The national Republican., 1861-09-25
Wednesday, September %, 1861.
CONTRABANDS.
The Fortress Monroe correspondent (Sp,

The Fortress Monroe correspondent (Spp-
tember lG) of the New York Tfiarne, says:
"A party of twelve negroes came acros. H.,
river yesterday. from Princess Ann county.
Virginia, in open boats. They complained OF
not haviGg enough to eat, and ill-treatmrnt.
They have been hired to the frigaie Savanpah
~ seamen Last night party of five negroes
came down the Chesapeake in an open no 4
having started from the mouth Of Ware river
at midnight. They also say they did moi iay,.
enough to eat. This morning another halt
dozen came in from Warwick, fifteen or twenty
miles above Newport News. They have alb mi
the same story to tell Prisoners, deserteia
and ingitiyes. from whatever quarter of the
revoted States, agree in representing that pro
visions are scarce, prices for most articles h xh
and money scarce. Unquestionably tnere is
plenty Of flour in Virginia, but Of mosi Of
other articles there is a scarcity, not only ior
the supply of the army, but for the commu ,itv
generally. The negroes appear TO be fleeing
on account OF this scarcity, and If one-halr Of
what they say be true, they are fugitiyeS from
starvation as much as from anything elsc."
Flour may be abundant, but few masters can
buy it for slaves, when slaves can earn but lit
tie. and cannot be hired out. Rich masters
may support their slaves at dead loss, in the
hopes OF better times. but the proportion Of such
masters is small, and growing beautifully less
every day in Virginia aud throughout the Srrth
1t ia a serious matter TO support four million.
OF slaves, even upon the diet prescribed by
Governor Hammond, of a peck of corn pei
week, and half pound OF salt pork daily. i
the diet is changed to rice and molasses. as re
Gently recommended it still costs something
where there are NJ earnings 10 pay tor the ric,
and molasses.
Virginia has, or had, half a million Of NJ
groes If they are worked in raising tobacco
that article cannot he sold If they are worke,
in raising wheat the army takes the crop ant
pays In scrip. These slaves cannot be sol
South, as cotton planters have no money I,
pay for them. A few may be used as hous
servants. but the number able to employ hous
servants diminishes as general poverty spread
through the community. A negro cannot b
put away In storehouse, when there is no ns
for him, to await the time when a use n hin
shall arise. He must be fed and clothed nTf
doctored, and however economically it is done
all that costs money.
Or the slaves who have come into our lines
across the river in Virginia, and down at Fort
ress Monroe, "A large proportion are not iugi
tives from their owners hut have been aban.
doned by their owners TO shift for themselves
THE proportion of such will increase Negroes
have not, for years. been believed to have auy
value ia Virginia, except for the purposr OF
sale tc the cottOngrowers. As the hopes o,
the revival of that market die ont the V,rgiuif
owners of negroes will cease 10 value them a,
property. will abandon them or, at any rate
will spend no time or money in pursuing them
If they run OIL.
A master may tell bis slaves to shit 70
themselves, or he may do the same thing. no
in words, but by the fact OF not providing TO
them. II there is no bacon and no corn maa
On the masters premises, the slave will q
where the bacon and the corn meal eau b
found. They seem to understand that there
abundance of both at Fortress Monroe. nn,
they are focking in there from all directions.