Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/132

 124 Southern Historical Society Papers.

safety, and after paying the grumbling negro ferry $15.00 (he wanted $65.00), we washed in the waters of the river, and mounting another hand car took the road for Charlotte. After proceeding about three miles we obtained breakfast at a neighboring house by giving a pound of coffee for nine pints of meal, then cooking it ourselves. After breakfast we continued our journey, leaving the hand-car behind us, as it proved to be very cumbersome and a slow moving machine, which did not give enough enjoyment to compen- sate for the labor. Taking down the railroad afoot we entered Charlotte about 6 o'clock. This town presents quite a pretty appearance; it is ornamented with quite a number of shade trees, a great addition to the natural beauty of the situation. The dwelling houses are examples of taste and beauty, the public buildings are numerous and well situated. Of those citizens that I have seen only a very small minority possess the air of respectability. Of the ladies the same seems to be the rule. The respectable are in the minority, and as well as I can learn are refugees. In sentiment the regular citizens seem to be quite rotten in regard to the Con- federacy and our cause. I had not been in the town a half hour before one of them refused to take Confederate money from me. A body of them had attacked a residence of a private citizen that morning and robbed him of some stores which he had bought; their pretense for this was that they were Government stores and they were being hidden by this man for private purposes. They helped themselves freely to soda, coffee, cotton, cloth.

Upon reporting to General Hoke, Commander of the Post, he gave us a letter of introduction to General S. Cooper, Adjt. and Inspector General, C. S. A., who is now staying in the city. Waiting on the latter he informed us that General Johnston had disbanded his army, but that the Confederate army was reorganiz- ing at Augusta, Georgia. If we would wait for two or three days and aid Col. Hoke in the protection of the property of private citizens, he would afford us every facility for going further South. Steane agreeing to that proposal in the name and for the whole party, the General gave us an order to report to Colonel Hoke, whom he directed to supply us with rations and shoes, and to treat us with every possible consideration. The party were very glad to obtain the rations and shoes, but disliked very much to assist in doing guard duty for the protection of such people as the citizens of Charlotte appeared to be. We preferred to go on immediately