One of three scrapbooks compiled by William Henry Johnson containing, among other materials, photographs depicting scenes of the South Carolina Lowcountry, with descriptive notes. Volume 1 includes photographs depicting cemeteries, churches, plantations, historic buildings, ruins, landscapes, and the interiors of buildings. Subjects include locations in Berkeley County, St. Johns (Berkeley) Parish, Goose Creek, and along the Cooper River. Other sites and subjects include Belmont, Black Oak Church, Bluford, Casada, Cedar Grove, Cedar Spring, Comingtee, a Prioleau family burial ground, Crowfield, Dean Hall Plantation, Dockon Plantation, Eutaw, Eutaw Springs, Exeter, Fairspring, Fort Dorchester, Four Hole Swamp, Gippy, Gravel Hill, the gravestone of Susan Bee, Hanover Plantation, Indian Fields Campground, Ingleside, Indianfield, Liberty Hall Club, Lewisfield, Magnolia Cemetery, monument of Col. Hezekiah Maham, grave of Major Majoribanks, Medway Plantation, Mepkin, a milestone by the Cooper River, Moorfield, Mount Pleasant Plantation, Mulberry Castle, North Hampton, Numertia, The Oaks Plantation, Ophir, Otranto Hunting Club, Parnassus, Pimlico, Pinegrove, Pond Bluff, Pooshee Plantation, John Poppenheim's plantation, Quarter house, Red Bank Hunting Club, an Episcopal church in Pineville, Rice Hope Plantation, The Rocks, St. James Goose Creek church, St. Johns Berkeley rectory site, St. Johns AME Church, a St. Julien family house, a Santee Canal lock, "Sarrazin house," a shanty, Somerset Plantation, Somerton Plantation, "Francis Marion spring," Springfield, Stoney Landing, Strawberry Chapel, Ten Mile Hill, Thoroughgood, Wadboo Barony, Wadboo bridge, Walnut Grove, Walworth, Wampee, Wampoolah, Wappetaw, Washington Plantation, the Whaley place, White Hall, Wiskinboo, Woodlawn, and Yeamans Hall.
Letter from Sue M. Monroe to Mattie Hayne Heyward detailing how she cared for the graves of the soldiers in the days and years after the Second Battle of Bull Run and that the exact location of her uncle's remains are not known. 7p.
Letter from Madame Baptiste to Bishop Patrick Lynch concerning the affairs of the Ursuline Convent and Academy. She writes of the plan to petition congress for reparations for the destruction of their convent in the war and voices her displeasure of "Mr. Jones", who has been soliciting money up north on their behalf, claiming that he "goes travelling over the country on what he collects for us." 10p.
Letter from James B. Heyward at Combahee to his wife Maria Heyward. James was unable to travel to Savannah as planned due to skirmishes at "Coosahatchie." He mentions the death of an "Edward" at the "Church Creek encampment" and bemoans his inability to get news on local troop movements and battles writing "Sunday night the enemy made a raid on the other side of Combahee and I never heard of it until Tuesday. I fear sometimes they may capture me in bed." 6p.
Christmas day letter from James B. Heyward back at Combahee to Maria Heyward in Columbia. In his letter, James is reflecting on the dire situation and the bleakness of their future believing soon "it will all be over and we shall be reduced to a poverty irretrievable." He struggles with what to do with his slaves given the eventual "scarcity of food" and "depreciated currency." He intends to leave the majority at his plantation but expects to bring up to Columbia "John's wife so as to take from him that temptation to running off." He writes that he will also bring "Mary if she will leave her daughter Molly...I don't value Mary so much as to saddle myself with the support of Molly." 10p.
Records consist of letters containing daily reports submitted by Assistant Engineer F.M. Hall at Fort Sumter to Major W.H. Echols, "Chief Engineer, S.C." at Charleston, South Carolina.Reports (Dec. 17-Dec. 23) concern work on fortifications being done by slaves and soldiers as well as small administrative and military matters.
Letter from Ada Henry to sister Lou concerning friends and family in England and India. The letter is undated, although Henry references the recent death of Stonewall Jackson and the troubles in America. The connection to the Heyward or Ferguson families is unclear. 6p.
Records chiefly consist of membership rolls for volunteer fire companies of Charleston (S.C.) including the Eagle Fire Engine Company, the Charleston Fire Engine Co., the Vigilant Fire Engine Co., Marion Fire Co., Aetna Fire Co., Washington Fire Co., Hope Fire Co., Charleston Fire Company of Axemen, Palmetto Fire Co., German Fire Co., and the Phoenix Fire Company. Also included is a printed blank form that certifies the bearer is an active firefighter and therefore exempt from Confederate military service. Printed on the certificate are two images of fire engines.
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.
Samuel Wragg Ferguson, aide-de-camp to General P.G.T. Beauregard, writes to his godmother from Manassas Junction two weeks after the First Battle of Bull Run. He writes "another such blow as that struck two weeks ago, would I think put an end to the war." He writes of bunking with "Dr. Brodie from our state" in "the grand tent sent to Genl B, as he occupies a room in the house." 6p.
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.
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.
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.
The Account of Enslaved Persons and Various Stories, 1831-1844, is kept by or for a member of the Ball family. The first half of the account book contains various lists of enslaved men, women and children owned by John Ball at Comingtee/Stoke, Kensington and Midway Plantations in Berkeley County, South Carolina. These lists include enslaved persons given first or second quality blankets, cloth, clothes and osnaburg fabric as well as lists of pregnant enslaved women or enslaved infants given clothes.
The second half of the book contains stories retold by various persons on topics such as an eyewitness account of the Steamship Pulaski Disaster in 1838, stories of enslaved persons including the execution of an enslaved man, stories about the family of George Chicken, eyewitness accounts of the British occupation in Charleston during the Revolutionary War, numerous ghost stories and an account of the first settlers of Charlestown.
