Our prayers were mingled in asking for the enlightening of the Holy
Spirit, and while he was asking for the forgiveness of all his sins,
that he might receive an evidence of acceptance, he seemed encouraged
and gave me the names and address of his parents, for me to write them
of his hope, in departing, of a better future.

There was also great suffering in the camp of freedmen. The officers
wished me to aid them in persuading these people to go down to the
island, as they were afraid of being returned to slavery at the close
of the war, and desired to push as far into the free States as
possible, and very loath to go back "an inch," as one of the officers
expressed it. I took the names of these almost nude people, whom I
instructed to come to my tent; as the officers said I should have one
for the purpose of giving out clothing to the most needy among them.
They assured them that their freedom was a fixed fact; that they would
never see the day again when they would be separated by being sold
apart. This, I found, has a greater inducement for them to consent to
the request of the officers to go to the island than all the clothing
I could promise.

But one poor woman came to the captain weeping, saying, "My poor baby
is dying' an' I can't leave him. He is my only child left me." In the
great hurry and bustle of business the quick reply was, "Go back and
I'll see to it." As she left the office he turned to me and said, "I
don't know whether it is so or not; they get up all sorts of excuses."
As she was not yet out of sight, I followed her to the slab hut and
found it true. An hour later and the baby of eight years was in the
spirit world.