Charleston, April 14, 1865

My dear father & mother,

I am afraid you were a little amazed at the abrupt termination to my last letter, but the fact is, I thought I was going to have a nice long morning for writing, and time enough to tell all my adventures and a good deal over, but just as I got started we were startled by Mr. Lowe's sudden appearance with the pleasing information that we were to have five minutes to pack up and start for Charleston. You may guess how we hurried! So now I will resume my narrative, and describe my adventures up to the present time, if possible, but I hardly think there will be time, as the mail goes in about an hour and a half.

I believe I left our company, the female portion of it at least--on the deck of the Creole, waiting for Uncle William. Well, there we sat till he appeared, when we ate some crackers & cheese, and then started for the Provost Marshal's office. Arrived there we all took the oath of allegiance, and then we marched off some where else where we received our passes--such a bother about passes! if we had been wrecked on our way from Hilton Head, as there was some little danger of our being, we should never have dared to save ourselves without a special permit from the government--and then through Southern sand and under Southern sun--I can say nothing more to express the perfect misery of that walk--we went to the Custom House where I wrote that note to Helen. There we waited until the gentlemen--or rather Uncle William, for he did everything there was done, * has all along--came back to tell us that there was no apparent chance of a boat, and that all there was to be done was to look up lodgings. By the way, there is a peculiar style of managing these boats indulged in down here which is rather mystifying to us green Yankees. Every boat strenuously denies all idea of starting for any particular point, and then when the officers have succeeded in persuading you of their stationery intentions, they start off without a moment's warning, and leave you to bewail your fate. Sometimes they vary this by letting people ship themselves for one place and then going to another. For instance, two unhappy individuals got aboard a steamer at the Head, the other night, and went to bed expecting to wake up in Charleston, instead of which morning found them in the pleasant city of Savannah. A beautiful place, I am told, but I fear they were not particularly charmed with the scenery.

Well, they started to look for lodgings, but not a place could be found. They began with very grand ideas of beds and such luxuries as that, but their ideas soon began to fall, and they were humbly soliciting a place which the ladies could sit up in. At length, after we had fully decided that we must either stand in a row on the beach all night, like so many cranes, or else tie ourselves to the branches of some live oak tree, we found a place where we could stay. The room seemed considerably like a barn, only not so nicely built, with a hole in the roof for ventilation, and the pleasant certainty of abundance of company in the way of rats. & there we spent the night, while the gentlemen slept on the counters of one of the stores. In the morning we started for Charleston. And now before I begin on our voyage up, I suppose I ought to give a fine description of Hilton Head, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be a very glowing one if I should attempt it, so I guess I will leave it to your imaginations.

The Golden Gate, in which we took passage for Charleston, is a very small and rickety arrangement, and we had not been long on board before we discovered that they were obliged to work the machinery very gingerly, as they expected every minute to have it unscrew, or crack, or break, or something else equally agreeable,--the only comfort being that it could not by any possibility get vim enough to blow up--and by night we ascertained that our captain didn't know the way, as he had been on the trip but once before, and had no charts, so eight o-clock found us somewhere between Hilton Head and Charleston, looking for something to tell us whether a light there was ahead was Stone or the Light ship, and part of the time steering straight for the moon, so as to excite considerable apprehension that the next moment would find us in an atmosphere of green cheese, and I was rather inclined to doubt its sanitary qualities, as I have never met with any up north. For my own part, it was a matter of perfect indifference whether we landed in Charleston or on the bottom of the sea, provided only that uncle Wm. who had converted himself into a temporary pillow on my behalf, would consent to remain unmoved and let me go down comfortably, but the rest did not take it so easily. Uncle did not tell me he was uneasy till it was all over, but then he confessed to having been so. One man got himself all ready, with his brandy bottle, to go down and was evidently fully convinced that that was to be our fate. But at last we got our pilot aboard, and got in here about two o'clock.

