through Columbia in November on his way to the sea-board. He called on me, informed me that he was going to re-establish his paper in Charleston, and promised that I should have my old interest in it.

On reaching Charleston, he started,“The Carolinian,” and soon he wrote me (but addressing me as a mere employé) and offered a salary of fifteen dollars a week for daily editorials. Necessity compels me to accept this offer.

I have now hacked on for four months, and as yet have failed to receive a single month's pay.

The plain truth is Mr. can't pay! He made a grave mistake in carrying his paper to Charleston. Under the shadow of the "News" and "Courier," it is languishing, and must die! What I am going to do, I can't imagine.

As for supporting myself and a large family-wife, mother, sister, and nieces, by literary work-'tis utterly preposterous!

In a "forlorn-hope" sort of mood, and as a mere experiment, I forwarded some poems in my best style to certain Northern periodicals, and in every instance they were coldly declined.

So all hope of thus turning my rhymes into bread must be resigned. Little Jack Horner, who sang for his supper, and got his plum cake, was a far more lucky minstrel than I am! To confess the truth, my dear P, I not only feel that I can write no more verse, but I am perfectly indifferent to the fate of what I have already composed.

I would consign every line of it to eternal oblivion, for—one hundred dollars in hand!

I can tell you nothing about Charleston, although in February, having a free Railroad ticket, I went down and spent three days there. My eyes were blind to everything and everybody but a few old friends. I dined with Bruns; had a night of it at Henry Raymond's, and went to see the lions in the circus.

The sum of this small experience of my native town is, that the people are generally impoverished, suffering, despondent, with all the spring and elasticity taken out of them. My wife has been very sick. Her low condition of health, indeed, makes me continually anxious.

ROBERT TOOMBS TO MRS. TOOMBS

[From 'Robert Toombs, Statesman, Speaker, Soldier, Sage,' by Pleasant A. Stovall. New York, Cassell Publishing Company.]

MY DEAR JULIA:

Washington, D. C., May 15, 1853.

This is your birthday, which you bid me remember, and this letter will show you that I have not forgotten it. To-day Gus Baldwin and Dr. Harbin dropped in to dinner, and we drank your good health and many more returns in health and happiness of the 15th of May. I did not tell them that you were forty, for it might be that some time or other you would not care to have them know it, and I am sure they would never suspect it unless told. In truth I can scarcely realize it myself, as you are the same lovely and loving, true-hearted woman to me, that you were when I made you my bride, nearly twentythree years ago. There is no other change except the superior loveliness of the full blown over the budding rose. I have thrown my mind this quiet Sunday evening over that large segment of human life (twenty-three years) since we were married, and whatever of happiness memory has treasured up clusters around you. In life's struggles I have been what men call fortunate. I have won its wealth and its honors, but I have won them by labor, and toil and strife, whose memory saddens even success; but the pure joys of wedded love leave none but pleasant recollections which one can dwell upon with delight. These thoughts are dearer to me than to most men, because I know for whatever success in life I may have had, whatever evil I may have avoided, or whatever good I may have done, I am mainly indebted to the beautiful, pure, true-hearted little black-eyed girl, who on the 18th of November, 1830, came trustingly to my arms, the sweetest and dearest of wives. You need not fear, therefore, that I shall forget your birthday. That and our bridal day are the brightest in my calendar and memory will not easily part with them.

Yours,

TOOMBS.

WILLIAM BARRET TRAVIS TO THE PEOPLE OF

TEXAS

COMMANDANCY OF THE ALAMO,

BEJAR, Feb'y 24th, 1836.

To the People of Texas and all Americans in the World: FELLOW CITIZENS AND COMPATRIOTS:-I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continued Bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken. I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country. VICTORY OR DEATH.

WILLIAM BARRET TRAVIS,

Lt. Col. Comdt.

P. S. The Lord is on our side. When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn. We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.

TRAVIS.

GEORGE WASHINGTON TO DR. JOHN COCHRAN

[This letter, written August 16, 1779, is said by Washington Irving to be "almost the only instance of sportive writing in Washington's correspondence."]

DEAR DOCTOR: I have asked Mrs. Cochran and Mrs. Livingston to dine with me to-morrow; but am I not in honor bound to appraise them of their fare? As I hate deception, even where the imagination only is concerned, I will. It is needless to premise, that my table is large enough to hold the ladies. Of this they had ocular proof yesterday. To say how it is usually covered, is rather more essential; and this shall be the purport of my letter.

Since our arrival at this happy spot, we have had a ham, sometimes a shoulder of bacon, to grace the head of the table; a piece of roast beef adorns the foot; and a dish of beans or greens, almost imperceptible, decorates the center. When the cook has a mind to cut a figure, which I presume will be the case to-morrow, we have two beef-steak pies, or dishes of crabs, in addition, one on each side of the centre dish, dividing the space and reducing the distance between dish and dish to about six feet, which without them would be near twelve feet apart. Of late he has had the surprising sagacity to discover, that apples will make pies; and it is a question, if, in the violence of his efforts, we do not get one of apples, instead of having both of beef-steaks. If the ladies can put up with such entertainment, and will submit to partake of it on plates, once tin but now iron (not become so by the labor of scouring), I shall be happy to see them; and am, dear Doctor,

Yours, etc.,

G. WASHINGTON.

6414

SOUTHERN LITERATURE

Z. B. VANCE TO THE NEW YORK WORLD

CHARLOTTE, N. C., October 13, 1868.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEw York World:

I see by the public prints that General Kilpatrick has decorated me with his disapprobation before the people of Pennsylvania. He informs them, substantially, that he tamed me by capturing me and riding me two hundred miles on a bareback mule. I will do him the justice to say that he knew that was a lie when he uttered it.

I surrendered to General Schofield at Greensboro, N. C., on the 2d of May, 1865, who told me to go to my home and remain there, saying if he got any orders to arrest me he would send there for me. Accordingly, I went home and there remained until I was arrested on 13th of May, by a detachment of 300 cavalry, under Major Porter, of Harrisburg, from whom I received nothing but kindness and courtesy. I came in a buggy to Salisbury, where we took the cars.

I saw no mule on the trip, yet I thought I saw an ass at the general's headquarters; this impression has since been confirmed. Respectfully yours,

Z. B. VANCE.