sed, met the rebel steamer (a very fine one, which had run the
blockade in the morning!), exchanged her wounded cargo, and returned.

To give complete the story of the siege of Charleston as
seen from St. Helena Island, some letters have been included
in advance of their chronological place in the series.
Therefore the next letter goes back to an earlier date.

FROM H. W.

_July 3._ We were all standing at the back door when a small crowd
became visible at the first gate. We watched to discover what it
meant, as it was an unmistakable "gang" drawing nearer. 'Siah's boy
had come over from the Point to tell C. that some white soldiers were
there from the village stealing corn, etc., after the manner of the
soldiers in this region, but so far our plantations have been very
free from such depredations C. had just told Tony that he did not feel
well enough to go over, and that the men would be gone before he could
get there--and turning to Mr. Soule he said that those Point men were
just the men to catch white soldiers, if they could do it, and he
should not be surprised if they did. The words were hardly out of his
mouth before the "gang" appeared, so you may imagine we watched it
with great curiosity as it drew near. On they came, a compact body of
people, among whom we tried to discover some white faces. Presently
the gleaming of muskets was distinctly visible, and as one of the men
stepped forward and threw the gate wide open for the company to pass
through, three white soldiers appeared in the front ranks. They were
all perfectly quiet, not a word was said; and as C. ran down the steps
to receive them and they came to a halt, the men brought the muskets
to the ground and the women emptied their aprons of corn-shucks at his
feet, waiting quietly for him to do what he thought right. I did not
hear one loud or angry tone while I stood listening as C. heard their
story and then questioned the soldiers. They were perfectly quiet,
too,--young fellows from the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania
Volunteers, a new regiment,--and they evidently thought that C. was a
person of authority or the blacks would not have marched them three
miles to him. He took from them their dirks and pistols, and the
musket which one of them had, and they made no resistance--nor did
they say a word when he called to me for "three pair of hand-cuffs"
(all he brought down), and asked the three men from the Point who had
guns, if t