The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-01-16
FROM THE SOUTH.
TAYLOR FARM, NORFOLK, Va, Jan. 4,

you who will know who this is to; if can
write what viii interest Others as well, shall
be happy. But / find my time here so COM
pletely filed up, that even my promise to
write to you all at once is somewhat hard to
redeem. l suppose most of you have read at
least part of the Presidents Message, and
formed your own opinion thereon,-either
with or without having read some newspaper
opinion first. But there are boys here who
seem to me to have natural powers very much
like your own who do not know that the
President issnes an annual message at the
meeting of Congress-they do know that there
is President, and that the "Rebels killed
Abraham Lincoln"--so they say. Looking
at things from here, you do not seem to need
much but what you are capable of doing for
yourselves, bat if can help you to better
knowledge than you would else obtain of the
history that is now being lived, l shall not
think the time spent in vain.
My journey here was uneventful enough
The Erie Railroad sustained It's reputation of
being always behind time, by landing us in
New York at eight in the evening when we
should have been there about eleven in the
morning, but was so thankful it was "no
worse" that | could not stop to complain. l
spent busy week in New York, revisiting
but few of the familiar places. The Hygienic
Institute has been repaired and much i'm
proved in outward appearance. The first
time called, ali the people | wanted to see
were at the wedding dinner of the principal
physician, Dr. MILLER so had to 60 another
day. l passed the place where Barnum's
Museum was burned. Men were at work
clearing away the rubbish and digging deep
enough to set one Of our country houses all
below ground, or nearly. We sailed from
New York on the 23d OF Nov. in the steam
ship Aibemarle, Of the Livingston Line from
New York to Richmond. Going on board
we received q foretaste of what was in store
for US. Colored people were doing whatever
was to be done, inside. l learned nothing
about the sailors. l saw but two white per-
sons connected with the ship-the captain
and purser III the harbor we saw the noble
ship Atlanta, of the Aspinwall line, lying at
quarantine 1t came nearest my ideal OF a
sea-going vessel of anything ! have ever seen.
The hospital ship, Florence Nightingale, lay
at some distance, with the cholera cases on
board-as the gentlemen on board ship said.
We made the passage to Norfolk ii twenty
seven hours, about three hours less than the
usual time. At Norfolk, again, there were
only colored people in waiting,-hackmen
and porters down to boys of ten years old
who were ready to earn a few cents by car
ryng satchcl. We took a hack to No. 5
Freemason street, the residence of the teach
ers in Norfolk. The family consists of the
Superintendent, Mr.. H. G. Percy, brisk,
live young man of twenty-three or four,
young lady housekeeper and seven or eight
teachers. have seldom seen company Of
young people seem to enjoy themselves better
than they. They spent half hour before tea
discussing matters connected with the school,
from which we gathered some hints with ref
erence to our labors. One Of the teachers
showed us some compositions, written by
the colored children, which she was correct
ing. One. by lad of fifteen, l believe she
said. interested me much. 1t was entitled,
"Wbat mean to be-" and was series Of
good resolutions, such as suppose boys often
form. One of his expressions was, 81 do not
mean to be a loafer going from place to
place. mean to have home" He closed
with, ~ mean to be an honor to my mother
and my dear teachers"
A hack took US out to the Farm, nine miles
from Norfolk. The scenery accorded so we'll
with the descriptions have read of Virginia,
that was hardly conscious of seeing any
thing new. The road was level the country
looked very much like an old blackberry field
grown up to young pines. The pine here is
long -leaved species, called hard or yellow
pine. Taylor Farm is an estate of seventeen
hundred acres, now held by the Government
Our house stands on the south side of the
little bay enclosed by Willoughby Point. The
bay is called Bemis Bay. The Rip Raps and
Fortress Monroe are plainly visible from our
windows. you could see the shipping we
see in Hampton Roads, you would under
stand better than you ever did the definition
you used to learn in Geography of q Road
Over two hundred vessels were wind-bound
there short time since, and the appearance
at night, when each seemed to have light
in sight, was very fac.
have a chance to send this to Norfolk to-
day. 1t 1 neglect it, may have to wait a
week, SO will close here for this time.
Truly Yours, II. Z. ii.
H@9P Hon. Alexander Henry retired from