Roanoke Island Jan 12th '65

Dear Sarah—

We arrived here yesterday, and are likely to spend the remainder of our days here. We delayed in Norfolk until 12, waiting for the Baltimore boat. It was the littlest of bits was the little steamboat that took us away. Capt Brown came down to see us off. As we had room neither to sit nor stand nor breathe, I said to him, "Oh, you sent word to me to know if you could do anything for me. I should like an ocean-steamer, if you please." "Oh, well," the Dr said, springing up, "I'll run right out and get you one." We sailed by the Navy Yard in Portsmouth, seeing many sunken hulks, a captured blockade runner, and many war-boats. We passed the Pointdexter farm, too, and sailed on along the beautiful Elizabeth river. Stepping on a sandbar, at one time, and stopping there awhile, taking many a graceful curve and going on till we reached Curratuck Canal. The house of the lock-guardian, with its neat office, its neat outbuildings, and its parlor kerosene-lamp, mounted high on a street post was, in every respect, worthy a New-England way-side. The forest through which the canal was cut, still holds its own on either side, and the stately pines were a delight to us. Wild cattle came to the banks edge and looked placidly at us, and the rain came down and wet us. We got into the life-boat which hung upon pulleys and sat there through long and pelting showers. Sat there until we were wet We, ourselves, as well as our clothing. Then, forced into the cabin, we threw ourselves upon benches and slept, fitfully, while soldiers played cards and drank, drank through the night.

Some refugees from Plymouth, who have been sheltered in Norfolk were our companions. One of the ladies asked me if I was a teacher (meaning a teacher of contrabands). "Well," she said, "in these times, people have to do almost any-thing to get an honest living, and I don't blame em fer it neither." I suppose she read in my face the story of my bad luck in taking in washing—read how hard it was for me to get the pittance promised me for the shirts that made my fingers sore, and learned, in some way, that I couldn't pass a school examination at the North. One lady made her bed upon the table, and held a long confidential talk with a friend at her side. She opened the conversation by saying, "I like to see a husband think a great deal of his wife." "So do I," said her friend. "Well," she replied, "I'll speak a good to you for my sister." Whereupon she enlarged upon her sister's beauty, and accomplishments.

There was on board a coarse rowdy Adjutant of the Mass. 20th Regiment who was accused by a man of being a thief. "What do you think of a man that will steal niggers?" the Southerner asked of a croaking fellow who had been forcing pious talk upon unwilling ears. The seemingly hypocritical man, unlettered and countryfied said, "I think if he'd steal niggers he'd steal anything else." The Adjutant said his soldiers never touched private property. "Niggers are property," he heard in answer.

