Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-01-16
PlrrsyoRp, VIZ.
TIE NEGROES-COTrON GATH.
ERING.
A letter from Hilton Head says:

A letter from Hilton Head says:
"The negroes everywhere, in two dis
tricts, are at work collecting, baling, and
rolling cotton. Thousands of them have
been set at their task. for which they are
paid al the rate of one dollar for every
hundred pounds they deliver. They Ia
Dor with a'acity under this unwontpd
stimulus; variou- a-sistants and clerks
have been appointed TO oversee their per-
formances, and though they need 10 be
Constantly Greeted, and skillfully manag
ed, yet good degree OF work is really
gotten out oil them. This is proved by
the fact that N less than three days over
$4,000 worth of cotton was put aboard
the steamboat which accompanied Col.
Mobiles all this cotton has been baled by
the negroes themselves, and the bags made
by them; it was then conveyed to the va
rious landings, at 10 one of which is there
wharf. The supply of bags having been
incomplete, some thousands and bags were
] Supplied them, and these had to be first
placed in fiat-boats, then rowed out to The
steamer, and again removed to the decks,
before the laborB of the blacks were COM
pleted. The old drivers were generally
Retained, TO find out The hands and bring
them u TO the places where their labor
was required As it was Christmas time,
and the negroes have always been used TO
q holiday at this season, their willingness
to work needed to be increased by the
payment of an installment of their dues.
They laughed and sang as they rolled the
bales or carried the sand bags on their
skulls and broad shoulders, and jumped
and danced and bowed and grinned, when
Eassa Mobiles gave them dime or
quarter oil a dollar apiece
! he amount OF cotton taken from each
| plantation is carefully ascertained; each
bag is marked with the former owners
initials, and an account kept both with the
estate and with the negroes, so that at
any time Government VIII be ALE to com.
pensate any of the owners who shall prove
70 have been loyal. The cotton found on
these islands Is, az Is well kaown, of SUI
perior quality it is worth fifty C nts
pound on the i,lal d, and seventy five cents
! n. New York 1t is in ordinary times
sent almost exclu iv"ly TO France, where
II is mixed with silk in the manufacture of
silk and cotton goods; its texture is # the
finest quality, and its culture requires the
4 greatest and most constant care There
are immense quantities Of it store in the
cotton houses on these islands: more even
has been discovered than was anticipated;
at least 100000 worth is believed to
have been already secured. Since the ne
groes have discovered that they will be
paid for their exertions, they have brought
in some that was buried in the interior,
and manifested great care to preserve and
obtain as much as possible / have heard
of some instances OF their giving warning
in advance, when their masters or the
rebel soldiers contemplated any new burn
ings.
AS for the ginning, most of it is TO be
done in New York 1t is the opinion of
Hlthose who have charge of the work, that
1t can be learned with ease in a day by
any woman of ordinary capacity, and the
labor IS by no means arduous, Here, il
VIII require engineers and engines, as well
as gins, and necessitate whole CORPS of
assistant overseers, for the negroes are ut
terly incompetent TO do anything without
incessant supervision. They acknowledge
this themselves, and We hope the Yankees
are come 10 take care OF we." The
difficulty of establishing so large and i'm
portant plan of manufacturing operations
IN the midst of military campaign is APP
parent, while the scheme of preparing the
cotton at tine North is eminently feasible"