Letter from William Manigault Heyward to his mother. Heyward mentions a drought that has severely hurt his rice crop and writes about hunting, fishing and daily rides with his wife Susan. 4p. June 20th, 1816.
Letter from Hetty Heyward from her Combahee plantation to her mother, Mary Barnwell, in Beaufort, South Carolina. Hetty keeps her mother abreast of the latest news in the family and mentions a busy social schedule and an upcoming Heyward family wedding in Charleston. 4p.
Nathaniel Heyward writes to his mother-in-law in Beaufort from his Combahee plantation. He apologizes for being unable to fill some of her commissions and informs her he is sending barrels of rice and flour to her when her boat arrives. 3p.
Letter from Hetty Heyward from her Combahee plantation to her mother, Mary Barnwell, in Beaufort, South Carolina. Hetty sends her mother a list of items for her to purchase and $40 to cover the cost and thanks her for her pickled oysters and artichokes. 3p.
Letter from Hetty Heyward in Combahee to her mother, Mary Barnwell, in Beaufort, South Carolina. Hetty informs her mother that they are "home" at their plantation on the Combahee after a journey of three days from Charleston. They are not quite settled yet "as the Sloop has not yet arrived with our Servants and baggage." 3p.
Nathaniel Heyward writes his mother-in-law, Mary Barnwell, about a perilous trip from Coosaw island to Charleston aboard a leaky schooner that required "all hands constantly at the pump." He mentions that he has secured passage on the 'Georgia Packet' for a summer trip north but may have to skip Philadelphia because of news the "Yellow fever has shown itself" there. 4p.
Letter from William Manigault Heyward at "Pine Land" to his mother, Henrietta Heyward. William thanks his mother for the "box of Hermitage" and asks her to tell his father, Nathaniel, that he is preparing a letter about the saw mills and plantations along the Combahee that he is apparently overseeing. 3p.
Letter from William Manigault Heyward at "Pine Land" to his mother, Henrietta Heyward. William apologizes he is unable to get to the Combahee plantations any more frequently than once in ten days due to excessive heat and comments that the lack of rain has damaged many vegetable crops. He laments missing the social scene in Charleston and claims that reading "is our chief amusement." 3p.
Letter from Alice Izard Heyward to her mother-in-law Henrietta telling her she is sending some flannel via "Capt. Morgan" and is looking forward to a trip to the "Elms." 2p.
Letter to James Heyward in Charleston from his aunt at "Old Fort' in Beaufort. His aunt writes of an upcoming wedding and ordination and hopes James will "keep his promise." 4p.
Letter from Aunt M. Smith in Beaufort to James B. Heyward in Charleston. His aunt is anxious to hear of his college plans and keeps James abreast of the news of friends and family. 4p.
Letter from an unknown sender in "Rose Hill" to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. The letter writer mentions several mutual friends and family and informs James of weddings and social events in Beaufort and Charleston. The writer also mentions James' grandfather's trips to attend to plantation affairs in Pon Pon, a new house being built along the Ashepoo and other trips to Hilton Head and "Hunting Islands." 4p.
Nathaniel Heyward writes to his grandson James B. Heyward with instructions about a presenting a draft for money from a Boston Merchant to pay for his schooling. He is glad to hear that James is engaged in his studies but cautions that he wants him to return to home a learned gentleman and not a "book worm." He comments on the character of James' and his brother Nat's acquaintances and that Nat is doing well at "the office" in Beaufort. 3p.
Letter from Aunt "Elzh" at "Rose Hill" to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. His aunt writes about the family, how ice has destroyed their avenue of oaks, and comments on how the legislature in Columbia is attempting to make the college there the only one in the state and turn Charleston College into a preparatory school. 4p.
Letter from friend, Anne H Darrell, to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. Ann mentions the bitterly cold winter they are having in Charleston and the destruction of St. Philips Church by fire, and informs him she has sent him some oranges from "Augustine." 3p.
Letter from Aunt "Elzh" at "Rose Hill" to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. In addition to updating James on family news, the writer comments on the historic low temperatures of the winter, the destruction of St. Philips Church in Charleston due to fire, and the presence of elephants and other "Beasts" in town, presumably overwintering circus animals. 4p.
Letter to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass., from his aunt, Mrs. Smith, in "Old Fort", Beaufort. His aunt relays a message to James to research Old Fort in the Harvard library for his uncle and writes at length of the events at "Carolina College." 4p.
Letter to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass., from his aunt, Mrs. Smith, in "Old Fort", Beaufort. His aunt refers to a campus "rebellion" that James survived and relates news from family and friends. 4p.
Letter from an unknown sender in Rose Hill to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. The writer provides rich details on the news of scores of friends and family. 4p.
