Part 9 (1/2)
150 way, her beautiful eyes eloquent with feeling, she inveighed against Mr Davis's wickedness in always sending men born at the North to command at Charleston General Cooper is on his way to eneral settled his head on his cravat with the aid of his forefinger; he tugged ratherinside of his collar, and looked straight up through his spectacles Some one crossed the room, stood back of Mrs Pickens, and murmured in her ear, ”General Cooper was born in New York” Sudden silence
Dined with General Cooper at the Prestons General Hahly free-and-easy Western man, handsome and clever; more audacious than either, perhaps He pointed to Buck - Sally Buchanan Ca at?” Poor child, how amazed she looked He bade the men would not be killed in the war; there would be a few left For hiive them no hope Mrs Duncan was uncommonly healthy” Mrs Duncan is also lovely We have seen her
March 24th - I was asked to the Tognos' tea, so refused a drive with Mary Preston As I sat at nos, saw Mrs Preston's landau pass, and Mr Venable h at some of his army stories, as only Mr Venable can Already I felt that I had paid too no tea The Gibbeses, Trenholms, Edmund Rhett, there Edmund Rhett has very fine eyes and makes fearful play with them He sits silent and motionless, with his hands on his knees, his head bent forward, and his eyes fixed upon you I could think of nothing like it but a setter and a covey of partridges
As to President Davis, he sank to profounder deeps of abuse of him than even Gonzales I quoted Yancey: ”A
151 crew h to o to the bottom” After that I contented reed with hian to shake so persistently it amounted to incipient palsy ”Jeff Davis,” he said, ”is conceited, wrong-headed, wranglesome, obstinate - a traitor” ”Now I have borne much in silence,” said I at last, ”but that is pernicious nonsense Do not let us waste anyto your quotations from the Mercury”
He very good-naturedly changed the subject, which was easy just then, for a delicious supper was on the table ready for us But Doctor Gibbes began anew the fighting He helped no, ”pt perdreaux” Doctor Gibbes, however, gave it a flavor of his own ”Eat it,” said he, ”it is good for you; rich and wholeso happened At the post-office a man saw a small boy open with a key the box of the Governor and the Council, take the contents of the box and run for his life Of course, this man called to the urchin to stop The urchin did not heed, but seeing hi up the letters and papers He was caught and the frag hiave hiro was arrested
Governor Pickens called to see an with Fort Sumter For an hour did we haun He was very pleasant and friendly in his manner
James Chesnut has been so nice this winter; so reasonable and considerate - that is, for aa row about the lateness of the hour, he said he was ”so wide awake and so hungry” I put on s, etc, there on our own fire And with our feet on the fender and the slorious gossip Rather a pleasant state of things when one's own husband is in good humor and cleverer than all the men outside
This afternoon, the entente cordiale still subsisting, Maum Mary beckoned me out mysteriously, but Mr Chesnut said: ”Speak out, old woman; nobody here but myself” ”Mars Nathum Davis wants to speak to her,” said she So I hurried off to the drawing-roo her down-at-the-heels shoes in wine bekase somebody done stole his boots How could he stay bedout boots?” So Nathan said good-by Then we ratulated hiadier This he received with eneral,” said Mauot in his room befo' his boy put down his trunks”
As Nathan, the unlucky, said good-by, he inforroon envoy, Yancey I was keen for news from abroad Mr Reed settled that summarily ”Mr Yancey says we need not have one jot of hope He could bowstring Mallory for not buying arms in tioverns into their own hands, the powers that be being inefficient Westernthemselves In two h? I do hope the eneh to wait for us
Mr Reed's calm faith in the power of Mr Yancey's eloquence was beautiful to see He asked for Mr Chesnut I went back to our rooeon Mr Chesnut said: ”Well! four hours - a call
153 from Nathan Davis of four hours!” Men are too absurd! So I bear the honors of h ”Mr Nathan Davis went by the five-o'clock train,” I said; ”it is now about six or seven, ht I have had sofor you out there” He ithout a word, but I doubt if he went to see Mr Reed, ry
At last Lincoln threatens us with a procla slavery1 - here in the free Southern Confederacy; and they say McClellan is deposed They want overn, and trust to luck for the skill of the new generals
March 28th - I did leave with regret Mau My Molly, though perfection otherwise, does not receive the confidential coenerals at the earliest moment She is of very limited military information Maum Mary was the comfort of my life She saved me from all trouble as far as she could Seventy, if she is a day, she is spry and active as a cat, of a curiosity that knows no bounds, black and clean; also, she knows a joke at first sight, and she is honest I fancy the negroes are ashamed to rob people as careless as Jaht, just before we left the Congaree House, Mr Chesnut had forgotten to tell so to 1 The Emancipation proclamation was not actually issued until September 22, 1862, when it was a notice to the Confederates to return to the Union, e proclaimed as a result of their failure to do so The real procla the slaves, was delayed until January 1,1863, when it was put forth as a war measure Mrs Chesnut's reference is doubtless to President Lincoln's Message to Congress, March 6, 1862, in which hethe abolition of slavery
154 Governor Gist, as to leave on a public -gown and went to the Governor's room He found the door unlocked and the Governor fast asleep He shook hi up and threw his arms around Mr Chesnut's neck and said: ”Honey, is it you?” The ht, and the bewildered plenipotentiary was given his instructions Mr Chesnut cahed hiain the pathetic tone of the Governor's greeting
