Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-07-31
FOR TIE ABBESfI.LE PRESS.
Il. A. FAIR, Eecordiny Secretary.

DEAR LEE: Since wrote YOU last nav
Headquarters have Lecn crpha,ica!Iy in
the field, though not exactly like Yankee
General Pope, when Jackson was chasir o
him down the Valley iu Virginia, in the
scat Of my saddle. have had truly man v
hoty contested field, thermometer in the
shade %, but as The tbrashing was all on
my SIDE, lost but little, and made an easy
conquest of my chaG:y foe. Iregret being
unable 10 report more favorab!y Of the
grain crops in the vicinity Of Chiles' Cross
R'ads. Spring oats arc total falur:,
Fall oats n fair average, aud red oats
decided success. White wheat has scarcely
paid for the so~iug and harvesting; red
wheat we're renuneratiye; barley but sell.
doru seen and rye never.
Lee, l feel assured this failure of the
grain crops throughout our District is in a
great measure attributable TO the inner
fectly performed duty of our planters.
More than one has told me, lie soweL his
wheat on uubroken corn-land and pIowe}
it in. Should such planter antcipate a
good crop? as well might be expcc. Lis
mules to keep fat during the blowing sea-
son by looking through the cracks Of his
corn crib. Others again have had their
! crops Of cookie thrashcd as we'll as theii
crops Of wheat; while still otAersseemed
TO pay especial attention to the growing O
cheat, sturdy, or sick weed. Now if plan
ters will sow small grain largely mixed
with these extraneous substances, they de-
serve harvest of little else than sick
weed. Some planters even insisted that
cheat was degenerate wheat, wonder what
they think cookie is? would as soon
expect tobacco plant to>grow up from g
cotton seed as to believe cheat and wl,oai
were identical. ! cannot prove wheat is
not cheat, but I have planted the cheat O,
sturdy to itself 10 attempt to improve it
but like produced like every time, and q
better winter pasture cannot be made in
this country than BY sowing this hardy
grain on good land.
That section Of our "County" South
west Of White Hall, was once wealthy
and productive. Its present population .dt
not, fear, appreciate its.worth. Many @
the whites are restlsss and utisestled; con-
s'antly talking Of eDigrating. and seem h;
have given over everything into the hands
OF the freedmen, who are more Rsdical in
their views, more idle in their habits, and
more impulent 10, their manners than. il
any other portion of the District 1 hav
visited. Reedy Branch is flooded will
ihsubordination, and at one poiut has tw,
or three.::organizsd companies of negr
militia, WHO driltsregilarly, and as tn
Frenchmsn wodil say-Pourquoi, ar
,hese.devils inviting Iconflictg Is this a
incipieht phase Of that peace, which th
!: Radical; nominee .wouid "Lot us have.
Where negroes have, such sway dilapida
! ton is evident on all sides. Cotton anc
9 corn rows are plowed up and down th
hills, CALLED spots are scratched that wi
net setuin the seed sown, fsnoingss is iin Ia
! repah, dapbed, hints are erested here, thef,
i and -svety where, and the dear! old home
s stesas al}at hass withstood the bsyoc {
5 war, and which ought pow to be renewe
sis'fa delivered b3. thesownsr.sssmn sIabo
ns insoine cases abandoued, ssnd 10 otl
> ers rapidly going to decay, evincing th
: fdisoohsentmsntf tts present occupant q
. Fellow-citizens, this is all wrong. Yo
havsaJossly.s ssstmtyss AMI could hsy
bsppE homes S6ae Sou are, if you 8
: ~iIleaak Dissbsss your minds OF tn.
: flpaging AE.a: foreign EDerado ! you wi
s1f Bevers rsssss ssEs,n. Better nadf0ifs sbsar u
81 ils Of home than 20, seek others in
. strange had! = DS up aud doing. ssdosfo,