Ellen Kempton Journal, Mss_64

them, we tossed her some money & she tossed the cakes and we were on our way steaming slowly out of Chs'ton harbor across the bar out into the ocean. How that old Hudson did toss & pitch! 'Twas not that the sea was so rough but 'twas that the boat was so poor & then 'twas its nature. To sit on deck in a chair was impossible so we took ourselves to a lifeboat & there made ourselves as comfortable as seasickness would allow. When the sunset we were nearing the Island and as the shadows had grown their longest we anchored at Edisto, our Island home. The clouds were glorious, black and ponderous, and darting from them vivid flashing of lightening -- I looked, as we stood on the deck, with great interest a peculiar interest in all the scenes before me, this was to be my home thse were to be my people and through the darkness, and by the firelights along the shore, I saw the dark figures moving back and forth cooking their evening meal, their hominy or rice or in other ways trying to make theselves comfortable for the night, most of them had been our fellow travellers but many remained on board during the night. From the boat we could see no house though looked intensely for one -- The pending moss on the trees, the forelights and moving figures around them added to my mind peculiar intent to the novel scene. We remained on board during the night, accepting an invitation from the officers at camp & Mrs. Webb to breakfast with them, Lt. Jenkins & Mrs. Webb came to the boat on horseback followed by a baggage wagon to take us & our effects. This morning ride was delightful through magnificent oaks where branches and there of the [Green?] [tree?] reached low for our shelter & others sprinkled us with [mornig?]

dew, reaching the officers headquarters found it a most delightful place, 'tis the Mary Seabrook plantation, & the grounds with their beautiful walks & drives, fishponds and orange trees, not to mention the most beautiful ones then in bloom must have been magnificent in their flourishing days. Surely my first introduction to a Southern plantation gave me a most pleasing impression. Though from what I am told, think I saw the best first. At the breakfast table met Cap. Storres, Lt. Jenkins, Mr. Hull , and Mrs. Wight & Mrs. Webb teachers the two ladies from the New York association. At the table the place of destination was discussed, & the "James Whaley Plantation" was decided upon. After walking about this beautiful place a short time the baggage wagon was ready, we mounted, the sun was hot & we, in our winter clothing were rather warm the wagon was full & with us, piled, our trunks, bags, little bundles & big bundles, boxes of rations and all sorts, then there were two colored men for drivers & [Dr.?] Mason came from camp to visit people on the road. Our picture would have added intent to a comic almanac. To add to the effect, or rather to keep off the effect of the sun, we dipped our handkerchiefs in water, putting them over our heads. The water drip ping over us. a pail of water we took among other things, partly to keep our roses fresh, & partly to keep our heads cool. Our ride though slow was pleasant, after riding two or three miles, occasionally crossing a bridge which though small, seemed almost impassable, we came to one which was not passable, & we all were obliged to dismount and walk over as best we could, while the tram went [round?] somewhere, we lay under a tree waited for the tram then mounted & were plodding on again. The trumpet flower blossomed along the roadside occasionaly we saw roses & honeysuckles. Blackberry bushes were in bloom. All seemed summerlike. Quite in contrast with our New Eng. homes. After riding 7 miles they said it was, though