Letter from an unknown sender in Charleston to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. The letter writer informs James of the news of family and friends including many well-known Charleston families. She also mentions a devastating fire that recently occurred that burned through parts of Meeting, East Bay, Market, Pinckney, Hasell and Guignard streets writing "it is really gloomy to ride in that part of the Town now for the last winter's fire meets this one just at the Market." 4p.
Nathaniel Heyward writes to his grandson James B. Heyward in Cambridge apologizing for failing to submit his quarterly remittance. He exhorts him to "keep on the fashionable side" as "the Ladies of Boston have very sweet mouths for Southerners." 3p.
Letter from Aunt (?) "Elzh" in Charleston to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. "Elzh" catches James up on all the news of friends and family in Charleston, Beaufort and elsewhere and mentions a new law passed by the Legislature "preventing coloured People from teaching." 4p.
Letter from Aunt "Elzh" in Charleston to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. She write James that the health of his grandmother has forced her to take a trip upstate to Flat Rock and that his brother Nat met her in Columbia via "the RailRoad as far as Branchville, and then took his Horse and went on." She writes of family members and friends travelling in Europe and that "Strangers fever is rather more prevalent than some years back...owing to...so many cellars being left open, and water collecting in them." 4p.
A satirical, almost poetic, letter from an unknown sender to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. The letter writer teases James about the relative charms of Boston versus Charleston. 4p.
Letter from Aunt M. Smith in Old Fort, Beaufort to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. James' aunt writes at length of the politics of "Columbia College" in South Carolina including the news that his friend has been named president. 4p.
Letter from Nathaniel Heyward from "Blue House" to his grandson James Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. Nathaniel provides additional monies for James to replace his lost wardrobe and writes how "the excitement for the West is ruining So. Ca. The negroes as well as the white population are moving off in great numbers." 4p.
Letter from Aunt M. Smith in Beaufort to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. James' aunt relates the news of the family and writes of her desire that James uses his education to teach in the "Sabbath Schools." 4p.
Letter from Aunt M. Smith in Beaufort to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. Upon hearing of James' recent trip to Canada, his aunt relates the story of her trip there seven years earlier when "Quebec only had one good hotel and Montreal...not half enough to accomodate the numerous travelers." She writes of news of the family and of the several parties in Beaufort. 4p.
Letter from Nathaniel Heyward at Combahee to his grandson James in Cambridge, Mass. In his letter, Nathaniel provides additional monies to pay James' debts and reprimands him for his extravagance. Nathaniel mentions that James' brother, Nathaniel, has bought a house in Beaufort and is building "a lofty one at White Hall." He tells James that when he returns from college in October "being of age (21) - I shall resign my administration, and leave you with the rice crop." He also notes that all is peaceful and well at Combahee, "notwithstanding the Growls of the Abolitionist." 3p.
Letter from Aunt M. Smith in Beaufort to James B. Heyward in Cambridge, Mass. In her letter, she informs James about the news of family and friends and mentions that she was hoping to go to Charleston to visit a dentist "to Beautify your Uncle and myself in our old days--not wishing yet to be accounted toothless." 4p.
Congratulatory letter from Nathaniel Heyward at Combahee to his grandson, James B. Heyward, upon his return to South Carolina. Nathaniel instructs James to take the stage to the "B(lue) House Post office" and "walk to Whitehall" from there. 2p.
Letter from Eliza Smith Heyward in Beaufort to her brother-in-law, James B. Heyward. In her letter, Eliza teasingly accuses James of being "anti-lady" and that she has heard "you were enjoying yourself extremely in society." 4p.
Offer from Daniel Heyward to James B. Heyward to buy Chelsea Plantation, a cotton and provision plantation, from the estate of John Heyward. He also offers "the Rice Plantation, Sandy Hill adjoining" if he "may not desire to embark in the cultivation of Cotton." 3p.
Letter from Aunt M. Smith to James B. Heyward in Charleston. James' aunt begs him to visit with his new child and offers jams and jellies as an incentive. 4p.
Letter from William Henry Heyward to James B. Heyward. William writes from Montreal about his health and the gifts and commissions he has procured or investigated for James and his wife on his trip north. He claims "Philad. is the place for domestic manufactures" and "N.Y. for imported." 4p.
Letter from Nathaniel Heyward at Combahee to his grandson James B. Heyward. Nathaniel mentions a cargo of rice he is sending to Ladson and Co., the disappointing rice crop, and a broken water wheel shaft at Rose Hill plantation that "stops all our pounding at No. 6 & 7 for this winter." 2p.
Letter from James B. Heyward on behalf of his infirm grandfather, Nathaniel Heyward, to Francis D. Quash about an offer to invest his property in some unspecified manner. 2p. January 1, 1851.
