Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-24
THE POOR FREEDMEN.

The tender merces Of the wicked are cruel.
This is the case at Washington, under the
eve Of the protecting government; but is es-
pccially true at the various contraband camps
in the Mississippi Valley Consregated at
these depots, without employment, deprived
of the ford to which they have been accus>
toned. and often without shelter or medical
care, these helpless people perish as if swept
OF by pestilencc. VIM. D. Butler, a delegate
of the United States Christian Commission,
writes to Rev. Dr. W. G. Eliot as follows re-
spcctng the negroes who came into Vickshurg
after the surrender of Gen. Pemberton, mostly
from beyond jackson:
'About the lst of August the military au-
thoritos became alarmed lest a pestilcnce
should break cut among them and extend to
the army. Peremptory orders We're issued tc
as once remove across the river all negroes, OF
every age and sex, whether sick or well, who
were not in some employment.
"0ue morning welt gu! to inform certain
Lieutenant ", who, with an inadequate
!orcc, was executing the order, that one OF
them in the Baptist church was dead, aud thar
another, woman, WAS lying behind fence
diving. He told me TINT no had detailed. for
purpnse Of removing the negroes, twenty army
wagons that be had hauled them, we'll, sick
and dead, with all their traps, to the river
where ne had steamer to convey them across
10 point opposite the lower end. of the city
that ne had orc wagon to haul the dead, and that
some days he found as many as twenty; that
in one house he found six dead bodies, with
living ones sitting and lying around them,
anparantly unconscious Of their situa tiOn.-
Holes were dug on tho rivers banl; and the
dead buried. The searching cut and removal
Of these negroes consumed about fifteen or
twenty DAYS. About three hundred were thus
removed 10 the low ground opposite Ficksburg,
and there left in the weeds without any shell
ter. under the care Of 4 man who was ap-
pointed to organize them into camp. and
separate small pox cases from the rest--ln
general to DO what he could for their relief.
He yes soon taken sick, and 4 certain Captain
- was appointed to take charge OF all the
contrabanGs in and around Viekshurg. The
Captain was soon FRUSTRATED By disease, but
was at hiq work again when left Eirkshurg.
Auguztl4 Captain - appointed chap
lain to take charge Of those who had been re
moved from the city. in place of tho man who
was first appointed.
'He entered upon his labors, but was soon
Frustrated with disease, and was conveyed
across the ri,or in q skif, whence he made his
way to houee adjoining that of the United
States Christian Commission. Here he wa.
found alone and very sick. He was invited
70 our house, where he was still remaining
when left the city. The Chaplain told me
that these negroes had suffered and were still
IL bod thof
nearly 400 had died since be had taken
charge of them that from IL to 20 die daily.
Sometimes they would crawl off into the
weeds and die where their bodies would be
found only bv the stencil which arose from
their decay. That there was no white man
with them but n nephew of his; thai rations
were furnished them bv the Government, b:it
sometimes he had difficulty in getting them
,ver the river: tina. once they were FIVE days
without receiving any food, and tho negroes
in their despair threatened to kill him. think
ing tho fault was his. He also stated that
they. had no tcn.s or shelter except brush to
shield Them from the sun, or storm, or dews
of night.
~Cnptain A. stated to me that there were
in his camp 1000. at Young, Point 1851; IN
Papaw Island, where h. proposed gathering
most Of them. ., 500 and on Blacks planta-
ton, on tho Yazoo, . i00-in IL over 10000.
One morning l went among the wretched
masses where they were hauled to the bank Of
the river, preparatory to being sent across.
:ried in vain TO find some women who wcr"
,lble to work, as we wished their labor at our
house. All were either sick or taking caro- OF
he sick. sew nothing hut one sal scene OF
misery. | hope you may be able to do more
for these suffering Ignorant beings than is in
my power to devise, and that Gvd may bless
your efforts"
After reading this record of cruelty and
misery, and bearing in mind how comfortable
and contsnte1 were those same slaves, before
they, in an evil hour, became !" freedmen, it
may Re edifying TO peruse The canting reply of
the Church Of Scotland to the calm and dignifed
address to Christians throughout the world
Those Scptsi Gh preachers, not knowing anything
of the matter they undertake to pronounce upon
iud:ciously avoid argument; They do not
think it needfnl to argue-the time for argument
is past" so they stick TO abuse
THE SCOTTISH CHURCH ON SLAVERY.
The following is5he reply from Scotland to
an address from the clergy Of tho Confederate
States
1--WE, the undesigred, members ofthe churches
in Scotland, in reply tn the appeal made to US in
the Address. to Christians throughout the
World& recently put forth by the Clergy of thu
Confederate States OF America, feel bound to give
public expression 10 our views lest our continued
silence should be misconstrued as implying either
acquirscence in the principles of the document.
of indifference to the crime which it seeks to
defend.
"We refer, of course. 10 single topic, that of
Slavery as it is handled in the address, We de |
sire to say nothing inconsistent with our coun-
trys attitude of strict neutrality as regards the
warl.aring across the Atlantic. We do nos dis.
ems, any of tha political questions connected
with its origin, progress, and probable issues We
offer no opinion on the measures adopted on
either side Nor are &c to be regarded as shut
ting our eyes to the past and present sins and
shortcomings of the North in relation to the
African race. The one object we have in view il !
to express the deep grief. alarm and indignation
with which we have psrsued the pleading On be-
half of Slavery in general and American slavery
IN particular, to which so many servants Of the
Lord Jesus Christ have not scrupled to append |
their names. With the feeblest possible inci- !
dental admission of Abuses which they may !
deplorc. in this, as in other relations Of mankind,
ue find these men broadly maintaining IN the .
most equa,iied manner, that tho relation of
master and save'-'umoug US. they add to
make their meaning more explcis-'ls not IN
COMPATIBLE with our hol;' Christianity They !
thank God for it, az for q missionary institutions
the best, as it would seem. and the most SUGGEST !
full in the world. They hold it to be their pecu--,
iar function to defend and perpe,uate it. Ant
they evidently contemplate the formation of the
Southern Confedcracy upon the basis Of slavery
a. one of is fundamental and permanent princi>
pies or elements. not only without regret, bus
with entire satisfaction and approval:
Against all thi,-in the name of that holy
faith and that thrice holy name which they v'n-