General Stevenson replied, Major Barstow exclaimed, "You hear
that declaration?" and went off and reported. Pretty small business,
anyway, though the General and most of his officers apparently are not
at all waked up to the question, and oppose the idea of negro soldiers
very strongly. They seem to have been living for a year with their old
prejudices quietly slumbering--without coming in contact with the
subject and its practical working as we have here, and so are not
prepared for the change of opinion which has been silently advancing
here. We did not think a year ago that these people would make
soldiers, though it might be a wise measure to organize them for
garrison duty to save the lives of our men in a climate they could not
bear well and where no fighting would be necessary. Now it is a matter
of fact, not opinion, as Colonel Higginson's report shows, that they
will fight in open warfare, and will succeed in a certain sort of
expedition when white men would fail, thus being too valuable an aid
in putting down the Rebellion for us to give way to the prejudices of
the mass of the soldiers. But I do not think it strange those
prejudices exist, and they can only be removed by degrees.

The sales are to go on--how glad I shall be when the whole thing is
settled! Dr. Brisbane thinks he has proof that Mr. Coffin is in jail
in Charleston for Union sentiments,[115] so that he shall reserve his
plantations for him. Mr. Philbrick may be able to lease them till the
war is over, but if we take Charleston and if Mr. Coffin claims his
own again, behold us! I don't know what the negroes would do, at
first, if they thought Mr. Coffin was coming back to take possession
of the lands--though they all acknowledge that when he was here there
was no "confusion"--"that was all along de overseer." I suppose, if
they were not taken by surprise and could understand matters, they
would work for him as well as any one else; but a great deal would
depend upon whom they had over them--they would not work under
Cockloft again "first." They will be disappointed if Mr. Philbrick
does not get this place.

FROM W. C. G.

_March 1._ The sale of lands, which was arrested by General Hunter's
order, has recommenced by authority obtained from Washington. The
generals commanding--Hunter and Saxton--are both interested in terms
and regulations which will favor the negroes. I hear they are both
added as, in some way, joint commissioners to those wh