Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-12-07

nov. .npproprlcted gls entlreiy lnauequato.
two per cent tax.in kind not nnfrequsntly TAKE
. from the families of soldiers in the field por
tion Of their supplies, when they have mot NOR
than enough for theirown consumption aftc-pay
ing the Confederate, 1.-THE. In .suehy cases, the.
fcolld far better afford to PAY q tax in mono.
;. raised from their other resources, and would, ,d
it chesrfully. questionable il this provision
of the law, has operated we'll, and Il submit tfo
your consideration whether iswoyld. notbe bot
ter to increase tho appropriat and require th
Boards Of Relief, instead Of distributing money
i to purchase and Distribute the supplies them
1 selves. In this connection, I. suggest that nj
| Act should be passed requiring the railroad com
panies, in this State promptly to transport oil
supplies pnfch hased by the Boards Of Relief fo,
\ the usa of soldisrs' families. IL 81. y =;
The operation Of the Acts upon the subject oi
supplying labor for coast defences is; Lam sorry
to SPY, not satisfactory. Upon on examination
f'ofthe Act, it will be seen that the Governor il
required to "aall foI such labor az may be do.
manded by the Confederate military authorities.'
Ono fourth of the road hands of each division
would furnish largely over tho number, called for
monthly by the Commanding .General Of the De-
partmont, which is from $500 10 3,CG0. I thSe-
fore adopted thetn the proportion to be furnish
ed from each division, and persisted in it for near
ly eightcon months; with the hope that the Acts
might be enforced and tho requisite amount of
labor secured. In this I was disappointed. No
division has. furnished near its quota under such
calls, and during the past summer the requisi-
-Gons from thu Confederate General for on in
creased number oflabOrers became 30 urgent that
I felt ID my duty to authorize tho State Agent to
increase tho .eaH to one-half, and oven that has
only secured from one division the number re-
quired, as, will be seen by his report accompany
ing this message, The main cause of this fail
,urs is the omission of the Commissioners of
Roads and the Shcriffs to enforce the law; and
the courts being virtually closed, they cannot be
compelled to enforce it. The burdenj therefore,
unfortunately falls upon fthe patriotic and tho
willing, and I recommend, if the present scheme
is to be adhered to, that the Governor be au-.
thorized, through his agents, to impression. tHo
months service on the coast the equal proportion
of every slave owner having more than one road
hand, unless the Courts can be put in operation
and the existing laws enforced. In this way the
deinquents can bo reached, and the burden will
not fal. exclusively on the willing, and tho pk-e
triotic TWO monts' service, at one time, is re-
commended, because the hands lose at least one
week in going and returning and in being or
ganizad. IT would diminish, too, the expense to
thc Government. invite yeur attention to the
plain submitted by the State Agent in his anuu-;
oil report, for supplying "a permanent, forco cf
laborc,s." I am mot prepared to express I'm opipe
never prove satisfactory to the country, until some
reforms have been Effected in ths-managemcnt
and treatment of the Slaves wien on the coast.
I have eudeavored to accomplish this--and it
would seem from the report of the Agent that
theTe has been some improvement in ,Nsoae par
ticula-s-but from information received at this
Department, tnero is still much room for it. Un-
dor the Act, the Executive has no check upon the
Confederate autheifsics. He has no authority
under the Act except to call for the labc,, and in
The event OF the detention Of the negroes beyond
one munth, to dcusnd thoir return, uuless in his
opinion the emergency requires further dc:ens
iion. This detention has been fruitful source
Of dissatisfaction to tho owners; but It must be
borne in mind that the Act itself provides. "that
each levy, under the call, Shall serve for one
month, end until relieved in turn by tho next
levy DGr;Dg. tGe past sn9ner, however.
prevailed upon Gen. Jones, then commanding
this Department, to have ths !abcrers therefrom
iisrharge1a at The end OF the month. ::
The agency at Richmond, rodcr, tho direction
of Col. E. P. Jones, em satisfied, from i-forsna-
:estimable value to tho soldiers from this State.
This oicor and his assis:,n;s hare been indefa-
.iaabe IN thu performance of their duties. per-
,eiyc from a card recently published by Col.
Jones, thct arrangements have been made hctwocn
our Government and that 6r The United States to
Tu-nish our prisoners with food and clothing; but
he recommends that .h!s arrangement eh -uld not
interfere tn the forwarding of tabaceo, clothing
anl.other supplies Us heretofore. In this connec-
;ion, transmit copies of communication from
DIR. p porolien eursea n IN -.eharsAof. South
Carolina Hospital, Temporarily removed to Dan
Vile, Virginia; fequeslirg Inc to bring to your
notice tbs rcnd ;tion Of cur prisoners Ut Point
Lookout. recommend that tl,e StVtc apprnpri-
ate fund to be expended either by Col. Jones
o.Ats. 1SAha YT6
sLip1Tent through the War Department at Rich
moni. 10 our prisoners, Of ouch articles Of cloth
iu~, shoe,, blankets and other supplies as they
may need.
There eanaot be made from the State records,
or from those of tue Confederate Government, or
from bc III together, anything like complete roll
of those who kayc gone into tho military service
or .hc couutry from this State. recommend the
passage CT IN Act authorizing the Governor to
appoint Il coppoten rer:on IS superintendent,
with an assistant in each District IN the State,
With adequate salaries, whose dutyit shall be to
obtain the name of zach ilitia beat in this State,
v;ti, description of.the person, the name of Ills
company and regiment, and his fate, ard anY-
thing of special interest connected with him.
These records. should bc-IpaGe IL substantial! ych
umes. -and when completed, the books for each
District deposi,ai in tie Office rf the Secretary Of
Sipie. Such O record is due to- our deceased npd
living soldiers and their iamiliss. IL should DO
made to duty ofthc District cficSr to visit every
house in his District, 20 that no one shall be
omitted. IL no oiher way can complete record
ever be made; and it should be done ut ence, as
the means Of obtaining accurate information arc
rapidly passing away. II tits postponed until
lhs end of the war, the names and fate Of many
gallant men who hare per!lled their lives in de-
feues Of the country, will be lost sight of forever
The value CT such a record depends, of course,
upon tho completeness and accuracy with which:
il IS done; and to this end such inducements
should be held oat as will secure the services Of
Efficient and Intelligent mon, selected with view,
to their fitness. for the work without reference to
ether considerations. In tho hands of persons
fully alive to the Importance OF making the re-
cerd complete, it may bo confidently expected tho
work will be dono in manner creditahlo to the
State. If this recommendation be adopted, I
earnestly urge its speody commencement.
A large number of our soldiers have given up
their lives "a defence of tho country; leaving
families of helpless orphans, many Of them fe-
malss The State cannot dc too much for them.
I submit whether it would not be we'll for the
State also to establish an asylum for the dcsti-
tute female orphan children Of all soldiers from,
this State who have fallen in battle or died OF
t1,a line nf fheir dutv.