Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-04-18
4 Chatry Letter from Port Royal, Beau
tiful Southern Island.

Cuul southern lSlanu.
Mrs. NJ. c. Edwards, the mother of
Geo. w. Edwards, of Austin, is now visit
ing on the island of Port Royal, South
Carolina. She has recently written a
very interesting letter from there. and we
are PERMITTED to make the following ex-
tracts therefrom. Additional interest at
taches to the letter from the fact that on
the day it was written, Mrs. Edwards
celebrated her seventy first birth day.
Mrs. NJ. c. Braden (the widow of the late
J. C. Braden) sister of Geo. Edwards, is
also at Port Royal with her mother:
You wish me to describe the place and
people, climate, etc. can hardly do the
subject justice, having seen very little Of
the country beside this island, Port Royal.
You know, in travelling on the cars, there
stopped one day in Savannah, where, for
trees. 1t is an old city and there are some
fine buildings, churches, etc. The park is
really beautiful with it's ornamented walks
and drives, its monuments, and fountain,
where the central figure pours water from
the end Of every finger, and numerous
swans are spouting as we'll. There are
many flowers, Towering shrubs and orna-
mental trees; but here, as elsewhere in the
south, the colored element predominates.
This island "befo' de wa" was owned by
some ten or fifteen wealthy and aristocratiC
planters, who numbered their slaves by
the hundreds, and lived in almost regal
splendor. They had residences, too, in
Beaufort, and spent the winters there.
Now the old mansions are destroyed, and
very little left of their former magnifi-
cence. The outlines of the walks and
drives still remain, or enough of them to
give one some idea of their ancient beauty.
This place is the old Rhett plantation
and five miles from here is Laurel bay, or
the Barnwell residence, which must once
have been worth going far to see. At
this place, It's said. the secession plot
was planned, and the first action ia
ken in regard thereto by drawing up and
adopting rebellious resolutions.-ED.
There are many more, but what the
earring of everything they could make
now about 10000 inhabitants on the ISL
and, mostly the former slaves owned
here, and their descendants. Three
fourths of the people in Beaufort are
colored, and there are but three white
families outside the town; one is half q
mile from here and the other four miles.
Have formed some acquaintance with
both and they seem very pleasant, intelli-
gent and refined
We are eight miles from Beaufort, and
the farthest away of the three. How any
one can content themselves here cannot
imagine, especially people of culture and
refinement. It is very pleasant, however,
and to a recluse might be desirable as a
residence. Broad river, which is an arm
of the sea, is only a short distance away,
and boating seems to be the order of the
day. Indeed, the people on these islands
are obliged to depend on boats as means
of communication. The negroes are
ignorant and thriftless, with some except
ions, however. You would be much
amused to see them Of Sunday evening
vending their way to Beaufort with the
inevitable cart, drawn by an OK, or some
times a mule, rarely horse. Ibave seen
but two or three double teams since
have been here, and those were oxen.
The soil is sandy and literally worn out
and requires heavy fertilizing to raise what
think cotton has hitherto been the staple
PAOuAS0AOh1 OuV NoAA 0Au o"OO1 pOV0eOSS
are the dependence now. The negroe:
have every thing their own way here Ger
tainly, and it may we'll be called the
Africans Paradise" Many OF then
own few acres Of land and the Others
rent, not often more than ten acres to eact
family.
AS to climate, the mercury has twice
gone below freezing since l came, Jan
! uary 10, but the coolest was before W.
came, 20 . above zero. There have beer
many rainy days and dense fogs at night
many times the mercury would indicate
600 or zoe in the day, and fall 900 o.
80 at night. The wind is damp, let i,
blow from what quarter it may, becaus.
it comes over the sea. AS I write you
flowers are out in profusion in the garden
Roses are out now in all their beauty. Peacl
and plum trees blossomed full, but they car
raise no stone fruit on account of the cur
culio. Apples, currents and strawberrie'
cannot be raised, but pears, figs, raspber
ries and blackberries are abundant. Two
years ago, the mercury went down to 18 Q
above zero, and all the orange trees were
killed; but they are growing again and {
few are sending out buds. There are al
army of insects, etc., gnats, sand-fies
mosquitoes, fleas, wasps, hornets, scor
plOnS, lizards, centlpe0eS ana snakes
Really, would not live here ten years il
they would give me the whole island
Better snow and floods in the North thar
| such life as this.
There is a cemetery in Beaufort in which
are the graves of 1900 Union soldiers
who died or were killed on these islands
! during the war. It is enclosed with &
neat and substantial brick wall and orna
mented with many Towering shrubs ant
trees. Two thousand of the graves ar.
marked by small square stone on which
| is engraved Unknown" and the other!
by small head stone with name and dat
of death. A cannon stands near the en-
trance on which is brass plate. with al
inscription commemorative of the event
and there is q monument erected by {
Northern lady with similar Inscription
and the flag of .Our Union" waves owe
all. This has all been done at govern
ment expense. q man is paid to keep tn,
| grounds in order, and q handsome bricl
residence has been built for his use from
the same source.