As soon as the boat was fastened, our party made a rush so as to get off--d ont tell--before the guard got down there, for they would have kept us till morning. We succeeded, and went along quite rejoicing till we got in one of the principal streets, when we were greeted with "Halt! Who goes there"? There was a captain in our company who told him 'Friends' whereupon the sentinel replied 'Advance one friend', and our friend the captain held a short parley with him whereupon the sentinel let us pass, but I fancy our luck wouldn't have been so good if the Captain had not been there. After walking about half a mile we halted to leave a portion of our comp;any, when one of the ladies--it wasn't your humble servant--took occasion to faint. Having brought her to, we proceeded to our lodgings, and having knocked up the proprietress bitter secesh, by the way, how she did look at me when she found I was from Massachusetts--persuaded her to give us apartments. The next morning I found that my sheets were brown with dirt, and the water inexpressible, but then I only knew how good it seemed to feel clean, and get on to a bed. About an hour after I got in bed, the ladies succeeded in rousing me sufficiently to let me know that a rat as big as a kitten had just jumped on to my bed, but I turned over and went to sleep again and let the rat do what he wanted, it didn't matter.

We stayed there till yesterday noon, when we came to this house where we are to stay. It is a fine old place, belonged to a judge somebody, one of grandfather's classmates, but I will leave that till next time, as uncle wants the letters.

We rough it considerable now, & last night I slept on two or three spreads on the floor. If there had been more spread and less floor there might have been less danger of my leaving a permanent impression on the floor, but it was better than nothing.

Write as soon as possible. If you direct to uncle's care in Charleston, it will reach me. Love to all, especially yourselves.

Affly Gertrude

Uncle sends love & says it will be better to direct to the care of James Redpath.

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Charleston April 18. 1865

My dear father and mother,

I am afraid you will get rather alarmed at the length and number of my letters, but the truth is I am trying to obey literally mother's injunction to write everything, and that is a long word and takes up considerable room.

I have just had my first experience in school-teaching and think it rather funny than anything else. I am assigned to the St. Philip's school, superintendent general, Mr. Morse, superintendent particular, Miss Chase, both of whom I like, so I apprehend no difficulty from that quarter. For the present I have the charge of one room with about fifty scholars, and most of them as black as need by, & none lighter than mulattoes, which is quite peculiar. I got along quite well today, and my only particular exercise of authority was to bring one bright-looking little darkey on the floor in front for pulling the nose of the unhappy child in front of him. After he had been there for about five minutes, I relented, he looked so good-natured, so I asked him, to pave the way for sending him back, if he wasn't tired. "Oh no mem," whereat I felt slightly quashed, and told him to take his seat and try to keep still. I didn't have any more trouble with him. Uncle William came in just as I was getting perplexed and discouraged and took the room for about ten minutes, which was more of a rest than one might think. I mean to get a recipe for making myself ubiquitous, for I certainly think that I spent a good part of my time in going from one part of the room to the other. Here it was "Please mum, he's been a-pulling of my hair", and then "Mayn't he stop running pens into me"? So I went from one to the other, and exhorted and praised and advised and everything in fact except begged and scolded till I wished the whole lot farther. They left the schoolroom with "Good mornin mum" and "I bring you some flowers tomorrow" &c &c so I guess I didn't quite disgust them. After all, the work isn't going to be very hard, only three and a half hours per day--probably less in warm weather--and they are very easy to control, everyone says, and inclined to worship all northerners.

This house we are in is a fine old place and the garden is full of flowers, especially roses. There is a fine magnolia tree, just budding, japonicas, aloes, figtrees, and ripe strawberries, so it really seems summerlike. After all it does not seem very tropical. It is more like our northern June. I have a room to myself, and so has uncle at night, but I spend the larger part of my working hours in here. There are twelve in the house, including ourselves, and it is really very pleasant. The sole drawback is that I feel continually that everyone regards me as Littimer did poor David--"very young sir." I have given up trying to palm myself off for older than I am, and have now settled down very contentedly as infant general, and as that brings me a good many privileges, I shant complain. For instance, if any work is to be done, night schools, house-keeping, or anything of that kind, they never think of applying to me, so I get off very nicely.

Uncle is a great favorite here. I am called his sister continually, and one gentleman informed me the other day that he supposed my brother was about his own age, viz twenty two!

Thursday April 20. Yesterday we received intelligence of the President's assassination. It created a great deal of feeling of various kinds, and more than one man was arrested for expressing his joy at the news. For a time there was considerable apprehension as to the safety of the Northerners. We are bitterly hated by the natives, of course, and some of the loyal citizens warned us of danger, but the guards were doubled, and as any movement would have probably taken place last night had any been projected, we all feel safe enough now. After all, Mr. Redpath and other men of his stamp who have made themselves unnecessarily obnoxious would have been the ones to suffer, not us poor innocent creatures.

