The Unpublished Works of Joseph Le Conte. 239 



of the State was invaded and Savannah surrendered. My 

 second daughter, Mrs. R. M. Davis, was with her aunt within 

 the Federal lines upon my plantation. I felt it my duty to 

 haste to her rescue" * * * Which was accomplished 

 after many diflSculties under a flag of truce. They arrived in 

 Columbia February 7, 1865. * =}= * "I vvas ahead of 

 Sherman this time, but the army was rapidly approaching. I 

 could hear the guns booming upon the other side of the Con- 

 garee River. I now received orders from Colonel St. John to 

 pack up all the chemical apparatus, etc. I sent also all of my 

 valuables, manuscripts, my wife's jewelry, etc. * * ^ 



"Feb. 18, 1864. It was not absolutely certain that Columbia 

 had fallen. We hoped not, or if so, we could not believe that 

 Sherman would deliberately burn it. We had been assured 

 in most positive manner by officers and men of Wheeler's com- 

 mand that there was no enemy in front of us. What was to 

 prevent us then from being cheerful? We were cheerful. 

 The roads, it is true, were still in an awful condition so that 

 we stopped every few hundred yards; but we continued to 

 creep on at the rate of about two miles an hour. But no use 

 in hurrying — no enemy ahead. As usual my brother John 

 and Captain Green were a little beyond in the buggy. In the 

 glory and brightness of the morning I preferred to walk. My 

 nephew John joined me sometimes and sometimes sat perched 

 high on the trunks and bedding-roll in the wagon. Johnny 

 had been sick and was not stong. The negro women and 

 children were all in the wagons." 



These negroes had been brought up from the plantation to 

 work at Columbia in the Nitre Works and, knowing that their 

 freedom had come, chose to go with Professor I^e Conte. 



"I was walking along rapidly and with a springing step, a 

 little ahead of the wagon. I was just passing a country cabin 

 about a hundred yards from the road. Suddenly I heard, 

 'Stop, Mister, stop!' I stopped and looking round, saw a 

 country woman rapidly approaching from the house. 'Where 

 are you going!' 'To Allston,' said I. 'To Allstou! Don't 



