The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-03-18
From The ~ Y Church Journal.
Fearful Suferings of the Freed Negroes


The suftrings of these poor creatures
are SO terrible, and to so great degree
beyond the power of individual action to
remedy, that one can hardly read the &C.
counts given even in the papers that most
strongly support the present administra-
ton, without shuddering at the RESPONSE
bility of the whole nation for so disgrace.
ful state of things. The Rev. Mr.. Fiske,
army chaplain, says:
"Out OF an average number of four
thousand blacks under his charge at Mem
phis, during the months of February,
March aud April, of the year 1868, there
died during that time twelve hundred
Three-iOurtbs of them had no change OF
raiment, probably one-fourth of the women
had but one garment between them and
utter nakedness. Many children were
kept night and day rolled in the poor
blanket of family-its sole apparel
They had multitudes of these-no beds.
There were no floors in their leaky tents,
and no chance for fires The wonder is.
not that so many died, but that SO many
lived.
"The suffering of this people is our
national dishonor. If they were not res
cued, history would write something thus:
'The American people enticed within their
lines tens of thousands of slaves, alurins
them thither with promise of liberty tool
from them all the able-bodied men to re-.
inforce their armies, huddied the rest TO-,
gether In great camps, and left them
perish of nakedness by the hundred'-
How will that page of history read ?"
A correspondent Of the N. Y. Evenin,
Post gives the following account of tn
freed negroes on the plantations confsca
ted by the Federal Government, where tn
negroes have been taken and set to wor,
under their new masters-the Norther,
lessees. lie writes:
81 wish to make some statements in re
gard to tue workings of that plan durin;
the past season, having been in postio
to observe its management and its results.
Having visited nearly all the leased plan
tations in the district of Northeastern Lou
isiana, where the plan has been tried,
know whereof / affirm, and | set down til
management of these plantations and ~
the freedom of them, as an unmitigate,
piece of villainy, in which the capitals
reaps all the profits at the expense Of tb
negro whom he hires aud l have no hes
itancy in saying that the negro of this di,
trict has suffered more privations, and ha
been far more in state of servitude, j
that were possible, during the past ST,
months, than when under the rule of hi
Southern master And for this there j
no occasion, save the cupidity of the lss
see. Nor can the Commissioners appoint
ed by the Government be exonerated from
great blame when such abuses are prac
ticed.
"But the barest necessities for keepiu;
body and soul together have been furnish.
ed them. The scant ration of meal and
meat has been doled out to them as i
every ounce were gold; the sick have suf-
fered and died for want of medicines and
nourishiug food, and what little clothing
has been furnished has generally been at
exorbitant prices. But one leased plan
tation has school upon it, and that is
taught by an infrin negro. The care
which these people have received is anl-
ply shown by one Look at the burial
grounds Of the plantations, in any one Of
which can be found from twenty to two
hundred graves of the victims of this in
human system. The terms Of the con-
tract itself are all in favor of the lessee
but even these have not been complied
with, and the intention of the lessee seems
to be to absorb all the negro's wages in
clothing and rations furnished him at -ad-
vanced prices. At the end of the year he
will find himself with bitter recollections