A Lengthy Letter Written to a Friend Describing a Fourth of July Spent in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1866, Describing a Parade of African-Americans Celebrating the Holiday and with Ruminations on the Author’s Love Life and Other Subjects.
Charleston: 1866. Autograph letter, signed by a John (last name unknown,) addressed to R.W. Grange Esquire at Racine College in Racine Wisconsin. Some tears at folds, near fine. Appx. 1,000 words. Fine. Item #List2035
A lengthy and atmospheric rumination on a holiday spent in South Carolina by an author known only as Bob, written to a friend in Wisconsin. The author relates in great detail a Fourth of July spent in Charleston, South Carolina in 1866, with several interesting details regarding an African-American parade and a fire department made up only of New Yorkers. At one point the author mentions Muncy, which suggests the possibility that he and the recipient were old friends from Pennsylvania. Describing his time in Charleston, he writes:
“City remarkably quiet, scarcely anyone on the street, did not hear a dozen crackers, came back from breakfast, went to work. About 9.30 found out that all offices were to close at 10 a.m. & keep Sunday hours, was mity (telegraphers way of spellin mighty) glad of that. Ten o'clock came & orders to close, did so. Sun about 120, about 96 in shade, concluded would go get some clean duds & a biled shirt on - don't wear paper collars, couldn't stand one minute melt down & run away. Well got on my clean Sunday go to meetins, had a shave first which I forgot to mention and sallied forth, struck Meeting St. on way to office. Saw an immense procession of the Colored population with banners & music, Should [say] about 2000 in column. It was a dingy affair, looked at it till it vanished, went to Adams Express office, sat down, very cool there, and heard a genial old Southerner tell some good stories about their Servants in days gone by, prompted by said procession. Sat & listened to him about two hours, had on a pair of tight boots & didn't fancy going out in hot sun. Well left there with a friend & went to Charleston Hotel & had an iced Sherry Cobbler. Came to Express office again - left shortly after with same friend & went to the truck house of Charleston Hook & Ladder Co., made up entirely of N.Y. boys. They wear same kind of dress as NY Fire Dept., best looking Co. in city out of fourteen. Well they had six barrels of iced lager there. Was prevailed upon to drink three glasses…”
An interesting and detailed account of the city in the year following the close of the Civil War, a period in which race relations shifted dramatically particularly in cities in the American south (for a further examination of this subject see Powers, Bernard E. “Community Evolution and Race Relations in Reconstruction Charleston, South Carolina.” The South Carolina Historical Magazine, vol. 95, no. 1, 1994, pp. 27–46. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27569978. Accessed Apr. 2023.” )
Full transcription follows:
- Charleston, S.C.
July 30th 1866.
Dear Bob,
Yours of the 9th duly rec'd & reviewed. It afforded me much pleasure to notice the style of it, let me assure you altogether to my taste, and hope you will not deviate from it in the future. I notice you still hold some sparks of vitality in your tenement of clay. Tho I did not think you had become indifferent to idle fancies, not much, the association of students at a large school will not generally allow it. I in a measure have become very grave & quiet & have found it does not suit. It tells on a feller's health to be too quiet, especially in my business. So I have concluded to drive away dull care & be myself again once more a 'Koople dimes'.
One portion of your letter particularly was very cheering. You know to what I allude I suppose. It was as you say a satisfaction to know that some one 'keers for yer'. To come right down to a fine thing I don't believe if I was to see that young lady today she could make much of an impression on me. I believe I could with a good grace play the flirt with her. You did not tell me whether she had grown very handsome or ugly. I would like to have her photo muchly. She promised it long ago, but never sent it. Till also has deceived me in that I was just green enough to send them and wait for theirs. But I'm better posted now, thank God. I shouldn't wonder if I should get up that way before long - provided I can 'sell my dorg & get some stamps' and then I shall see what I shall see. Eh?
You advise me to write to T. Well I don't know about that. She has grown to be a lady out of her teens & perhaps she might not fancy me now for a correspondent, and I think it's a bore to write to women unless on the subject of Love & matrimony. Was John Norris at M. when you was there? He was the cause of my not writing to S.B.P. He got hold of my last letter which was brim full of Love & I knew it would have made that young maiden happy had she read it & not allowed him to get it from her before she did so. It appears she had not read it at all, & by some means he got hold of it & had not given it to her when she wrote me. Of course I couldn't stand that and did not answer her. She is mistaken I do owe her a letter instead of vice-versa. Did you notice if she had my ring. I would like to know & also what she said of me to you. I know she has a partiality for moustaches and I have a stunnin one which I think would make a sensation in favor of the owner, ha.
You certainly had a smoky time of it and methings it not only ended in smoke but something else. yes I chew steadily but do not smoke steadily. I did until lately when I came to the conclusion I was smoking up too much money. Couldn't afford to go it five for a dollar - sometimes twice a day Eh? So I chew John Anderson at 10 Cts a paper.
I took a buggy ride the other night for two hours. Took a drive around the city & it cost me five dollars for horse & buggy alone & some more for viands. That's little steep, don't you think. Folks in Muncy would gossip on that for a week if they knew it Eh? But that's the way things are down here. I don't indulge often you can rest assured at that rate. Tho' I manage to spend my salary.
You ask me how I spent my fourth. Well I will give you a report near as possible - got up at 6.30, opened office at 7 (my day to open & close), went to breakfast at eight, City remarkably quiet, scarcely anyone on the street, did not hear a dozen crackers, came back from breakfast, went to work. About 9.30 found out that all offices were to close at 10 a.m. & keep Sunday hours, was mity (telegraphers way of spellin mighty) glad of that. Ten o'clock came & orders to close, did so. Sun about 120, about 96 in shade, concluded would go get some clean duds & a biled shirt on - don't wear paper collars, couldn't stand one minute melt down & run away. Well got on my clean Sunday go to meetins, had a shave first which I forgot to mention and sallied forth, struck Meeting St. on way to office. Saw an immense procession of the Colored population with banners & music, Should [say] about 2000 in column. It was a dingy affair, looked at it till it vanished, went to Adams Express office, sat down, very cool there, and heard a genial old Southerner tell some good stories about their Servants in days gone by, prompted by said procession. Sat & listened to him about two hours, had on a pair of tight boots & didn't fancy going out in hot sun. Well left there with a friend & went to Charleston Hotel & had an iced Sherry Cobbler. Came to Express office again - left shortly after with same friend & went to the truck house of Charleston Hook & Ladder Co., made up entirely of N.Y. boys. They wear same kind of dress as NY Fire Dept., best looking Co. in city out of fourteen. Well they had six barrels of iced lager there. Was prevailed upon to drink three glasses, splendid lager - this was between 1 & 2 o'clock, my dinner time. Went & eat a hearty dinner, then concluded would smoke a cigar - did so, went to my room, took off my tight boots, breeches, &c. and laid me down, took a two hours nap, got up, went to [..?..] waited awhile for tea, got it, opened office again at 7 P.M. worked hard till 11 o'clock, then went to bed. Now what do you think of that - only saw one fight. It was duller than Sunday, & was awful hot. I did not hear any firing of crackers worth mentioning during the day. At noon the Navy fired a national salute.
But Bob, I will close, waiting for your opinion of the way I spend my fourth, & will expect a good long letter.
More anon,
John
Box 434 P.O.
Price: $800.00