a ridge between the water and the corn. The
"big house" is a two-story affair, old, dirty, rickety, poorly put
together and shabbily kept. Here lived old Mrs. Martha E. McTureous,
with a large household. The James McTureous place--the other half of
this one--is all in one and the same field. On both these places the
houses are terribly out of repair, with wooden chimneys and mud
floors, the people dirty and suffering from the effects of much
confusion and discouragement in the spring. Limus,[56] their old
driver, did much mischief by striving to keep up the old system, and
at the same time neglected the place to go and earn money for himself.
Then they suffered severely from the black draft, their four best men
being taken, from a population furnishing only "eight men working
cotton," and thirteen full hands in all. Arriving as I did after all
the mischief was done, I have had rather a discouraging time with
them.

Entering the plantation, I am aware of old Nat. He is hoeing pease. As
I approach, he shouts, and comes to the road, and lays before me a
case of menace, ill usage, and threatened assault. I inspected
convalescent boy, ascertained what work had been done,--in a general
way, that is, learning that corn-blades had been, and were being,
stripped, that all the able-bodied men were cutting marsh-grass for
manure, that Tirah had planted a task of cow-pease for the Government,
but had allowed them to go to grass,--whereupon, after personal
inspection of said task, with an injunction to strip some corn which
was getting dry, I drove over to the James McTureous place. Having
received from Mr. Soule two packages of Swedish turnip-seed, I
enquired concerning the manner of planting, how much seed was required
for a task, etc. Dismounting from the sulky, and leaving it in charge
of a returned volunteer (I like the sarcastic phrase), who was unwell
and therefore lounging under the trees in front of one of the
nigger-houses, I went forth to the field to count the acres of
Government corn with the driver. On the way, I counted up the tasks of
pease, slip, etc., to see if they coincided with the account given me
by the people. Found one and a half of corn worthless, except for
fodder. Conversed concerning marsh-grass, found another hook for
cutting would be acceptable, gladdened their hearts with promise of
turnip-seed, and drove off.

Not the least curious part of the curious state of things
described in the next