CHAPTER VI.
SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA, SURVEYED.
Savannah.—While riding, aimlessly, in the suburbs, I came
upon a square field, in the midst of an open pine-wood, partially
inclosed with a dilapidated wooden paling. It proved
to be a grave-yard for negroes. Dismounting, and fastening
my horse to a gate-post, I walked in, and found much in the
monuments to interest me. Some of these were mere billets
of wood, others were of brick and marble, and some were
pieces of plank, cut in the ordinary form of tomb-stones.
Many family-lots were inclosed with railings, and a few
flowers or evergreen shrubs had sometimes been planted on
the graves; but these were generally broken down and withered,
and the ground was overgrown with weeds and briars.
I spent some time in examining the inscriptions, the greater
number of which were evidently painted by self-taught negroes,
and were curiously illustrative both of their condition and
character. I transcribed a few of them, as literally as possible,
as follow:
"SACRED
TO THE MEMORY
OF HENRY. Gleve, ho
Dide January 19 1849
Age 44."
