Kiawah being directly on the sea was almost entirely submerged by tidewater, and on the other islands, those portions which were directly exposed to the sea and the tributary streams suffered in like manner. Cotton, the main dependence of the people, was almost totally destroyed, and only in some localities were any potatoes and corn saved, and these badly damaged. I found _many_ people hungry, destitute, without suitable habitation or sufficient clothing and badly demoralized. Such, then, was the condition of things when I took charge, and how to meet the various problems that arose, and to cover this territory in the most intelligent and speedy way of course became my first object. After planning a little I soon arrived at a happy solution, and proceeded to organize the territory into working condition. Rockville, on Wadmalaw Island, had been selected as the most central point to work from, and making this my headquarters and basis of supplies, I secured a house and was soon comfortably fixed, with sufficient supplies on hand to meet the immediate wants of the people. To reach all these people quickly and often was the next point to be settled (scattered as they were over an area of vast dimensions, divided in many places by streams, at times dangerous to navigate). This difficulty was overcome by thoroughly canvassing each island, and establishing one or more sub-stations at the most central location, and from these stations I would each week make my distribution of rations, receive reports, arrange work for the coming week and transact other business. All this time petitions of various kinds had been coming in, and my time was fully occupied in seeking out those who were in immediate want, among the old people and children especially, and I soon got that settled sufficiently to give me a chance to start all able-bodied men, that needed help, in ditching, house-building, bridge-building and any other work I could find that would benefit the general community; and soon I had large forces at work on each island. A school for children was established at Rockville, which was successfully conducted for some time, and a wharf built, which is as unique as it is substantial, having been built by native workmen with raw materials cut and hewn out of the woods, the piles being driven by a pile driver of our own construction. This wharf stands to-day, a monument of strength and an object lesson to those who were doubtful of its completion. On the several islands much good work was done; new dams being thrown up; bridges rebuilt and abandoned lands reclaimed. I occupied this field for over eight months, and during that time visited every district one day of each week and personally distributed all rations given out, thus being certain that nothing was misappropriated. From Monday until Saturday I would travel by team and boat, on an average of twenty miles a day, never allowing rain, wind or anything else to keep me from