Volume 03 Page 0011

Gowrie and East Hermitage

I was at Vernonsburg & Savannah in
July 1857 & paid the bills myself.

Upon the death of my Overseer (10th Dec'r 1855) I was left alone on the plantation.
We soon finished threshing the Crop & went to work preparing the lands
for the next year. There were many applications, as Overseers, for this place, but
none pleased us. The latter part of February was now approaching, still we had
no Overseer. At last we were recommended (by Mr Wm Bull Pringle of Charleston S.C.)
a young man who had acted as Sub Overseer for 2 or 3 years upon his Brother's (Mr R. Pringle's) Plantation on Black River, about 20 miles from Georgetown So. Ca. Mr Leonard F Venters, 24 Yrs
of age reached this on 21st Feb'y 1856. He struck me as being very young; I explained however
all Concerning our made of "water Culture" & how our Crops were treated on Savannah River, a very
different method being used here from what I was told, they used on other rivers, where black Soil Could
not stand the water which these stiff Clay lands did &c. We Commenced planting on 15th March &
finished the entire tract of 658 Acres (all Open plant) on 3 May, when we began to hoe Rice & I left