ows that the freedmen were waking up to
their rights in more ways than one.

FROM W. C. G.

_May 19._ We had a queer scene here on Tuesday. It is probably the
first time that the slaves--contrabands--freedmen--have asserted
themselves our fellow-countrymen by claiming the right of voting. A
meeting was called in Beaufort to elect delegates to the Baltimore
convention.[163] It was assumed that we could stand for the sovereign
state of South Carolina, and so we sent her full complement of sixteen
representatives, and furnished each with an alternate. There are
hardly thirty-two decent men in the Department, it is commonly
believed. A large half of the meeting consisted of blacks, and _four
black delegates were chosen_, Robert Small[164] among them; the others
I believe were sergeants in the South Carolina regiment. At one time
there was considerable excitement, and white paired off against
black,--but on the whole both colors behaved very well.

The whole affair will be laughed at by the North, and it is hardly
probable that the delegates will be received. I hope they will.

In this hope W. C. G. was to be disappointed. Not one of the
delegates was received.

With a group of H. W.'s letters the story goes back to home
life.

FROM H. W.

_Sunday, May 8._ I have been wanting to see a Baptism performed as it
is here in the creek, and as there was to be one to-day C. arranged
yesterday for us all to go up. We had a lovely drive, reaching the
bridge by the church just as the Baptism began, and, sitting in the
wagon where we could see and hear everything, we witnessed the whole
ceremony and saw the vast crowd that had collected for the same
purpose. As the last came up out of the water the people began to
sing, and we moved with the crowd towards the church, which was
presently filled, as many more people outside sitting about. We sat
for about four hours, through all the services. The minister soon
changed his clothes and came in, but in the meantime the people sung.
Mr. Parker took occasion in his sermon to express very liberal views
towards other denominations of Christians, and then invited "all
members of sister churches to remain to the Communion service." There
has been so much talk and trouble about this, and all who were not
Baptists have been so vigorously excluded,[165] that we were very glad
to see the new minister take a different ground, and remained gladly.
While the deacons were