Letter from William McBurney in Charleston to Thomas B. Ferguson at Dean Hall Plantation concerning the hiring of freedmen. McBurney writes that after a survey of other Cooper River plantation owners he finds that most are offering a share of the crop instead of monthly pay "whether from a want of ability to pay wages or because they believed an interest in the crop would secure a more steady course of labor and prevent stealage." McBurney informs Ferguson that he has written up a contract and submitted it to General Scott at the Freedmen's Bureau for acceptance. He fears the general will alter his submitted contract in favor of the former slaves and writes that officials in the bureau think the "freedman and the white northern laborer" are the same. 2p. February 1, 1866.
Nathaniel Heyward writes from the "Bluff" on Combahee to his grandson James B. Heyward. He references a conflict, "Morris Vs. Wilson," vowing "not to interfere" and leaves James an order for cotton and stone lime. 2p.
Letter from James B. Heyward to William C. Bee seeking a partner in planting Myrtle Grove Plantation. Heyward alludes to an 1854 hurricane that has damaged the long term rice yield at Myrtle Grove but hopes with sufficient capital and his one year of "experience in management under the present system" that a profitable crop of rice could be realized. 4p. November 11, 1866.
Notice of a bill sent to James B. Heyward from C.W. [Enecks?] at Wolfe Hill. Enecks mentions threshing wheat for Heyward and asks him where he should send it. 1p. June 11, 1868.
Letter from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson concerning supplies and carpenters for Dean Hall and a load of lumber received from the plantation. 2p. April 11, 1866.
List of the number of bushels of all crops harvested each year at Myrtle Grove Plantation from 1848-1852 with the price obtained and the acreage planted. 1p.
Letter from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson at Dean Hall. McBurney alludes to problems Ferguson is having with the lack of good labor and discusses cotton and rice options for the next planting seasons. 6p.
Second letter of June 12, 1866, from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson. McBurney writes that Ferguson's brother thinks the mule thief will cross the river at "Bacon Bridge" and head towards Adams Run and suggests that Ferguson go to "the neighborhood of the 18-mile" house to offer "John Donnelly" a reward if he can capture the thief. 1p.
Letter from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson. McBurney acknowledges Ferguson's letter regarding the theft of a mule from Dean Hall and sends Ferguson supplies and laborers. 2p. June 12, 1866.
Letter from Esther Heyward in Rome, Italy, to her brother, James B. Heyward. Esther writes of her plans to return home soon, claiming that after she sees "Mont Vesuvius and Pompeii, my astonishments will be over." She writes in detail about St. Peter's Basilica and notes that she climbed to the top and that "It was much easier than I expected, but I made it still easier by being carried in a chair." She mentions the time honored tradition of kissing the statue of St. Peter's toe and requests additional funds to pay for the care of her children she left behind in South Carolina. 4p. January 22, 1851.
Letter from Richard Bacot, surveyor, to James B. Heyward at Hamburgh Plantation concerning a plot of land adjacent to Myrtle Grove Plantation. 3p. April 25, 1852.
Receipt of note to Frank Myers from James B. Heyward for $2500 for the "tenancy of my plantation on Bluff Road twelve miles from Columbia." 1p. March 13, 1863.
Notice affirming the charges made by Thomas B. Ferguson against freedmen at Dean Hall Plantation. The military command in Charleston agrees that the freedmen have forfeited their contract with Ferguson and gives them ten days to leave the plantation. 1p. July 13, 1866
Letter from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson repeating the contractual terms for the hired hands McBurney is sending to Dean Hall Plantation. 4p. December 13, 1865.
Small booklet with the names of slaves and the carpenter's tools assigned to them on a yearly basis from 1853-1858 (cover of booklet lists 1852). There is no mention of the plantation but the slave names match several on the list of Fife Plantation slaves (no. 117). 16p.
Letter from Aunt Smith to James B. Heyward telling him about a new missionary that may be able to administer his joint properties in absence of any other missions. 2p. January 16, 1852.
Letter from William Henry Heyward at Clayhall Plantation to James B. Heyward about a recent survey and a misunderstanding concerning the sale of property on or around Myrtle Grove Plantation. 3p. April 25, 1852.
Letter from William Henry Heyward at Whitehall Plantation to James B. Heyward at Hamburgh Plantation concerning dissatisfaction with a recent survey. 2p. April 26, 1852.
Note on the amount of No. 3 crop (crop unspecified) sold by Nathaniel Barnwell, listed by dollar value and the persons who purchased it. 2p. June 7, 1852.
Article of agreement between James B. Heyward, William Henry Heyward and John Chadwick to replant Fife Plantation. John Chadwick, from New York, agrees to provide $15,500 in capital for two-thirds share in the resulting rice crop. 4p. March 14, 1866.
Letter from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson concerning Dean Hall Plantation, including news that one of Ferguson's newly purchased mules has lost its tongue. 2p. March 14, 1866.
