Year: 1859

EAST TENNESSEE, Dec. IA, 1858.


Visited Madame G.'s to-day. She is a lady
of the old school, about sixty years of age, who
has kept up her youthful feelings and accom-
plishments to much greater extent than is
common, and still plays with good effect upon
the piano she had when gi1l, often accompa-
nying it with her voice. She has been a widow
some years, and told me a story of the sale of
her negroes after the death of her husband,
which equaled in pathos the scenes of ' Uncle
Tom" She had ''boy" Joe, who with his
wife Celia were her most trusty servants, and
they had been faithfully promised they should
not be separated but retained on the plantation.
the slaves before the day appointed for the auc-
ton, that she might secure all she wished to
keep, thinking that no one knowing the cir
cumstances, would bid against her; but, alas I!
for human virtue, one of her neighbOrs employ
ed by an incarnate fiend, whose business it was
to keep up the trade of these chattels, ran up
the bid on Joe SO high that she was obliged to
desist, and with an aching heart saw him
knocked off to one who would take him to the
rice and cotton fields of the extreme South
"Ah,'' said the old lady, with tears, I'VE all
loved and trusted Joe so much, and he has my
promise that if l ever have the means one of
my sons shall go down and find him" But
years have passed-the fortunes of the family
! have not been retrieved, and the poor "boy"
still tolls under the lash ofthe overseer-a thing
unknown here-or has laid down the burden OF
| life Celia still works on for her old mistress,
but with settled look of despair in her eyes,
and when urged to take another husband, she
says ''my heart is cen most broke, and its no
use to try to love another" Strange that SLAVES
will be so foolish as to indulge in the luxury OF
the tender passion


The people here tell of these cases of sorrow
with all the horror of northern abolitiOnists,
never seeming to think for a moment that they
have any thing to do with disposing of this evil.
1t rests like an incubus upon them, and many
feel it to be SO, but how to get ''shut" of it is
the question. -


Dec 18th. A party of dozen of US started
this morning on an excursion across B Noun
tain, distance of seven or eight miles, to wit
ness the closing exercises of singing school
taught in primitive style. We were all mount
ed on horses accustomed to these dangerous


passes, and merrier group were never seen.


The morning was little dark and some fears
| of rain were expressed, but ali at length con-
cluded that even this would add to the interest


of the occasion. Now and then the sun broke
out, lighting up the scene like fairy picture,
which drew exclamations of delight from all


The mountain torrents came tumbling down
over the natural terraces formed by the rocks
in their beds, and at one point we had view


of the smoky hills of Carolina, seventy-fve or


hundred miles distant, while numerous peaks


of other ranges skirted the horizon on all sides.
Such scenes as these repay one for all the ia
tigues of travelling, and while was wishing
all my friends could enjoy this with me, we
reached the school house where the singing was


held. 1t was built of hewn logs with the IN
terstices filled with clay. A mountain lowered


up in front, while in the rear pebbly stream
wound its way through most beautiful dell.


The seats were rough slabs without backs, and
the blackboard few inches of painted cloth


There were assembled about forty as intelh


gent looking young people as are often found.


The master bore strong resemblance in face


and figure to ''Ichabod Crane" He was dress
ed in home made jean dyed with walnut, bav-
ing the coat collar and cuffs ornamented with
black cotton velvet. He marked the time with
} a tremendous sweep of his long right arm and
required the pupils to do the same, and nothing
could be more comieal than to see the whole
class under full headway. He discarded the Al


to, causing the ladies to sing Tenor, which he


called the Upper Treble, and suoh oaterwaul-
ing as they made could not be egualed. The
old Easter Anthem and Invitation rang out and
was echoed back by the surrounding hills, and
reference to the place where the spi-i-i-i-ces
grew, gave any impression rather than oCe Of


soft delicious sweetness. Some of our compa-


ny were accomplished musicians who received


their education in Boston, and it was amusing
to witness the various expressions which pass
ed rapidly over their countenances, and at times
the ludicrous would nearly overcome them
But all things have an end, and SO did the sing,
and we started home with spirits in no sense
, tagging, and resolved to cross the mountain by


much more difficult path than we came, not


withstanding the rain which had now become a


settled matter of fact. The view from the sum
NIT must be fine in a clear day, but the dark
clouds which rested upon the hill tops obscur-
ed our vision, and we began the descent with q
promise from our escorts that we should ascend
I the mountain again at more favorable time


for making observations.