ks, "big and little." This island is very much more favorably
placed than Ladies, Port Royal, or Hilton Head Islands, which are all
much exposed to the depredations of the Union soldiers. I find on the
north end of Ladies Island the pickets are changed every little while,
and have killed nearly all the negroes' poultry. The people don't dare
to leave their houses, and take all their hens into their houses every
night. They shoot their pigs and in one case have shot two working
mules! All these things are duly reported to General Saxton, but it
does no good. Two regiments have come to encamp at Land's End on St.
Helena, and Mr. Hammond says they have burnt up a mile of his fences,
and burn the new rails just split out in the woods; they burn the
heaps of pine leaves raked up for manure and take possession of all
his cotton and corn houses. It is certainly of no use to try to carry
on any planting near these fellows. They would steal all the crops if
any grew near them,[86] and if the whole military establishment is to
be transferred to this side the harbour, it is of little use to try to
do much on that end of the island. Coffin's Point is, however, remote
from all these disturbances, and I hope it will remain so. I am
anxious to continue this free-labor experiment through a term of years
and under circumstances more favorable than those under which we have
this year been placed. I do not see how I can do much good in any
other way.

The next letter is the first from H. W. on her return to
Port Royal after spending the summer at home.

FROM H. W.

_Coffin's Point, Dec. 14._ As we drew near the Fripp Point place at
last, the people began to gather on the shore to watch us, and when
the boat stopped the people were all on the banks, pressing forward,
and Sammy rushed into the water and took me ashore in his arms. Then
they got my trunks in the same manner, and such a shaking of hands!
"So glad for see you! Glad for see you come back." Boys were sent off
at once to catch the mules to take me over, while I went into 'Siah's
house to wait, and had some hominy and chicken, as I was very hungry.
Everything was as neat as a pin here--the children were kept out of
the house while I was eating, and then the hominy and chicken were
mixed and passed round among the women when I had finished. Mr.
Philbrick's sulky happened to be over there to be mended, and as it
was finished I drove off in it, Sammy, Peter, and Tony on