23 July
We have heard from John, he has been through a severe fight in the Arkansas and was unhurt.
There is a Mrs Stevens up here who is the wife of the 1 Lieutenant on board the Arkansas & we have seen her. She sent me word she had just lost her Mother and was not visiting, but would be glad to see me. I went there with Mrs Irwin and found a very graceful educated woman. She has no children and is very anxious to join her husband. Yesterday she wrote me a note enclosing a telegram from her husband saying John was well. This was the second note she has written to me about letters &c received from her husband.—
We pay $40 per Month for this East Wing of the St John’s College. Papa stays with us & has the use of the 3 rooms down stayrs a stable for his horse and the waiting of his man & his maid. This last was brought up here to please her husband Adam and he pays $40 per Month at the Walker House he payed 38 but Charles was boarded had a room & much command of scraps here he shares with our servants and they have daily 10 quarts of Meal & Clabber for breakfast & soup for dinner made of half a Cow head we get them from Market for 10¢ a piece. Our Cow which cost us $24 is quite a comfort she has a calf and grazes in the enclosure 75 acres with Mrs Irwin’s Cows & is fed with mash and husks morning and evening. The Calf is kept up and ensures her return.—
Elizabeth teaches Lotty & Harry, and through her kindness they are not left in perfect ignorance. I am afraid it tries her temper greatly. There is a State Institution near this Village for the Blind & Deaf & Dumb. We visited it and were pleased with the exercises. Mr Grimball is now here dull & miserable at the prospects of the family for the future when the money we have now is spent what will become of us. I hope we will be provided for, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Elizabeth hears from Clementina she says “Our pay has been reduced and still I put up every Month a treasure for Charles, he says he walks up and down his room and thinks of the sums he has squandered on trinkets[“] &c, &c.—
We are 3 quarters of a mile from the Village and can easily walk there, we go to Church on Sunday. Papa drives me there but he is now disgusted with the Services being irregular, and that the people the Vestry, have refused Mr Hunter the priviledge of preaching, saying he is a Yankee, (which is true,) and that he is trying to get the place from Mr McCollock who is the Clergyman, he is to preach one Sunday here, & 1 at Union. Mr Hunter had a Church on Santee & a Planting interest which he sold out,—and while he was allowed to preach here alternated with Mr McCollock.—
Mrs Hunter is a very pretty & agreeable woman we have seen her often.—
The Repulse of the enemy on James Island in which the Sumpter Guards played so conspicuous a part and in which Captain King, Mrs Sue Petigrue husband was killed & Lieutenant Edwards and several others,—was a very great matter. The Yankees seem now to have given up the idea of attacking Charleston. The Victories before Richmond and the success of the Arkansas at Vicksburg all make one hope the war will not now be long & the cotton famine in England seems slowly & surely progressing. We have some brave Partisan Officers Col Morgan is now in Kentucky ravaging the Yankee stores & taking little Towns.—