.
D-a CARgIE.-SUch o hot day but / must
10 least begin 4 letter ~ you. lest I fail To send
you one from thi5 famous city. just nov prO-
badly no place j. regarded with more interest
than thls-OEce the proud seat Cf the COniede-
rate States - and / rejoice % see IL in the fresh
ness u it5 Emancipation.
our Association ordered Sallie and me 10 leave
our work IN Norfolk, a good deal after the style
Ut military commanders, and come up here, IS
experienced hands to help liz the pioneer work
amongst these freed people. We had grown
tired of dull Norfolk and were very glad % be
able % see something Of this wonderful place,
and be near sam. He wac then at Petersburg,
an hours ride from here, but did not get 1
chance 10 cone up but once before, alas orders
came FOR the cCl1Tcd troops U embark for Texas.
] tei- bitterly disappointed. but Of course must
accept II as all right. We lost our trunks
coming up, and after wearing the same dress for
ten days / started of 10 find them. Fortunately
they turned up at Norfolk, and on my way back,
sam stepped ON board 1T City Point. It hap
pened 80 nice, fOr | was quite alone, and more
over 1t added a great deal 10 the interest Of what
saw 70 have him tell me from his own experience.
The very woods where ne pickcSed his men in
slght OF rebel batteries, and the remnants Of
bridges where at dead Of night he crossed 10
outwit the enemy, ne could point out himself.
JUNE S.-My writing was interrupted by a
call to raticns. And here / may as well tell you
how we live. Our hOuse-Be number ten teach
ers from all parts of the worlds u low, pine
building, put up as military headquarters in
war times. IL Is q poor Imprinted concern, and
miserably hot. 1t Is just across the street from
the beautiful capitol grounds, and only q short
walk from Gen. Lees. The names of rebel
officers still remain painted on the doors, and the
floors We're covered with Confederate documents.
We were put here temporarily, but have not
succeeded iii finding any other home. az the great
IRE at the time Of evacuation has made dwellings
very scarce. Ii Is rough enough, / assure YOU
III fact, it Is "a much as l can do to bear it at
all. \ kanaka hut with its cool mats and stone
pillows would suit me better. Just TO show YOU
now crowded we are, and how surrounded with
men, / will mention the different organizations
oil crowded together in this house First-Con-
traUand teachers next, u. ;. Christian Com
mission PrOvOst-Marshal General COmmissary
ana Quartermasters' Departments; and City
Guard. We have one room furnished with
hospital beds, taken from the rebels, one pine
table and q few tin basins. We have not Il
closet, not a shelf, not a chair. The flies are as
thick as bees, and bed bugs are hungry. Ten of
us sleep IN this one room. and the way our stock
ings get mixed up, and the way we have to pilot
our way amongst ten beds and twenty trunks Is
lamertable. We dee to- the Park for refuge. when
we can't stanG 1t any longer indeed, we have to
go over three times a day any way, for our meals
arc served up IN a tent right in the shadow of
Westinghouse Monument. For a while we
dIned at 4 saloon and took a brcasfast Of bread
and butter In our hands for want of crOckcry.
This is pioneering in earnest. Our schools are
very large and very delightful, although we have
nothing to do in them. Sallie and | teach in IN
old African church about 2 mile off. My school
alone numbers $50, from six years old to sixteen.
Not one of them can read or ever went 10 school;
but they are as bright, intelligent, pretty, we'll
behaved children a. any teacher could wish. \
tap on tine table Will bring them 10 order instant
~, and they are 30 respectful, | like them amaZ-
ingiy- Many Of them are almost white. They
sing beautifully. 1t ~ q real pleasure 10 teach
them n song. Every black eye Is fixed on me,
and every voice joins in the clear full melody.
it was a picture frankie would have liked to
have seen, when the children were altogether in
one house last week. 900 of them-all singing
Rally round the Flag. and il was right here in
the heart OF the capital.
Of course the rebels hate us and our work
but they are ut last compelled to fear the Yam
KEGS They make very i~mpudent remarks as We
pass SOMETIMES; and one day I was obliged 10
give u young rebel q piece of my mind. One of
my little scholars touched him rs she passed, and
oh : how angry he did get lie SwOre he would
knock her head off and her teachers, too /
COld him that nay scholars should not be insulted
BY any rebel, and that he might step along in a
hurry or L would send a guard after him. We
have full power 70 do this. so he looked a little
afraid Of even we. There is nothing that gals
them more than our attempts 10 lift up these
Door negroes. The reign of terror is not by any
means past in the South. These poor creatures
must suffer Il great deal yet, for their enemies are
all around them, and DO all they can to hurt
Only a day or two ago Il negro was taken
Tor some trIiIng ~Oflense, put into 4 coffin with
only his face exposed, and that covered with
inOlaSses to draw hies then the coffin set up at u
street corner, and the poor fellow left all day 70
the mercy of the sun and enemies The Federal
authorities are not negro syInTathizeTs and do not
them as they might. 1t makes ones
heart ache and ache again 10 hear these sad tales
u sorrow. | don't see Why the earth does not
open and swallow all these wretches. Some times
got 20 indignant | wished every rebel city had
been d~ostroyed-leveled TO the ground-and put
of sight. These hateful creatures who have
very conceivable aLOmination on the face of the
=arth. talk very loudly now about marcy and tell
Is how gently we should deal with them | say,
no. Hang jeff. Davis and punish CerY severely
he rest of them. They deserve it. | pass them
N their gray suits almost every minute, and every
lime my heart hardens. IF Won could only hear
he stories Of the negroes, and know what they
av themselves. You would not think me hard.
Here IL = specimen \ Confederate officer said he
put his arm around a Yankees neck and
the oath. and with the other ne would tear
put his heart
Last Sunday we went TO JEFF. Dayis's church.
His pew has been locked up till lately. The old
turned very red when he prayed for the
resident People look very old-faShioned after
our years Of war. The bOnnets are decidedly
However, the wearers hold their heads
nigh enough and don't seem conscious of their
ridiculous appearance. The cOlored people are
emarkably we'll dressed. You see they tucked
way their silver, and now are said To be the
frTazf Va.p1a II, -I1 as,- mil. tEpf- r,aStcr- ~