Memorandum between Matthew I. Keith, Susan Keith, William Henry Heyward, James B. Heyward, and Maria Heyward concerning a house on Meeting St., Charleston and the use of trust monies to purchase a summer house on Sullivan's Island. 4p. February 16, 1853.
Letter from Thomas M. Rhett to James B. Heyward asking him for more time to repay a loan so he can sell property to raise the necessary funds, having "lost my Crop of provisions, and made but a half crop of light Rice. 2p. December 22, 1856.
Statement of receipts and expenditures for the construction of Vernizobre Bank ("bank" believed to refer to a river bank or dyke). Earliest date appearing on the document is an expenditure to the contractor in 1854. 2p.
Short contract between W.L. Hadine (?), C.R. Hains and James B. Heyward to oversee two unnamed Heyward properties in 1858 and 1859. The handwritten document includes short statements from 1859 detailing the fulfillment of the contract. 1p.
Letter from James B. Heyward to William Henry Heyward about their business agreement with John Chadwick at Fife Plantation. James dislikes the terms of the agreement and doesn't want it extended beyond the one year. He would rather sell Fife "than go into these extortionate bargains for cultivating it." 2p. March 16, 1866.
Letter from Lacklison & Co. in Savannah to James B. Heyward. The letter states that "owing to all communication being cut off from the South," the company is unable to secure from Philadelphia the boilers James had ordered for Fife Plantation. 1p. May 31, 1861.
Letter from James B. Heyward at Hamburgh Plantation to his wife Maria Heyward in Columbia. James writes Maria about troubles in Savannah and fears the city will fall soon depending "upon the time it will take to reduce the Fort." He continues to mull over the fate of Fife Plantation and its slaves but speaks optimistically about plans for next summer. 8p.
Letter from William Henry Heyward at Savannah to James B. Heyward at Combahee. William Heyward has come to the conclusion that the destruction of slave labor will prevent them from ever turning a profit again on the scale seen in the past. He claims that the bargaining power exercised by the freedmen "makes the Planter a slave, far worse than his slave used to be." Because of the scarcity and high price of labor he believes that he and James should sell most of their properties and concentrate all their efforts on a few. 4p. April 17, 1866.
Letter from fellow Charlestonian Aimee B. Stevens in Pendleton, SC, to Maria Heyward in Columbia. Aimee offers her condolences on the destruction of the Heyward's house in Charleston and inquires if she saved "all her silver." She writes about living with other families who had fled Charleston and the warm "welcome given by the hospitable inhabitants" of Pendleton. 4p. June 17, 1862.
Letter from Edward Barnwell Heyward to James B. Heyward telling James that he is moving all his father's slaves from Combahee and Pocotaligo to Wateree, SC, for safety. He offers James some land nearby to move his slaves to and "rough it out" a while with him. His plan includes putting all his father's slaves in a camp in the woods "out of the wind, and driving rain, plenty of firewood, and dry ground." 8p.
Letter from James B. Heyward at Hamburgh Plantation to his wife Maria Heyward. James writes Maria about a battle at Port Royal Ferry "full of danger to our property" and his anxiety over the dangers of the war. 4p. January 3, 1862.
Written request to T.B. Ferguson from John J. Darcy for payment to James Soughen, with confirmation from Soughen of payment received. 2p. September 18, 1865.
Letter from James B. Heyward to Frank Myers informing him that he most likely will rent his property again but wants time to look for another place "where I may have greater hopes of health and profit." 2p. September 18, 1864.
Letter from Frank Myers to James B. Heyward informing him that he has purchased 24 head of cattle for him and asks for directions on how to have them delivered. 1p. November 18, 1863.
Letter to James Heyward from J.H. Trapier concerning ideas about crops and livestock for their various properties. Trapier suggests giving the newly freed laborers a stake in the crops grown, noting that he got the idea from a book on "European Agriculture" and that the practice had worked well in Germany. He mentions the difference in labor required for field crops versus the "special cultivation" skills needed for rice propagation. Finally, he asks James for a copy of a blank "Petition for pardon" claiming the hand crafted one he had sent earlier might be rejected because of his refusal "to surrender my ideas in reference to State Sovereignty." 4p. August 18, 1865.
Receipt of monies received by Susan S. Keith from James B. Heyward as executor/trustee of the estate of Nathaniel Heyward. The receipts mostly depict interest from a bond bequeathed to Susan Keith in the will of Nathaniel Heyward. 30p.
Various receipts from the Heyward and Ferguson families including plantation goods and services, rent, and a Civil War receipt for "permanent labor on fortifications." 32p.
Letter from James B. Heyward to Daniel Blake Esq., concerning the return of a plat detailing a canal dug on some unnamed plantation. 1p. April 21, 1857.
Letter from Edward Barnwell to James B. Heyward informing him that he has arranged for empty railroad cars to be parked at "Union Road" and that they must be loaded by morning next. 1p. October 24, 1862.
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