I have funny things happen in school occasionally. I am told on every side that the only way to manage is to thrash them, or at least to knock them round considerable, and even the scholars occasionally intimate that there is a "strap on the floor mum." But I cant perceive it, and if I can't get along I will give up my room and take a class. Yesterday I asked the school what hands were made for (there had been considerable pounding and scratching, so I thought I would give them a lesson) whereupon one little woolly headed urchin replied "to eat with and fight with," which I thought augured well for the effects of my instruction.

I guess you would have laughed at our household arrangements here at first. Now we are fixed up quite finely, but at first we slept on the floor, took our meals out of the house, and literally "roughed it" for awhile. We don't take care of our own cooking affairs, but just turn them over to a darkey who gives us all sorts of compounds, but still provides our table very well. I am more hardened than I ever thought I should be, but I cant go the meat they give us. I may come to it.

I know this has been a stupid letter, but I don't feel brilliant, and cant do much to distinguish myself. Next time may be more propitious. With much love, Gertrude.

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Charleston April 27, 1865

My dear father & mother.

I cannot write a long letter tonight, for it is already quite late, and as I did not know that the northern mail closed so soon. I had left my letters till tomorrow which would be too late. After all there isn't much to say, so you wont be losers by my mistake.

Everything goes along pretty smoothly down here, except that we were informed last night that Gen. Johnston was making for this fair city with Gen. Sherman behind him. A pleasing piece of intelligence to go to sleep on. Miss Garland and I immediately bean practicing "Maryland my Maryland"--we are to be two persecuted secessionists, who have been nearly murdered by the Yankees, when the rebels come--and resolved to make friends with the captain of a man of war in the harbor. I am going down to his ship on Saturday, and shan't lose the opportunity. After all the chief result of the mournful intelligence was to give us a rather merrier evening than usual, for of course, we are safe enough.

My school prospers greatly. Yesterday, in despair, I asked one of the girls who had made me go across the room half a dozen times to attend to her, what she did bother me so for. Whereupon she informed me, "Please mum, it's coz I likes you and wants to see you laugh and have you come over here". It wasn't in human nature not to laugh, which I accordingly did to her infinite delight, but I told my young friend that I certainly could not have her behave so, and that if she liked me so well I would keep her after school to look at me and enjoy my delightful society. She immediately quieted down and lost her irrepressible longing for my society.

Uncle William seems very well, tho' he might be pretty sick without letting me know. I am going to write a few words to Helen and then I am going to bed, so good-night.

with much love

Gertrude

P. S. I didn't forget your birthday, mother, and thought of you often during the day, as indeed I do of you all continually.

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Charleston, May 4, 1865

My dear father & mother,

Here is my weekly report, which is getting to be something of a weekly bore I fancy, for I am beginning to see that being down South is not synonymous with event and adventure.

Last Saturday a party of us went down to dine at the John Adams, a ship of war lying off the shore here. I met a Mr. Randall there, a brother of Mr. Charles Randall, which seemed quite like home, though I didn't like him so well as I did some of his brother officers. After dining on the ship, we were rowed over to James Id., saw Lt. Johnson, a number of most forlorn and famished looking contrabands settlers, quantities of fleas and sand, a few blackberries, and a colored camp. Then we went back to the ship and took tea, and then came home, where I found two letters awaiting me which were very acceptable I assure you, though I wished there had been more.

Sunday I went to church in the morning to help the choir, and the rest of the day I have forgotten about. Monday and Tuesday were holydays (that's one thing they excel in down here, giving holy days) so of course I lounged round and wasted my time most laudably. Yesterday I had one eye closed up, not by a fight, tho' it looked marvellously like it, so I stayed at home and slept. In the evening Ge. Hartwell--one of cousin Nat's old scholars--called, and I made myself scarce. I am tired to death of shoulderstraps, & quite long to see a respectable man in civilian's dress. Uncle is the only one round here.

Today tried a new school. I like it very much, for I have nothing to do with keeping order,--which isn't my forte I can plainly see--and have a very pleasant room and quite bright scholars,--considering I cant see calling the contrabands our equals. I am more opposed to that doctrine than ever.

