Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-02-25

. =
5000. Here 1t is said the first sign:
of the fermentation Of the rebellion
began; here the first draft of the or
dinance Of secession was produced
and South Carolina was first to de.
clare herself out OF the Union. Al
who have retained items and Incl.
dents In memory of the early days
OF the war will recco!lect that when
our Union troops entered Beaufort,
in the spring OF 1862, only one white
man WAS left to guard the town.
All the best and most valuable
slaves had been taken by the
flying owners, and the Union troops
were left masters Of the situation
with thousands Of the contrabands
on hands to help devastate and de-
slroy. War Is always fearful, and
soldiers more or Iess reck less and
ravaging. Beaufort was comfortable
quarters for the weary, worn, exas-
perated northmen, who had risked
all for their country and for freedom.
There could be no better hospitals
than their airy churches, colleges
aud libraries, and they were used
and abused to their utmost extent,
in all possible ways, and there were
none to hinder. Gen. Sherman
had refused to garrison the town
and protect the property, and the
beautiful city that circled about the
shining bay Of Beaufort tide-water,
was soon converted into barracks for
the Union army. The despoiled
planters never returned, or If they
did, too much the victims Of their
own traitorous acts to pay the taxes
on their sea.island homes.
Beaufort property became by tax
sales the property Of the Govern
ment, and was sold again to men
who came here wishing to make
homes or to speculate. "A few
Southern families returned and still
occupy their former homes. But
they refuse to affiliate with the
Northern population, or accept in
any way but by compulsion the fate
which they have brought upon
themselves. They, and Mey only,
are AonmaJte ladies and gentlemen /;
they, and they only, are cultured md
genteel. Shall we blame them ?
First, let MS "put ourselves in their
place." Let Us remember the hab-
it's, customs and manners taught by
two centuries and made second ma
ture, and perclance we shall con.
clude that we, under the same cir
cumstances, might have the same
feelings, and let us withhold censure
if we cannot approve.
But my pen has run astray, and
from the pathetic record of despoil-
ed people must return to the exist
ing state of things. When / saw
the city in 1862, there were a great
many orange trees, full Of fruit,
around its homes and in its gardens
Four years ago a heavy frost, the
first Of the kind in thirty years,
killed to the root the growth Of de.
cades. Still the evergreens, pines
and cedars, pomegranates, myrtles,
magnoias, mimosas, holly, and
young orange, lemon, now growing
thifty, live and water oaks, and
many others make the place green
as spring even In its winter dress.
The tidewaters of the Beaufort bay
rise and fall from eight to twelve
feet, according to the season. Ships
Of largest tonnage float unharmed at
high tide and go round the island
and enter what is called Broad river,
which unites again with Beaufort
and forms what Is marked on the
maps Hilton Head Inlet.
These sea islands are sand banks
thrown up along the Atlantic coast
and become by the manipulation OF
the waves for ages islands separated
from the mainland by ravines worn
in the sand, through which the tides
have rushed for centuries, washing
deeper channels and forming rivers
stretching all the way on the coast OF
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
The cotton raised on these islands IL
said to be the best, and Is seldom
used in the United States, but Is
transported to Europe and wrought
into the finest fabrics that can be
made Of cotton, and Of course bears
the highest price in the market. II
was thought before the war, that no
other portion of the earth could pro-
duce cotton of such exquisite fiber as
the sea islands. Necessity Is a great
discoverer, and the great need of Eu-