The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-10-23
CHAPTER II.


EROM Fort De Roussy, Oh the
Red river, to Pointe Midi, on
the Bayou Claire, near which
B "L'Esperance," the Oakfell
plantation, lay, was dis
tance Of some 20 miles. The dignifying
name of fort was given to small
earthwork which had been thrown up
by direction of the United States gov
ernment under the supervision Of Colo
mel De Roussy at the first rise Of
Avoyelles prairie abutting on the low
alluvial river bottom. -Four miles in
land from the fort the highroad ran
through the little town Of Marksyille,
the parish site or seat Of justice. The
courthouse and two magazines for
cotton were the only brick structures
Of which it could boast. All the other
edifces, including the church, were Of
wood, painted white or yellow, ranged
on either side Of a long main street
and two lateral and four cross streets
intersecting at right angles. The sit
uation Of the village was a gentle dip
in the prairie, the two sides of which,
when the thick foliage Of umbrella
china, pecan, fig and oak trees was at
it's full and softened by the sDrinklinS
Of rosy fowered myrtles, gave the re-
semblance to the trough between
waves Of q great green sea. The pop
ulation of GOO or 700 souls was almost
entirely Gascon French and French
creole =. whom but few spoke Eng;
lish. The exceptions were the families
Of fol:r American lawyers, who had
acquired the French language and used
it more frequently than their mother
tongue.
Nine miles southwark from the vii
lage tae smooth surface Of the prairie
broke suddenly and the land declined
sharply to broad belt Of stiff soil,
intellectually fertile. bearing q thick
growth Of cypress, gum and oak and
terminating at Bayou du Lac, wide and
deep, On the farther side Of which lay
the Magnolia hills. These latter were
a series Of gentle undulations, rising
somewhat above the general level Of
the al,uYion aud extending quite eight
miles to tie fine, sandy soil Of that per-
feet agricultural country formed by
the network of bayous Rouge, Huff
power, Beuf and Claire. Here the
stately magnolia tree dominated, its
evergreen leaves Of olive hue and var
nished freshness preserving to the
landscape throughout the year the
warm sylvan tints Of summer and its
big blossoms Of creamy white loading
the aic with the fragrance of COM
bined Jasmine and lemon and imbuing
with consciousness the luxuriant spring.
Robe6 in gown Of woven vines, which
trailed to the ground and fowered in
yellow, red, blue and white, the mag
nolla was truly queen Of the forest.
The day had been sultry, overcast by
low hang g clouds, from which fell a
steady, { liking rain from noon until
nightfail. An intense darkness sue
ceeded the day, and the rain became
ftful, while the lightning was frequent
and binding in it's !urid brilliancy. The
public road leading from the rope ferry
Of Bayou du Lac to the Magnolia hills
and which constant use had worn to q
deep gully in the soft ground was re-
duced by the rain almost to state Of
ooze, rendering travel arduous and
slow. The dwelling Of Ealsin Mouil-
lot, the ferryman, stood in an inclosure
near the road and so yards from the
bayou. Valsin was short and muscu-
lar, Of middle age and scant education,
but blessed with q cheerful mind. He
was q widower, with three little girls
dependent upon him, and his resources
were the public ferry and the yield OF
80 acres Of cleared land, which he op-
Grated with the aid Of three slaves
an old man and woman and a boy.
This last drew the ferryboat along the
wide stretch Of rope more frequently
than did the ferryman and on such
nights as this occupied the lookout
shed on the bank to respond to the
calls Of travellers.
Notwithstanding the warmth of the
night and the open doors of the house,
a bright fire Of cypress bark burned
on the hearth Of the largest room TO
resist the moisture with which this
low region reeked. In front Of the
fire sat q stout, broad faced, dark skin
ned man of advanced years, whose garb
Of black and turned down band Of
white about his neck discovered the