course he
was never a military governor in the sense in which that
term was used of Lincoln's military governors of states.
Doubtless Saxton was recommended for his position by General
Hunter, both being ardent anti-slavery men.

FROM H. W.

_Sunday, May 18._ Started [for church] directly after breakfast in the
buggy. It is the first time I have been up, and I am glad to have seen
the sight. The church[39] is of brick, in a grove of very beautiful
live-oak trees wreathed with grapevines and hanging moss, under which
were tied every conceivable description of horse and vehicle, from Mr.
Pierce's six-seated carriage and pair of fine Northern horses to the
one-seated sulkies, and mules saddled with cotton-bags. Just as we
arrived the people were all pouring out of church after Sunday School,
for a short intermission before the service. I was very sorry to lose
that part of the performances. Mr. Hooper is superintendent, and they
say has an admirable faculty at interesting the children, who are
taught besides by the white people present in classes. We had a
pleasant chat with Miss W. and Miss Towne and the gentlemen, most of
whom do not meet at all except once a week at church, and then the
people were collected again, and when they were seated, Mr. Pierce
summoned us, the four ladies, to an empty pew with himself. The church
is painted white inside, very plain, with galleries, and filled full
of black people,--doors, windows and aisles. Dr. French had come over
from "Biffert," as they call it, and conducted the services. He read a
hymn through, "Am I a soldier of the Cross?" etc., and then deaconed
out two lines at a time, while the negroes sang it in their peculiar,
nasal manner, one always leading. He preached them an admirable
sermon, familiar in its style. He told them of his visit to the men
who had been carried to Hilton Head, which interested them very much
and comforted them too, I guess. Compared them to the Israelites
coming out of Egypt, as in a transition state in which everything
depended upon themselves--they must not behave so ill that God would
make them wander forty years in the wilderness instead of reaching
Canaan in eighteen months. It was pleasant to see their interest--the
"elders" all sat under the pulpit and in the front seats, and many
would nod their heads from time to time in approbation, equivalent to
the "'zackly" and "jus' so" of their every-day speech. They were all
well