At five o'clock the big boat Genl Beryl took us on board and at eleven A.M. on Wednesday we landed on Roanoke Island. Fortunately for Martha and me no opportunity offered to go to Newbern. We went at once into Mr. Nickersons school and assisted him in teaching his morning classes. His very open school room was decorated with holly, which was hung on the occasion of the celebration of the Pres Emancipation Act. In the evening, again, we assisted Mr Nickerson. Our pupils interested us greatly. We took our quarters with a very genteel colored family from Plymouth. They gave us a carpeted room with a stove and a luxurious bed. After dinner Mr. Kimball walked with us a mile and a half to Mrs Freeman's. We walked along the sandy beach, looking out upon the water through the tall trunks of sparsely scattered trees. And called upon a good old uncle to lay a bridge for us over a high-tide pond. Mrs Freeman and an officer dashed by us on horse-back. We looked in upon Mr Streeter and his wife whom we found at roast turkey and sweet potatoes. We found Mrs Freeman, her daughter, Miss Roper of Wr Miss Williams and Miss Belnap with guests. Mrs Freeman calls her home “Sunny side." It is fine old house with outbuildings and many acres. Mrs F intends to raise both summer and winter vegetables. After a cordial reception and a pleasant call we returned to our own homes, while the sky was flaming with the sunset. The next day Mrs Freeman horse and all stood at our open door and cordially invited us to pass the day with her. We as cordially accepted the invitation; Indeed, we were already bonnetted for her family school-room which was beyond her house. In whatever direction we walk upon this Isd we see negro cabins with their acre and a half (or more.) The school-house is on a broad magnificent avenue. We saw a very spirited horse at the door and found the Adjutant General and the Provost Marshal, as well as some of our fellow travellers visiting the school. We walked to the fort at the end of the Island and saw from there the sand hills called "Nags-head." Near the fort are the barracks built by the rebels, and afterward occupied by Burnside's men. They are now the receiving quarters for refugees. The only dividing partitions in the largest building are palings, running only towards the roof, giving the smoke freedom to run from room to room, and making it cold and cheerless. White refugees are scattered amongst the colored people. We tried to find Miss James in her school-room, but the soldiers had stolen her stove-pipe and she could have no school. Miss Freeman's school-room was asmoke in consequence of a similar loss. Miss James lives in a neat little house, by herself. Her walls are warmly coated with tents, which are painted white, and look rather superb. She is a pleasant body, and expressed great satisfaction at seeing us. We visited the hospital under the charge of Dr Frick of Penn. In his house we saw him, and his pleasant wife, who said the malaria of the Island had so strong hold on her her husband does not like to have her here. In one of the wards I saw a Yellow-fever patient. After our long walk Mrs Freeman's excellent dinner was very refreshing. Four large North Carolina grape-vines spreading their branches upon level terraces beautify Mrs Freemans door-way. She and her family are warmly attached to Roanoke Island, and I think with good reason. It is a beautiful home, the opportunity to serve the blacks is great, society is not wanting, and the Isd twelve miles long furnishes enough variety to satisfy the fancy. In the early evening we walked on with the family to a prayer meeting at Mr Nickersons. The Provost Marshal and A. A. General have just been "Hopefully converted" Miss Roper said. They are both very young men. They spoke last night, for the first time, and with much feeling. Nearly twenty soldiers were present in Mr Nickersons small room. Several of them made prayers and spoke. Miss Belnap made a very touching prayer, and Mrs Nickerson spoke sweetly. On the third day of our stay in the Isd we early started for the battleground.

It was a walk of three and a half miles through the woods, over very wet roads. Finding we should pass several plantations, I determined to call on some of the native whites. We were very smilingly received by two old women in the first house we visited, and the fullest hospitality was extended us, even to the extent of urging us to dine. One of the women took us to her loom and wove cotton cloth for our entertainment. She raises her own cotton, spins it, and weaves it. The other dame was very socially inclined. She had a parrot the pet of one of her daughters, who sprang from his resting place, twirled about in distress, hurried across the floor, screaming all the while with anger, and tried to peck at the mother, because she whipped his young mistress. (The whipping was for our entertainment.) They were very chipper people and lived in a chipper house.

We were so thoroughly charmed with that visit we made entrance into the next home of a native white where we found a fine-looking cordial woman and a recent refugee from Plymouth. An old woman whose house was burned and who found her way here with nothing but the clothing upon her back. She told us a long story, in an old woman's way. Told us about Plymouth and about her son at sea, whom she has not seen for years, and of whom she can learn nothing. After our return from our seven hours walk we took our supper and went out to visit other white families. We found in a miserable room in a house with noisy soldiers, Mrs Everett and her children, the family of the pilot who rendered valuable assistance in the taking of Plymouth. They lost three houses and much more valuable property. She was very pretty and intelligent —a refugee. In another house we found two men, two women, and several children—natives. The man was noble looking, and really handsome. He was mending his children's shoes by the fire-light, while his wife was carefully washing the faces and hands of her children. I say the man because the other man sat with his face upon a chair-back, and showed neither interest nor courtesy in welcoming us. I encouraged the cordial fine looking man to present a claim to government for indemnity for his timber, brought low by our soldiers. We entered his yard by climbing a fence, and when we bade the family good-bye he very graciously accompanied us to the fence.

***

I did not tell you that small broken earth works are all that can be seen of the traces of battle on the battleground. The swamp is still there, and I thought of our weary soldiers who waded thro it "If a Yankee can come through there he can go anywhere," the rebels said, "and there's no use resisting him.'' The earth works did not protect that access.