ppear to be ancient. Indeed,
they are not well enough built to last long. The estates upon Edisto
Island are of a more patrician character, and are occasionally
surrounded by spacious flower-gardens and ornamental trees fancifully
trimmed.

The names of the planters indicated mainly an English origin, although
some may be traced to Huguenot families who sought a refuge here from
the religious persecutions of France.

The deserted houses were generally found strewn with religious
periodicals, mainly Baptist magazines. This characteristic of Southern
life has been elsewhere observed in the progress of our army.
Occasionally some book denouncing slavery as criminal and ruinous was
found among those left behind. One of these was Hewatt's history of
South Carolina, published in 1779, and reprinted in Carroll's
collection. Another was Gregoire's vindication of the negro race and
tribute to its distinguished examples, translated by Warden in 1810.
These people seem, indeed, to have had light enough to see the infinite
wrong of the system, and it is difficult to believe them entirely
sincere in their passionate defence of it. Their very violence, when the
moral basis of slavery is assailed, seems to be that of a man who
distrusts the rightfulness of his daily conduct, has resolved to persist
in it, and therefore hates most of all the prophet who comes to confront
him for his misdeeds, and, if need be, to publish them to mankind.

Well-authenticated instances of cruelty to slaves were brought to notice
without being sought for. The whipping-tree is now often pointed out,
still showing the place where it was worn by the rope which bound the
sufferer to it. On the plantation where my own quarters were was a woman
who had been so beaten when approaching the trials of maternity as to
crush out the life of the unborn child. But this planter had one
daughter who looked with horror on the scenes of which she was the
unwilling witness. She declared to her parents and sisters that it was
hell to live in such a place. She was accustomed to advise the negroes
how best to avoid being whipped. When the war began, she assured them
that the story of the masters that the Yankees were going to send them
to Cuba was all a lie. Surely a kind Providence will care for this noble
girl! This war will, indeed, emancipate others than blacks from bonds
which marriage and kindred have involved. But it is unpleasant to dwell
on these painful scenes of t