The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-03
IMPORTANT FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
Abandoned Cotton Plantations AI5Rg
tho Mississippi.
RESULT or LAST YEARS EXPERIMENTS.
PLANS FOR TIE COMING YEAR.
N.--oo->~-~>~~c~-~~c~>~~.
HxTU1gT. OF THN EGxl2D.
settlement Of the Mississippi with
Loyal Population.
DANGER FROM GUERILLAs.
e->.-..--oo~0-r.~>>~~,
Aid Extended by the War ard Ilea-
sury Departments.
Probable Opening Of the Red River AID lts
Tributaries,
AsY Ae's a.
Settlement Of the Mississippi with
Loyal Population.

Our Special Natchez Despntcaes.
EAromz, Miss. G. 10 1888.
Considerable interest is manifested concerning no
plantations along the Mississippi tina. have been leased
by the government 70 private paree. Several letters
have written upon the subject and tue report q
Adutant General Thomas has been given TO Ito public
Parties coming in considerable numbers 70 Ill
up the country aud there s good prospect that
the cotton region will be pretty generally settled during
tho coming season. II Is hoped that tho esabanmont Of
loyal residents along the Mississippi viii tend to KEEP
open and secure the navigation OF the river The great
demand for cotton win BIO met TO certain extent. u
was sought 10 be demonstrated that free labor could be
probably employed In the production Of cotton al the
present value staple. The experiment has proved
success.
In April OF last year Adjuant General Thomas came 70
the Southwest put operation his plans for the ogan-
cation negro regimen On arrival he found that tho
most the region along tho Mississippi between Napc
leon and vicksburg had been abandoned by the nhab-
tants and under cultivation. On sonc 81 tho
plantations there quantities Of ungathercd cotton
In the fields that had been lett when our army descended
the river the siege Of vicksburg. Commit
soners appointed who took In baud tho msttsT Oh
Leasing the abandoned plantations 70 private parties
Those on which there any cotton as once taken
up for the Of tho ungahsred CROP Ts cossas, %
concerned Some OF the lessses considered sufficient
for their trouble and made no attempt 10
run the plantation for the production Of fresh CROP
Those who did buy met with varied success Most Of
then received handsome return for thss trouble and
outlay and some successful beyond Their sxpoca'
tioos few we're unfortunate and obtained NO prone
| upon their Investments.
Those who leased plantations last year did NOT begin
work until early May, fully two months TOO late Tho
~ sln ANTI 4. dali veA
until Nay but will DO only half tho usual yield. Few
or the lessss could boast than half CROP 40
count Of the stenees Of work the rads that were
made upon the plantations June stopped all operations
for the month"; and by tho mo tho negroes were again
collected at wok the weeds had acquired considerable
Roadway In several instances they gained complete az
cendapcy the cotton and rendered worthless ur
carefully kept Down they grow with soas
rapidity
During the earlier part OF the operations aost Vcks
burg me. individual from ono Of the Western States
who was attending tho footsteps or the army tho hope
Of falling upon fortunate speculation. iindag
thing better concluded to lease pana;on and when
saw him 10 Nav last no was just beginning work. mcs
him in yscksburg few days ago ana a,crrosntci him
about hs success planter. liz bad nearly competed
bs shipments cf cotton and was congrtnlAtue himself
90 handsome profit, WIN lot him tell his own story
when took ha. plan a.ion found tCois IN II hut
the scod ii pretty Late. 10 June the gnerias calnc ~
near there and s;ampeicl" ny negroes so thnl wos
nearly month before eat a. work AGAIN. Owing 10 that
drawback did rot ge. more lhan hail crcp.
III stlrtus Il clst ar5ut three thousand dollars IN
ae. under say. DsrEa the summer my outlay was about
I've nous1rl i,lar5ani has just cost me Eve thou.
sand more - psy Of NY negroes The cotton that havo
tsen 10 Memphis AM SOL viii bring me hundred and
lhlry.nyc thousand dollars 10 80 ON with Tic wrS neat
year viii cost no about the that u jill this SEASON.
/, two plantations above and below mo Ilic gucrtlas
came IN AMI destroyed everything Beyond The scare
il June and lhe stealing OF about Eve hundred dollars
worth u rroy sons, was net disturbed
Is,e IL a prof. on tho ssasons work Of hundred art
twenty Thousand dollars In this tho lessee was rar
.iculary fortunate IN having no provous interference
by gaers Most OF tho lessccs we're not so Fortunate
cite tue case above showing the gains whom under
favorable auspices. Others have probably done snay
ven while few, in exposed situa.ions have ioss snen
whole investments aud received returns whatever.
Probably ono half the plantations leased have been
failures.
gentleman connected with the Sanitary Commission,
who has recently visited the post at Mlkcns Bend, tells
me that on several plantations tho negroes Lave been
cnl,iyang on their account. On Tho Paran piania-
u one uegro assisted by others, had raised ard
pu up fourteen halcs and thought be wood have twelve
more whom his crop oil picked and gnned Another,
PERSONS assisting bad made seven Dalcs, ana
third wospg alone two and analf bales. On tho BLACK
man plantation several negroes working together had
made nearly three bales each. Other instances cited;
bu, tho above will suffice.
cotton planting turing tho past year ls thus shown 70
have been highly profitable. The value Of mo staple on
The eers bank Is not less than $3.50 per BALE Those
negroes Who aboyei for themselves and succeeded IN
rasiue from two four bales each have realized Tor
their time and trouble handsome remuneration. -
an esab hod TACT that when labor Of any kind proGt-
able 10 an individual II win be much more 80 y al asso.
fbe q
eaoh on plantation IL 10 estimated that they would
make eight Daee to the hand-worth,d mo present
two thousand dollars. The wages Of me negro
will no, exceed eighty dollars year. and MA suossence
and clothing much more Any person can reaay es-
sima,e the prort TO be derived from year Work VI
Tartes thoroughly cOnvsrsant with the business havc
given me the gnres boar - they can be sven, Tor
ne cnitivation Of an abandoned plantation. We viii
s,npose man comes here from The North 10 engage IN
sha busness He ends plantation deserted, nearly
Al, ha W. been by its The buildings remain un-
disturbed and the tools In ordinary condition. Tho
negroes and the live stocA are gone The expense wee
about a. follows -.
Tor Inc purchase Of mules and oxcn...........@ooo
Tor the purchase and repair IL wagons, harness
sndrormng utensils Wy
Supplies Tor subsistence 49,
Pay Of hands ...s''.''' WV
- =
TOkal.,
The above Ia an Tor the expense d pfoueSnS
undcr ordinary circumstances, eight hundred oses ~
ce4ton. II might cost Tow thousands mo,s