told me that the descent upon Coffin's Point Saturday night was not
made by his orders, but by one of Colonel Higginson's captains. The
men were brought to him, however, and he discharged all who didn't
want to enlist. So I came off content.

The holidays and the hunt for deserters have so broken up the labor
that nothing of any consequence can be done now till after New Year's,
when I hope the work will move on smoothly again.

[_Jan. 1, 1864._] My errand to Beaufort on Tuesday was not very
successful. I could find neither Colonel Higginson nor General Saxton.
So I had to content myself with writing to the latter an account of
how the soldiers had been behaving here. On getting back, I found the
people more quiet than I had expected. The return of the men from camp
had reassured them, and most of them have gone to work again.

The year closes with W. C. G.'s reflections on the progress
of the "Port Royal Experiment."

FROM W. C. G.

_Dec. 27._ We are busy ginning and packing. Both men and women are
hard at work, and till 3 o'clock P. M. the scene is almost one of
Northern industry. There is more noise, less system and steadiness.
Now and then two or three break out into a quarrel, in which they
excel all other people I ever saw with their tongues,--tremendous
noise, terrible gestures, the fiercest looks,--and perhaps by evening
they are friends again. Meanwhile the others sit still at their work,
listening to it as a matter in the common course of things,--and will
tell how _they_ love peace and quiet; it will be their own turn next!
In all their faults,--passion, lying, stealing, etc.,--they are
perfectly conscious of the sin; and the same ones whom it would be
impossible to stop, except by force, in their tempests of rage, will
when quiet talk as sensibly of their folly as any one could desire.
They seem to have a very delicate conscience without the slightest
principle. That this want of principle is not innate and not their own
fault, I think is proved by their consciences remaining true. Their
state of morals I should say is decidedly better than it was under
slavery,--less of licentiousness, lying, and stealing,--and more
general manliness and self-respect. But they are very far behind, in
character as well as intelligence, and I suspect that most
abolitionist views of their character are exaggerated in their favor.
It increases the need and it does not decrease the interest of helping
them, to