Eating my words (sort of) & and a "Find" for SC researchers

Great news! I got an email from my " cousin", Herb! We've begun a dialogue about our shared Hawkins ancestors, and though I don't sense that he completely trusts me (yet), we're talking, and that's a start! We've exchanged phone numbers, but I am exercising restraint in making myself wait until my vacation ends (tomorrow) before I call him. :) Herb, has sent me a document that he transcribed from the slave papers he has in his possession. (My Anna wasn't a slave, as far as I know, but still I'm glad he shared the document with me.) Both of the Nathaniels are pretty much a mystery to him also, but I'm hoping that he might have something, or be able to put me in touch with someone who might have some answers.

On a completely different note: I have some news for my blog-friends who are doing South Carolina research! Today, I visited a used bookstore and print museum here on the Outer Banks (Kill Devil Hills to be exact). It was called the Croatan Bookery, Ltd.) This place was huge, and it was filled with antigues and old books galore! I was hoping to happen upon some good historical fiction. I even asked about family bibles - and left my contact information for when they get any with genealogical information in them. I spend over an hour perusing the shelves, and just when I got to the very last section - "DIARIES", I found a book that could very well be a gold mine for the right SC researchers. The book was The Diaries of James Henry Hammond, A Southern Slaveholder. The intro and summary were quite intriguing, and I could tell that this was a winner! The diary was kept from 1841 -1864, and apparently the writer (who was also a Senator) recorded every single thing about his life during these years, up to, and including his view of things during the war, his slaves, his black offspring, and more in it. I really wanted to go on and purchase the book, but it was $28.00, and I just wasn't prepared to do so. I googled the book, and got tons of hits, but here is one link to some of the excerpts from the book. http://www.stolaf.edu/people/fitz/COURSES/secrets.htm