a road, which hardly ought to bear the name of a road, we reached the long looked for "James Whaly Plantation", none of the party had ever been here before except Mr. Blaisdell. & here was "our house", & really I had looked forward to some place so long these days of tossing about, that it seemed pleasant to say this is my own, to unpack & scatter homelike things around. We were all gay & happy. The house was literally empty except for a few seats Mr. B. had placed in one of the parlors to be used as a schoolroom & a rough bedstead he had made. Mr. Blake from his boxes & barrells produced various cooking utensils and soon the gentlemen were over the fire boiling eggs for our coming meal - a tablecloth! No one had thought of such a thing. How ignorant I was of what I needed I flattered myself I had in my outfit all that I should need, but housekeeping I had not thought of. I hunted & found my single sheets just a fit for the table the gents. had constructed, by nailing some rough boards on two barrells. Each produced what table furnishings they had brought & we sat down to our first meal. 'Twas well I had made up my mind to be pleased with all things that must be & not to be at all fastidious, thus, with a good appetite made the dinner quite palatable. Our bed, that night, was but some blankets spread on the floor, each had brought a bedsack but as yet had found nothing to fill them, and on this hard bed we slept & were refreshed the next morning, the Sabbath, there was nothing to remind us of the holy morning, many things were to be seen to, 'twas a necessity, but about ten o'clk. many children & some older ones having heard we had arrived came to say "Howd ye"-- I don't know how to spell it. -- but they sat on the piazza a longtime & Miss S. & I took our Bibles & we, sitting in the door way, read to them,

asked them questions & sang "I want to be an angel","I have a Father in the promised Land", & other Sabbath School songs which reminded us of the dear S. S. at home which perhaps even at this hour were singing the same songs. Then two or three repeated the [comm.?] "Remember the Sab. day" & the Lord's Prayer, we were quite surprised at their stock of Bible knowledge, though quite limited, but they told us they have been to Yankeen school a little while on St. Helena Island. In the evening Mr. Blake called a meeting of the people together in one of the parlors, explained to them why we have come among them, our plans for the future & asking them to do what they could to assist us, & telling them we should be very dependent upon them for many kindnesses. Often was he interrupted by responses such as "Yes, Massa we know you lub us", "We have to learn." " That's so Massa." "God bless You." As he closed his remarks an old, grayheaded man kneeled and prayed with fervor & eloquence. He prayed Almighty God to bless us who had come so far to open the eyes of the blind & to give them sight & then he thanked God for putting the kindness in our hearts "To come way down here for de love us poor niggers, jas as de Lord Jesus Christ leff de home in de hebens for de lob of wicked sinners". As he prayed the sun set, leaving the room in solemn darkness & then some other struck the hymn -- "Oh for a thousand tongues to bless My great Redeemer's name"! all joined with great solemnity. The darkness added to the solemnity of the scene and as we took the hand of each brother & sister as they bade us "Good night" We felt the presence of God was with us & that He had indeed prepared the hearts of these people to receive us. And my heart went up in prayer that I might be faithful to this new work entrusted to me.--And today I have been writing, doing all sorts of little odd jobs between, there is but little to arrange as we have almost nothing, but I have put

some Autumn leaves on the windows after they were washed just as we had some at home. They gave rather a refined look to the room. Today Mr. Blaisdell returned to Charleston. Tuesday 25.^th They tell us this house though not fine is in the best repair of any on the Island -- well the others must be poor! This in convenient for us. The hall is good size with a parlor on each side a long room a bulge at the end having long windows back of these two, & on each side, also opening from the hall is another room one on the side we shall use for a schoolroom shall use as a store room & the other, which leads from our parlor dining room, for a kitchen, in it is a good closet, also one in the diningroom where Mr. Er. has put up shelves & we shall have that for our china closet. In vain I try to make our parlor look a little more as if human beings lived here but almost in vain, one cannot create, one can make, but not from nothing. There is the rude table in the center of the room with a bench on each side for seats. not a chair in the house, not an article of furniture yet. The piazza is pleasant & while there one forgets the emptyness within. While sitting here saw a carriage in the distance Lt. Jenkins & Mrs. Webb came to call on us, Capt. [Stones?] & Mrs. Wight soon followed on horseback. showed them over the house, chatted awhile & they were off. The [span?] & carriage is one captured this week during a raid on the main land. While they were here Miss S. & I each rode Mrs. W's horses a little way, my first ride, from this I fear will be a long time, & with much practice, before I can ride well, but when Mr. B.'s horse comes I mean to practice. Again we retire to our blankets on the floor, as yet we do not succeed in getting filling for our beds. But each night we are tired & sleep [sweetly?].