Miss Garland--the youngest lady here next to me and 'real jolly'--nearly kills us by her descriptions of one of her scholars, non comos she calls him. His name is John Washington, and he is a peculiar genius like the rest of his race. If you tell him to look at you he'll turn his back to you and gaze steadfastly in the opposite direction. Well, the other day Miss Garland happened to be looking over that side of the room, and saw him making the most fearful contortions and gestures, so resolved to watch without appearing to. Finally, after considerable maneuvering he took the chance when her back was turned and everything was apparently propitious to make a raid upon another seat, whereupon she wheeled round upon him with 'John what was that for'? John was not at all disconcerted. 'Don't like to sit with the girls mum'. (One of his peculiarities is to run his words together so that none but a person possessed of superior powers of imagination could make out his conversations.) 'Now John' said Miss Garland solemnly 'can I trust you to sit there quietly'? 'Oh yes'm I can be trusted'. Miss G. ha scarcely turned her back, the thumb was in alack! alack! only in this case John's fists went out and a free fight was instituted between him and his next neighbor. 'John' said Miss Garland, 'I____'Oh I can be trusted"! That's just a specimen. It's funny tough the respect they have for northern teachers. The other day one of he crowd spoke to her pretty severely and one retorted by making up faces. "Better not do that" said her next neighbor, "she's from the north". Rebellion was quenched without another word.

Well, I suppose I had better close as it is most time for my letters to go. I stopped in the middle of this letter to write a note to Everett. Love to all.

Affly Gertrude.

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Charleston May 16, 1865

My dear father & mother,

I received mother's letter dated May 7 on Saturday, and the one written April 30 yesterday, so I will answer by the mail direct to N.Y. tomorrow. That's a specimen of the way matters progress down here.

We are getting along nicely down in these broiling regions, with some slight drawbacks, which only enhance the general happiness. For instance, when our table gets rather meagre and our imagination refers regretfully to northern dainties "tho' lost to sight to memory dear," we console ourselves for present pork & turnips (rice is too great a luxury to be mentioned in that company) with visions of chicken salad, ices, &c. in which we are to expend fabulous sums in the future. So in visions of bliss to come we forget the miseries which are (?) and learn philosophy and resignation together. I must confess I have another source of consolation in the form of peanut candy and root beer, which I indulge in occasionally much to uncle's dismay, for money is slightly -- down in these regions. I suppose they think the consciousness of well-doing ought to support us, but that won't buy bread and butter, as they might see if they only tried it. But its coming, they say, in fact part of it has already come, so we feel considerable encouragement for the future.

I had an absurd time in school yesterday. I told half a dozen of my first class that they couldn't go home till they had recited a certain lesson: so they all had recited before the end of school except Margaret Beamer and Charlotte Houston. (I hope you'll notice the grand names. There's one Diana Pinckney.) Uncle says it was a rash speech and I began to think so before long. First they began to recite flourishingly and I was entirely charmed, when I noticed that they were very devoted to a certain slate which I found on examination to contain their lessons & which was to be passed along as occasion demanded, with which piece of brilliancy I was so charmed (it being the first glimpse of Yankee shrewdness that I have ever seen here) that I could only laugh and take it away. After school had been dismissed about five minutes one of the girls brought in Margaret's bonnet. "no need of bringing that in" she observed with an air of great satisfaction, "we aren't going home today." I felt rather dismayed, especially as I really couldn't see any chance of it myself, as my two young friends had evidently entered upon a private agreement to tire me out and not learn their lesson. Of course that couldn't be, so I observed that as I was nearly starved I hoped they would hurry, and left them to their own reflections. I found Uncle William down stairs, so one of the other teachers took my place and I came home.

