us, and co." But the idea seems to meet with little favor. A good many
of them are expecting these lands to be offered to them the coming
year, now that the war is about over, Dr. Brisbane, General Saxton,
and others assuring them that such was Mr. Philbrick's promise when he
bought them. I think there would be some important advantages to white
proprietors as well as black laborers, if they had some ten acres of
land of their own,--at least enough to raise their own provisions
upon, and to keep their own hogs and horses upon. Such an arrangement
would rid us of many annoyances, and help define the rights of each
party.

"G.'s article," referred to in the next letter, was entitled
"The Freedmen at Port Royal," and appeared in the _North
American Review_ for July, 1865.

R. SOULE, JR., TO C. P. W.

_Coffin's Point, Sept. 10._ G.'s article is well written and
interesting. He was evidently disposed to report as favorably as
possible for the negroes, while at the same time he seems to have
suspected that the reader would be a good deal impressed by the darker
shades of his sketch, and the conclusion of the whole is: There is
ground for hope, but the case is a pretty desperate one. A conclusion
to which, I confess, my own observation and studies lead me, whichever
way I turn.

The furor among the negroes here just now is to have a Union Store,
and they are contributing their funds for this purpose. They propose
to put up a building for the store near Smallwood's Bakery (at the
corner where village road branches from main road), and to make Mr.
Smallwood President of their Corporation! This project will probably
have one good effect in the end, namely, to open their eyes to see
some things which nobody can make them see now.

F. H. TO C. P. W.

_Coffin's Point, Sept. 18._ Cotton is opening well now, but we have
rather unfavorable weather for picking and drying. The caterpillars
have finally run over a good deal of ground, doing some damage, hard
to tell how much.

R. thinks he don't care to try the experiment of cotton-raising
again--the risks and vexations are so great. I find that feeling quite
general here this year among planters. William Alden says it is his
last year. I doubt whether he pays expenses this season. His cotton is
late, and now the caterpillars are destroying it.

F. H. TO C. P. W.

_Sept. 24._ Much of my time has been occupied of late in service on
Plantation Commission. The