Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-14


The accompanying letter gives, we
fear, too true picture Of what the raw
ages Of war have Inflicted on the people
Of South Carolina
PESnIEroN, Dec. 2, 1865
doubt if YOU have the smallest idea
Of the poverty Of the people OF south
! Carolina Desiring neither commisera-
! tion nor aims, they say nothing about It.
/ Indeed the struggle for the necessaries of
/ lie i too pressing 10 allow them 10
! brood over losses Of any Kind losses
! compared with which that Of property
/ seems triiling. II il on the refugee from
/ the coast that poverty has laid
/ her iron hand most heavily. Tie
I planters Of the interior ind
their capital reduced by eman-
cination to about 0ne-fiith its for
mer amount. but if the negro will work
under the new system, their incomes VIII
not be much diminished. But the poor
refugee has lost everything. Driven
from his home and cut of from all his
resources he finds it-diiIicult TO procure
ordinary food for his household. His
plantation on the coast has probably not
a building 0f any kind standing, noteven
q negro hut, and the recovery Of the
lsnd is iu some cases doubtful. Those
on Port ROYAL are advertised 10 be sold
to-day, and none hut negroes are al
lowed 10 bid" Even where the land is
restored, where can its ruined 0Wnerpro-
cure money Ia pay taxes, erect buildings,
and hire freedmen Il
some refugees nave returned 20 !
CharIcstsn ia The hope Of procuring busi- |
hess ihese, but many still remain IN the /
interior beiae unable 30 hear the expense /
of removal. and earu \ scanty subsist-
encr on personal efforts. Our young men /
have gone 20 work in earnest. We are 4
proud 81 see them engaged in teaching,
blawing, wagoninp, keeping grocery
torres, in short, doing anything and
doing it chesrfuily. A General, who
bore no mean part i'm the war, has been
living Ia a hut on the coast, supporting
his family by fishing. Another General
has Heen emitting wood on shares
ours is a poverty Of wlfiah no one Is
q named and of which very few COM
plain. We are willing to bear il, and its
makes il more tolerable.
When / knew that the most refined and
women in the state, deserted
.iv their deluded servants, are doing all
sorts Of holIseworlJ- sweeping, dusting,
making beds, and even IN some cases,
cooking and washing-it is much easier
'Dr me 10 iron the towels my little son
Ias washed, while | turn occasionally
angling eye toward the fireplace, where
lG invalid gentleman son Of a former
ssyernOri is engaged in churning /
must confess that his attempt furnished
h. with more amusement than butter
Fsr. believing this state 0f things to be
,nlv temporary, we make merry over Il,
notes with our friends and
,Jast of our success ia these untried fields
Many refugee ladies feed their families |
,y exchanging the contents OF their
yurylr3haa for articles of food. /" How |
re y0ur sisters ?'' said | to a young man |
a-t summer who had left home TO be- =
1me a tutor. "Their compiexlons look
.adly,' WAS the reply, "but that is not
urprising when you consider how long
hey have been eating old frOcks."
ifave they any Hghts%' was my next
lIerv. "No, when the moon does not
hinc they 20 to bed by lightning But
matters are mending. In this very
lmiIy light wood has superseded light !
iug in the chambers, and in the parlor
small petroleum lamp price one dol =
lrJ diHuses light and happiness around.
But there are eases over which 10 one
an LAUGH. I know Of a family whose ,
rupprtv was counted by the hundred
who have not tasted meat for
lonths. A gentleman of scientific at
formerly professor in college,
literally trying 70 keep the wolf from
he door by teaching a few scholars, one 4
whom, giri OF sixteen, pays q quart
f milk per day for her tuiti0nl Innu- z
lcrahIe widows, orphans and single
.omeH, whose property was in Conteder
.p bonds, are penniless, and are soeaiug
nplovment Of some kind for bread.
On the whole, oUr people are bearing
icir trials hraveiv and Gheerfully; but y
, wide spread is the ruin Chat even if the
ew system works well, il Will take at
asst half a century 20 put US where We
ere.