hare the profits, if any.

The draft is either taking or frightening off most of the men, but it
should be made, I think.

FROM H. W.

_April 3._ Caesar came home on a furlough, and it was fun to see him in
the street afterwards, surrounded by a great gang, talking away as
eagerly as possible. I should like to have heard him, if I could have
understood him; he had had a "firs' rate time" and he and January have
been trying to get some of the men to go back with them, but they
can't succeed any better than C. or Mr. Philbrick.

The next few letters are entirely occupied with incidents of
the draft.

E. S. P. TO C. P. W. (IN BOSTON)

_April 7._ Nothing has been done yet about enforcing the draft on our
island, but Captain Bryant[126] told me yesterday he should probably
strike the last of this week, taking every point at once as near as
may be. Colonel Montgomery's regiment[127] are given him for the
purpose, with orders not to _shoot_ except in self defense!

FROM H. W.

_April 14._ The soldiers had been there [at Fripp Point] in the night,
but had only caught old Simon and Mike, a boy of about fifteen, though
one of them had shot at Dan's Peter, about seventeen, and wounded him
in the head slightly. They went in squads all over this end of the
island except Pine Grove and here. They got sixty men in all, most of
them old, a waste of Uncle Sam's money. Of course our people here are
warned and all off again. The white officer said they took what men
they could get without reference to the superintendents' lists.

_April 15._ Hamlet's wife, Betsey, came to buy salt, said her husband
was carried off the other night and she left with ten children and a
"heart most broke, shan't live long, no way, oh my Jesus!" My new
cook's husband was shot (and killed) as he ran away when the Secesh
tried to make him go with them--how are they to understand the
difference? Captain Dutch[128] says he thinks that six or eight have
gone onto the Main from this island; they openly say, some of them,
that they wish the old times were back again.

_April 23._ The men at Fripp Point are said to have fired on the
soldiers from their houses. They are very bitter that negroes should
be sent against them. They would not mind white men, they say. R. has
persuaded all his men to go up to Beaufort,[129] and only a few were
retained. The rest have come back as happy as kings--no more bush for
them! I wish all would do the same.