Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-03-13
NOo3O.
Cultivation of Cotton Lands.

| -OuItlVdIlOu OI SOCCCu LduOS.
A bill has been reported in the Senate
BY Mr.. Wade, from the Committee on
Territories, which contemplates the occupa-
ton and cultivation of the islands iu South
Carolina where the sea island cotton is
grown for one year, and taking the super
intendanee of the negroes that are now un-
employed and in starving condition.
The white population have almost entirely
left that part of the country, and the pro-
visions there have been in great measure
consumed by our troops, leaving the me-
groes, some twenty or twenty five thou
sand nearly destitute. 80
The bill proposes the appointment Of a
board of three receivers for the State of
South Carolina and Georgia by the Presi-
dent, with the consent of the Senate, to
manage and use all property which may
be committed to them BY the military au-
thority and they are to let the use of any
portion of the lands which shall be COM
mitted TO them for period not exceeding
one year, payable either in money or in a
share of the produce of the same. The
board is to be empowered TO lay off the
lands for tenants. and to purchase tools,
seeds, animals, &C., that may be necessary
to be used on any precinct, but the cost is
not to exceed $40 per acre; also to employ
experimenting agents, and make provis-
ion for the employment and support of ne
groes who may be thrown upon their care.
An appropriation of $4,000 is to be made
for the purposes contemplated.
Mr.. Edward L. Pierce, Government
Agent at Port Royal, has made a full and
interesting report of Secretary of the
Treasury, in which he describes the condi-
tion of the inhabitants and plantations in
the region abandoned by the rebels on the
the coast of South Carolina and Georgia
the section of country proposed to be cuL
tivated and cared for.
Fourteen islands are now protected by
our troops; on these there are 195 plant
ations voluntarily abandoned by their own
ers. There are number of other islands
likewise abandoned, but not now under
the protection of our arms. He states
that there are now on the islands about g.
900 persons-negroes, formerly slaves
and he reckons an average of forty to each
plantation. But there are some thousands
of these people about Hilton Head and
and Beaufort. many of whom have escaped
from the main land, and thus be states
that we have in all between 10000 and
$4,000 black South Carolinians under cur
protection, whose number is constantly in
creasing by accessions from the main land.
He says:
This week forty int escaped from a
single plantation near Grahamville, on the
ffnaaln land, held by the rebels, led by the
driver, and after four days of trial and per-
il, hidden by day and threading the waters
with their boats by night, evading the reb-
ell pickets, joyfulIy entered our camp at
Hilton Head.
1t is worthy of note that the negroes
now within onr lines are there by the in
vitation of no one, but they were on the
soil when our army began its occupation,
and could not have been excluded by vio-
lent transportation. A small proportion
have come on from the main land, evading
the pickets of the enemy and our own,
something easily done in an extensive
country with whose woods and tracks they
are so familiar.
That is TO say they were the inhahit-
ants of this region, forming eighty-two
and eight-tenths of its total population,
and they remained while the disloyal por-
tion fled.
MIR. Pierce gives an Interesting account
of the manner in which the plantations
were managed, The white proprietors
were seldom residents. They confded in
an overseer, who very frequently had sew
eral plantations in charge, and visited them
in turn, each being actually worked under
the superintendance of black ''driver,"
who dealt out rations to the bands, set
them their tasks and looked to their due
performance, and punished those guilty of
offences. These drivers must be intelligent
men; and it is remarked that, notwith-
standing the dispersion of other laoorers,
quite generally remain on the plantations.
Mr.. Pierce says, justly, that the knowledge
and experience of these men may be made
useful in the future in securing the pro-
ductiyeness of these islands.
The people do not eat their meals to-
gether in families but each by himself
They have church on Sundays, one of their
own color, preaching, and prayer-meetipg
once or twice a week. Mr.. Pierce found
them generally truthful and trustworthy,
as, indeed, is evident, when we remember
the "drirers," and that many negroes are
used as pilots, and in other responsible po-
sitions. Like all men degraded by slavery,
they are flatlerers; but they are tactable,
not indolent, and easily managed. They
very generally express desire to be free;
and Mr.. Pierce remarks that many of their
escapes have been conducted with cour-
age, forecast and skill worthy of heroes.-
But many of them show peculiar timor-
BUSINESS of persons who have been depend
ent on the direction of others. Moreover,
most of them have confidence in US. They
were assured by their masters that we
would sell them to Cuba. The terror of
this made them fly from us. Others re-
manned by the plantations, rather than sep
arate from their families by flight; these
took their chance, as they thought of ex-
lie to Cuba. They show great local at
virtue remarked in the West
Indian negroes, also, by Mr. .Sewsll.
After careful examination and expert
suce, Mr.. Pierce states his conviction that
it is possible, by proper care. to make of