I have finally decided that the best way to make a person feel kindly toward the Southerners is to send them to the South. Mother, if you were here, you would never utter such bloodthirsty denunciations of Jeff. Davis. It is really terrible to see the desolation, or rather hear of it, for of course I see nothing except the ruin of the city which is bad enough. Just think what a blow it must be to these haughty southerners--their cause lost, their own chance for political distinction gone forever, and they and their families dependent on government for support. It is a fact that numbers of the most aristocratic and wealthy families in South Carolina are actually drawing rice to save themselves from starvation. For my own part I can't help getting infuriated to hear people down here speak of hoping that the rebels will get punished some more; they haven't had half enough;--as if any punishment could be anything to such men as Lee and Davis compared with their present humiliation and despair. I tell people fairly that I dont believe they would have been an atom better if they had had the same temptations, whereupon they regard me with a look of pious horror & depart wondering, I suppose, if Miss Allen has any relations in the rebel army! As for some of the Northerners down here they are fast ruining my disposition and teaching me hypocrisy too. To paraphrase Richard's speech 'I don't want to deceive but Mr. Hurly he taught me how, he made me! Think of having to stand by sweetly smiling while a man comes into school and tells the horde of ignorant little barbarians before you that they are far superior to the white race; that before long all the ruling power of this part of the country will be in their hands; that no whites will be allowed he ere; and a host more such trash enough to spoil any race let alone such an ignorant set as these are. As to the first of his statements, if Mr. Hurley judges the whole of the white race by himself, I don't wonder that he thinks the blacks superior, but I don't.

Now to tell the honest truth, Mr. H. did not say all that in school, but he did say it at one time and another, and mostly to a crowd of black soldiers, after which the white demagogues down here began attacking the 127th regt. N. Y. Volunteers, (which is really half secesh) and some of the leading citizens of Charleston, so that I shan't be much astonished to hear of a few assassinations down here some of these fine days. If they should take place you may know that uncle and I are on our way home, for I haven't the least idea of making a martyr of myself for any cause, as I flatter myself that I myself am much more important to myself than any educational project. They have been trying to persuade me that it will be a great thing for the N.E. Freedmen's Aid Society to have half a dozen of its missionaries murdered in the midst of their work, cut off in the prime of life &c&c, but I beg leave to delegate that high office to some one else who will appreciate it more fully than I can pretend to do, and I, whenever there's any danger, just take the first steamer for N. Y. and as I cant go alone, uncle will come too, so don't be surprised to see us at any time. (Uncle William has just been reading my letter and seems to think that I am a little imprudent, but as he says it's no harm as long as it is going home, and it's all true any way, which can't be said of everything. He demurs a little at my marching him home so unceremoniously, but he'll come!)

We are getting quite dissipated here. We have a permanent invitation to Wed. evening soirees, and one for Gen Hatch's ball on Thursday. We're not going wonderful to relate.

Well I must stop, for uncle is in a hurry. Farewell. Love to All.

Affly Gertrude

P. S. Thank grandmother & Everett & Fanny for their letters. Ditto Lea & Mary--Not ditto Ettie. I'll answer soon.

I am much obliged for the stamps, which make me an object of envy to the whole household. Uncle sends love.

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Charleston May 21. 1865

My dear father,

Uncle William and I have been discussing the question of your coming down here in vacation, so I thought I would write you a little on the subject. I wish you would come, and bring mother too if possible. In that case you might get board in the next house, or if you came alone you might turn in somewhere here. We aren't particular as to our sleeping accommodations, and expect our visitors to be equally complaisant. Uncle sleeps on a couch precisely two inches wide, and your humble servant uses a big box, and precious hard it is too. I suppose--no I dont--I know that it will be unendurably warm by that time, but you would not have to go out in the heat, and this house is always comfortable in the warmest weather--thermometer never rose above 95° in it. Then too it promises to be very unhealthy here so that by that time, July 8, yellow fever and cholera will very likely be having full sway, but the first never comes as far up and the other never as far down as this house; besides if it is very bad we shall all go home--at least I know two who will. So there are the ayes and no's of the question. What do you think of it? If our schools let out July 15, as I hope they will, you could come down in the July 5 steamer, reach here on Saturday, stay a week, and then three cheers for home!

We have just been down to see a rebel ram, or iron-clad uncle says is the name, lying at the wharf on the Cooper river. I believe she was run around by the rebel pilot and then sunk. She is to go North soon, and we thought of taking passage, but finally concluded it was rather warm weather to perform the voyage in a boiler.

I shall see enough 'secesh' to satisfy me before I get home I guess. The number of soldiers fresh from Johnston's army, and calmly parading the streets, uniform and all, are neither few nor far between. (I didn't notice how the sentence began.) I am sorry to say they do not regard us Yankees as affectionately as we deserve, considering that we are sacrificing ourselves in their service, and really I think some of them need lessons in politeness.