ds were tied, and one woman
refused to get into the boat, and they knocked her down and left her.
They have frightened poor Mrs. Wells pretty effectually by saying they
should like to carry Mr. Wells off on the points of their bayonets.
"That man that pays them forty cents a day." A picket has been
stationed there and another on Eddings Point.

_May 27._ My "seamster," Maria, has a little girl who she sent me word
should be my little chambermaid, and she wished me to name her. Her
youngest child, Noble, I did not know, he is such a great boy, and I
remarked that he was bigger than Cicero was two years ago. "Too much,
Missus, him lick Cicero now," and she explained that it was because he
was a Yankee child, and then she and Rose enlarged upon the general
superiority of the Yankee children, who could all "lick" all the
Secesh children of twice their years! It was very funny, but I daresay
there is some truth in it, as the women only work when they feel able
to do so, and moreover they all have a greater variety of food.

The boys returned from the gunboats with full accounts from the
officers of the disgraceful abandonment of the expedition[166] and its
complete failure, owing in the first place to the drunkenness of an
officer and then to the failure of common sense. General Foster has
arrived[167]--I hope he will prove to be somebody; this poor
Department seems doomed. General Birney seems to have shown as little
sense in this matter as on the negro question.

_May 31._ To dine at Pine Grove, stopping on the way to see if I could
find any of Pierce Butler's[168] people among the St. Simonians who
have settled on the deserted plantation of Hamilton Fripp. Found one
woman who was nursery-maid at Mr. Hazard's, who she said was a cousin
of "Butler's;" she remembered him well and his two daughters, also
Mrs. Butler. "She was a very great lady--a _very_ great lady, and a
most beautiful lady--slender-like: she tell Mr. Butler if he give up
the slavery, she would likes to live there, but she couldn't stan'
that; but he wouldn't 'grees to that, so she goes 'way and she get a
dewoce. Oh, but she could ride hos'!" She said that Mr. Butler was a
very kind master to his servants indeed, "but sometimes he have bad
overseer."

_June 15._ Rode through the quarters to tell the people myself that I
was going home for a visit. "But you comin' back dough--arter we get
use' to you you mustn't lef' we--and you sarvice to we when we sick