Mr Chesnut calls Lawrence ”Adolphe,” but says he is siht Cousin James the laziest man alive until I knew his er for any one but his master Mrs Middleton politely sent him on an errand; Lawrence too, was very polite; hours after, she saw hio?” she asked ”No,for Mars Jeems” Mrs Middleton calls him now, ”Mr Take-it-Easy”
My very last day's experience at the Congaree I aiting for Mars Jee-room when a lady there declared herself to be the wife of an officer in Clingentleman who seemed quite friendly with her, told her all Mr Chesnut said, thought, intended to do, wrote, and felt I asked: ”Are you certain of all these things you say of Colonel Chesnut?” The ned to notice this i to speak but who had not been introduced! After he went out, the wife of Clingman's officer was seized with an intuitive curiosity ”Mada, ”I dare say I showed ent listener when my husband's affairs were under discussion” At first, I refused to give my name because it would have embarrassed her friend if
155 she had told him who I was The man was Mr Chesnut's secretary, but I had never seen him before
A letter fros Little Serena sat up and helped her ain Upon reading it, I wept and Jairls a quantity of flannel for soldiers' shi+rts; also a string of pearls to be raffled for at the Gunboat Fair Mary Witherspoon has sent a silver tea-pot We do not spare our precious things now Our silver and gold, what are they?-e give up to war our beloved
April 2d - Dr Trezevant, attending Mr Chesnut, as ill, caone; he could not stand the news of that last battle He got up and dressed, weak as he was, and went forth to hear what he could for hi this, and ry with him for such folly I made him listen to the distinction between fearies and nonsense He said: ”He will certainly be salivated after all that calomel out in this damp weather”
To-day, the ladies in their landaus were bitterly attacked by theback in their silks and satins, with tall foot up and down the streets while the poor soldiers' wives were on the sidewalks It is the old story of rich and poor! My little barouche is not here, nor has James Chesnut any of his horses here, but then I drive every day with Mrs McCord and Mrs Preston, either of whose turnouts fills the bill The Governor's carriage, horses, servants, etc, are splendid- just what they should be Why not?
April 14th - Our Fair is in full blast We keep a restaurant Our waitresses are Mary and Buck Preston, Isabella Martin, and Grace Elmore
April 15th - Trescott is too clever ever to be a bore; that was proved to-day, for he stayed two hours; as usual,
156 Mr Chesnut said ”four” Trescott was very surly; calls hi in particular of South Carolina or the Confederate States Then he yawned, ”What a bore this war is I wish it was ended, one way or another” He speaks of going across the border and taking service in Mexico ”Rubbish, not much Mexico for you,” I answered Another patriot came then and averred, ”I will take ether I gave it up early in the spring” Trescott made a face behind backs, and said: ” Lache!”
The eneh for Albert Sidney Johnston noe begin to see e have lost We were pushi+ng theard was lying in his tent, at the rear, in a green sickness- melancholy - but no matter what the name of the ained by our dead hero1 Without him there is no head to our Western army Pulaski has fallen What more is there to fall?
April 15th - Mrs Middleton: ”How did you settle Molly's little difficulty with Mrs McMahan, that 'piece of her ave our landlady?” ”Oh, paid our way out of it, of course, and I apologized for Molly!”
Gladden, the hero of the Palmettos in Mexico, is killed shi+loh has been a dreadful blow to us Last winter Stephen,for Colonel Gladden In the dark he heard his name, also that he had to walk twenty-five o on 1 The battle of shi+loh, or Pittsburg Landing, in Tennessee, eighty -eight ht on April 6 and 7, 1862 The Federals were commanded by General Grant who, on the second day, was reenforced by General Buell The Confederates were commanded by Albert Sidney Johnston on the first day, when Johnston was killed, and on the second day by General Beauregard
157 an aon So he introduced himself as a South Carolinian to Colonel Gladden, whoie coht drive of fifty miles for Stephen, for he had the return trip, too I would rather live in Siberia, worse still, in Sahara, than live in a country surrendered to Yankees
The Carolinian says the conscription bill passed by Congress is fatal to our liberties as a people Let us be a people ”certain and sure,” as poor Toovernh, our old Wiley and Putnaht in London in 1845 How could I sleep? The power they are bringing to bear against our country is treht may be irresistible - dare not think of that, however
April 21st - Have been ill One day I dined at Mrs Preston's, pt de foie gras and partridge prepared for me as I like them I had been awfully depressed for days and could not sleep at night for anxiety, but I did not know that I was bodily ill Mrs Preston came home with me She said eht send for ht it very odd I could not breathe if I attempted to lie down, and very soon I lost my voice Molly raced out and sent Lawrence for Doctor Trezevant She said I had the croup The doctor said, ”congestion of the lungs”
So here I am, stranded, laid by the heels Battle after battle has occurred, disaster after disaster Every, e a strong and hearty one
To-day, the waters of this stagnant pool ildly stirred The President telegraphed for my husband to come on to Richmond, and offered him a place on his staff I was a joyful woman It was a way opened by Providence
158 froh of Despond, this Council whose counsel no one takes I wrote to Mr Davis, ”With thanks, and begging your pardon, hoould like to go” Mrs Preston agrees with h Mr Chesnut the President e of our State, etc
Letter froton That was the best tonic yet He writes so cheerfully We have fifty thousand hty thousand We expect that much disparity of numbers We can stand that
April 23d - On April 23, 1840, I was ed seventeen; consequently on the 31st of March, 1862, I was thirty-nine I saedding to-day from my hich opens on Trinity Church Nanna Shand irls rushed into my room Such a flutter and a chatter Well, thank Heaven for a wedding It is a char