19 Dec.
There has been a terrible fire in Town and a destruction of 4 Churches, the Circular, the Catholic Cathedral, and St Peter’s & a Methodist Church & the Quaker Meeting. Many fine houses destroyed and great distress. The fire broke out in a sash & blind factory and the difficulty of getting water and the previous drought and a very high wind which drove the flames caused the general destruction. This fire began at Cooper River and burnt across the City to Ashley River, the Institute Hall, St Andrews Hall, the Savings bank, & Art Museum, all destroyed, many of our friends have been sufferers, among them the Reids. Mr R. is a very kind man, and has often been amiably interested in our affairs, and now in his old age he has been deprived of his home, he is the President of the Bank of South Carolina.—
The fire burnt from 9 o’clock one night to the afternoon of the next day.
The boys have been ordered off on duty as far as John’s Island. Mr Grimball paid us a visit to condole with his friends, & see the destruction. Mrs Butler & Charles & Clementina have gone off to pay a visit to Georgia on business, Mrs B. intends now going to Papas for a visit, and to save money, which with her is getting rather scant.—The expenses of the property are immense and this year the prices were small. The night of the fire Mrs Butler[,] Charlotte[,] Clementina[,] Charles & ourselves sat up and the piaza was crowded with baggage from the Miles house. My 5 sons were in Town from the Camp at the Race Grounds on guard duty & I felt very glad they were here. Lewis was up from the fort and John from his vessel. Lewis is up to day his situation is a strange one he has an appointment from Pickens and is now notified that he will not be paid or recognised he has to go to Richmond to be examined he is not well and it is very annoying these are the ups & downs in this world. I feel as if I should never get over the fright of the fire and the expected bombardment of the Town, my things are all packed up, in trunks and bags and our silver is sent to the Bank at Camden for safety.—Mr Reid had that arranged for us.—The drought continues, and the alarms of fire are frequent.—