[Diary] May 21.
Charlie and Harriet Ware rowed us over to Hunting Island, Ellen taking an oar. We saw the splendid new lighthouse, blown up by rebels, the magnificent beach with trees washed and standing on their roots high above water, or lying, roots in the air. I tried to row coming home, and persisted a long time so as to do my share of the work, but it was rough and I grew frightened so I gave the oar to Ellen. When we came under the shores we had a lovely row home.
While we were away here, Morgan Island[1] was visited by the rebels and all the people carried off! There is great alarm here, the point is so exposed. The Winsors rowed over to the blockading boat to give the alarm. The captain replied that he was put there to blockade and not to defend the coast, and he would do nothing. They say he has not half force enough to work his boat. It is not Captain Dutch. A month or so ago the Kingfisher went down! Captain Dutch had begged again and again to be relieved, so that his ship might be repaired, but no permission came, and at last, in making some necessary move, she struck a new sandbar, recently formed in the channel, and went down so suddenly that the men lost their clothes. They say she had been leaking so badly for some time that men had to be kept at the pumps. Captain Dutch was energetic, hated the enemy, was a good protector to the islands, and made himself the terror of the rebels along the coast. We are sorry to lose him, and this raid proves that his successor is not feared.
[1] A small island lying north of St. Helena Island.
