The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-09-29
STATE OF SOUTH CARoL1NA,
Beanfora District, Sept. %. 1865

Beanfora District, Sept %, 1865.
His Grce'2ency Goce,,o,., Perry, Pro
visio7'al Gorer.ao,' Of South Carolina.
SIR: We, The undersigned, citizens
of Beaufort District, having just re-
turned from a visit to the town Of
Beaufort by land, have concluded
that it would be for the interest of the
citizens of that District and OF the
State, to give you-the result Of our
observations.
We find that not more than about
one:fourth of Port Royal Island is
planted that of that under cultiva-
ton the corn cropeis lost, aqd the
cotton planted in patches and over
grown with grass nearly as -.iigh as
the cotton. The negroes OH Hilton
Head are in n starving condition.
Those on Port Royal say they have
seen hard times Out of a gang of
one hundred at the beginning of the
wal, but thirty remain. There is a
great deal Of sickness and mortality
amongst them. We find also, that those
who left the main land and went over
to the islands, Will be sent back to the
main as soon as the cropsare gathered.
There are very few negroes at pre-
sent So the mainland in Beaufort Dis
tr1et. Only a few farms in the upper
part Of the District are cultivated.
When the cold weather comes. there
Will be thousands of negroes from the
islands and upper country focking
to the vacant plantations, without, or
nearly destitute of, food. Moreover,
they have been taught to believe, by
the Freedman's Bureau, that the
whole of Beaufort District is aban-
doned and dedicated to their use
that they are to be .colonized there.
They therefore look upon the owners
ct the land as intruders and enemies
Conversation with the m ,roes de-
monstrate1 this fact. Add to this
that the negro garrisons at Pocotaligo.
Grahamville, and on Port Royal
Island and Hilton Head, infame their
hatred and desire to obtain the land
OF their former owners by any means
In their power. Tile garrison at Po-
cotahgo recently aroused their deter
mlnation to drive the whites out of
the District, and but for the banding
together of the latter and their threats.
would doubtless have done so. The
recent infamous eutrages of the POGO
tallgo garrison upon a family of re-
spectacle white females, was the first
outbreak of this determination. There
smon general fam;7ief feelngaoi eli INSECURITY &c
presence of colored troops and from
vagrant and starving negroes from
the islands.
We have the honor, further, rcspecH
fully to state, that the Freedman's Bu-
reaa regards all land South of the
Charleston and Savannah Railroad as
abandoned, althoug gh your Exccllency
is aware, doubtless, that planters Of
that section We're ordered to remove
during the war by the late Confede
rate authorities, The Bureau has
agents now going over the District
reporting land as abandoned, with
intention to sell them or coloniZe ne
groeSsa on them for three years. We
Will also mention the fact here, that
the citizens of Beaufort District were
advised by the Legislature of the
State, to remove from their homes. !
with their property, just prior to Shcr-
mans invasion 81 this State. Many
Of these citizens have lost everything
but their land, which is now threat i
ened to be taken away, and if not
soon allowed to return and pcaceably !
to cultivate their farms, will be in a
condition. They are anxious
to return at once to prepare their land
for next years crop.
From these facts we have conclud-
ded, that it will be unsafe Tor us and
other citizens of Beaufort District,
to return to their homes with their
families until the negro troops arc