Ellen Kempton Journal, Mss_64

mutilated, both by the Rebels before leaving & since by our soldiers. Our ride home was delightful, the moon shine in our road, at times making the way magnificent. The shadows among the immense oaks added a peculiar grandeur and as Capt. Crissey related many thrilling incidents of scenes through which he had passed since in the army we in our imagination almost say the enemy darting from the dense forest on either side or creeping along in the tall broom grass or in the clear field a company might be sleeping -- And to help our imagination to give reality to the scenes our brain might create. he showed us his pistols, loaded -- it seems, while at the table a note was brought to Cap. C. warning him of danger from guerrillas on the upper part of the Island. We had noticed his giving special orders for the night to his orderlies as we left camp & he had taken his pistols in case there should be danger -- but just as any man would -- laughed, whipped up his horse saying there was nothing to fear. I really enjoyed hearing their stories, or experiences, under the circumstances they seemed real to me, all such things, I find, interest me more here, where I can understand from thing around me what soldier life is though, of course have not seen active soldier life -- this is a very limited view. On the whole have enjoyed today. The ride & visit there was so much novelty in which I was interested that it [-] me I find when school is out I am all exhausted, I am though leaving to do better with their children & soon it will not have so much effect on me. I will not write of school scenes today have written all I can just now.

Friday 5. Spent a better day in school than yesterday, had more patience. The children are by no means disobedient but having no books, no slates, no blackboard & they accustomed to things free & easy & out of door of life entirely, makes it more difficult to interest & instruct all. Then perhaps I have tried too much to have it as I would a school at home this at present I must not try for. Another thing which I have not mentioned which I think is wearing me more than all beside. Giving out clothing. Mr. Blake brought with him a large box of men, women & children's & not a day but what I have given out several pieces & though it gives me great pleasure to be able thus to make them more comfortable tis a great care. often during the day women will come with pressing claims I must leave the schoolroom, go upstairs, select the articles I think most suitable in all respects & then sometimes they don't fit I must try again & just as I am through with them others come who I insist must wait till I dismiss, so they sit on the back seat in the schoolroom while I go on, the children having had a gay time in my absence & I tired from running up & down stairs etc. I have tried to have them come out of school hours, but how can they know the time, then when they come, & often a long way. I can't send them away without doing something for them. In this my first week in school I have learned more than my pupils. There have been so many scenes novel & interesting that I have attempted to speak of almost none. They are too numerous to mention. This morning we were feeling rather blue about our rations, having almost nothing in the house to eat

wondering what we could do, when this afternoon Lt. Jenkins rode up with a portion of our rations. We were delighted & overjoyed at the prospect again of having something to eat. we had no more hard tack, not even that as a last resort. Surely we felt we would not again distrust. The Lord will provide. Mr. Blake had sent these things to us from Beaufort as he would be detained & thought we would be in need of them. Among the articles is a broom, we as yet have had none, our floors have been swept by women we hired & they swept them with brooms of their own making, sometimes a quantity of broom grass tied together & sometimes a palmetto leaf the latter not however very servicable. We are tired & retire early. These days Mr. Ev. has been at Michael Plantation preparing for school he returned late tonight.

Saturday May 5. While attending to sweeping & scouring wrote to "Cedar St. school at home. As they do not clean the floors well they must be done often and & in time they may be brought to look well. Today the rooms look better as we have the luxury of a new broom & I thought of the adage. I should have introduced Joe before this. Joe is an old man, Mr. B.'s servant, he did not come until the boat after we came, & brought Mr. B.'s horse. well he has been doing, to some extent, our cooking, washing dishes and the like, but today he is sick & to be waited upon, poor man! half the day he has been in the fireplace with chills, then missing him found him on the floor in his room with the fever. so I have been trying to make him comfortable. He was formerly a butler in Charleston is a fine man, really gentlemanly in his appearance & address. This afternoon took a little ride on the horse, mean to learn to ride as it is the only way

way we can get about here all places are beyond walking distances & the ground is so soft it makes the walking very uncomfortable. Sunday May 7. Beautiful day. Had breakfast as early as on other days. Then we took a book & went to that beautiful oak just a little way from the house. This tree is grand, a large green dome it forms, as we look at it from the house, & as we sit under its immense branches, reaching the ground on all sides, it forms a complete pavilion around us. Here one can sit in perfect secrecy not being noticed by those who pass. But few came to our S. School as I forgot to tell the children Friday and they need to be reminded. Dr. Mason, & a Mr Duarte just from the North called. Spent a little while sitting on Billy Nelson's doorstep reading to his family & others who gathered. Read the birth, crucifixion & ascension of Christ, these people love to hear the Bible read, as they cannot read themselves they appreciate all the more. The old men asked me many questions which showed they were entirely ignorant of Bible history. of Moses they [have?] quite a correct idea but do not know whether he lived before or after Christ. one of the men, as if not quite certain, asked me about it. And this evening we have been to a little prayer meeting with Joe, in that cabin near, where little Hector Nelson lives.But few men there, not more than a dozen. I cannot give any correct idea of how things seemed to me. The room was larger than most of its kind and in it was, we could see by the flickering fiirelight, all sorts of remnants of articles once used as furniture. I sat on a broken chair

just behind me was a piece of an old spinning wheel & on the wall was stretched the skin of some animal drying. John Nelson lead the meeting by praying then all sang, not one of their songs, but one familiar in our home meetings. Then Joe prayed, repeated passages of scripture and talked well, giving & good, simple, practical advice and in excellent language. On the shelf, over the huge fire-place, burned a stick of wood, the stick lying on the shelf the blaze extending out & a weight to keep it in place on the other end. When the meeting was nearly closed Joe asked Miss Stanton and me to say something, not feeling that we could, offered to read a hymn, or a chapter from the Bible, so each had a hymn & after we had finished asked us to read it again that they might sing. So as we read two lines they sang, thus going through the hymns. John found a long meter tune for the short meter hymn but I didn;t think it troubled any of them for by repeating & prolonging it went quite artistically. During the singing Joe said, "why don't you let out your voices like their white sisters, don't be afraid - They sound like trumpets". They closed by singing the doxology, "To God the Father" 'Twas a very pleasant meeting. Whether our presence made it more quiet, less demonstrative I cannot tell but it was quiet, that is no loud, excited shouting, but apparent fervent devotion. Then too it was much shorter than their usual meetings, not exceeding an hour & a half. I spoke to Joe of this, telling him I liked this better than their very long meetings That at home we were not together for evening worship usually longer than this.