New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-04
The Freedmcn Of the Mississfppi Valley.
Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune

Contemporaries Of Inc NJ j. lnbuhe.
Nr,sEsIrH RlvER, June %. 1905
A brief stay end limited opportunities pre-
vented my obtaining fa. formation in regard to the
Freedman Il. snd in the vicinity of Helens Ark l. how
ever have scme facts this and Some as ~ last
years operations which possess some Interest, ard In
purs uance with your request submit them.
The freedmen on plantations here az generally else.
where in the Valley where Federal suthority Is really
operative comprise two Glasses: Lense.holders and
Hired aborers In the Spring Of 1861 Chaplain Herrick
Superintendent OF Freedmen Helena. ty the reGues: OF
Mr. Mcllen. selected mach OF the oonfiscsted or
abandoned lands this Place colored persons here
he'd the and disposition to lease and cultivate
There were about thirty yored sssees DuI find no
statistics to the agg egate amount 81 !d worsed by
them. but have learned that every lessee mnde some
money by tie years operation. Chaplain HerIicS
stated last November that 10 Of these persons. with
the results of whose VOL he acquainted re allied
from their crop 81 0C0 and these did not hod tie
largest quantity Of lard relatively. The following
instances will illustrate the industry ard thrift Of these
lessees:
Jlromc Hubbard AID George West leased co
acres-plan,ed 20 In cotton-lhcr expenses were
:opt .cO; they sold tbeir crop for esoO) Napoleon
Bowman lensed II acres he had some capital to begin
expenses were less than oOo sold his c1op for 5000
-realizing over $4,000 oeur profit. Rober, Owers
leased II acres having nothing TO star. with he Dor
roved his capital; he earned ~ the seasons work
enough to purchase good huuso, with arcfdce of $500
Samuel B'aien leased 10. acres expended about eto
in its cultivation and sold his crop for 5000
could not learn that the success Of taess p's rs
was proporcnaciy greater than that OF obefs at ,ais
dan sIin "A al nsa
were eminently successful in their undertaking last
year though they probably the most enterprs ng OF
the Freedmen q: Helena.
There were bat three or fonr confscated plant Ions
in the vicinity Of Helena s, uuca Of thsse vas not
taken up by color men was leased % whites Fir N
or sixteen other plantations belonging to oyal perso
were cnsod h Northern capi, nlists As understand
all these ess.es employed Freedmen to work tI lands
under regulations similar to those Instituted ny
Gen Panks-wItl this provision. however; that first
cless male halds should receive so Per month, together
with food and clothing and other hands propotopato
rate. The planter subsequently released from the
obligation 20 furnish clothing. but re cu ed n st
& IL former esta bsod rates BY the SYSTEM ad"pied,
schools wer, to be established each pinia,ion. end
there was to be such oG,c.el supervision rs wona
secure the enforcement II az rules governing .
e-sees and lsborcrs. ahl protect both classes "ri
f. justice and imposition. YoG will not oe surprised 70
learn that this system, however excellent may have
Seemed poper. sgpaiiy faled. In regard 10 the
practical wcI.h Of tho system here, have asc.r-
tanned Al leasi &c things;
/ There ", LIZ competent and efficient supervision
by officers empowered with authority to enforce tho
system.
2 Tie lcssecs In many instances allowed thelr hands
. anticipate their wages. and DELAYED settlement III
te niddle # IN. year. het many Of them wcre then
largely In debt.
g. The laborer- being furuibled with food md cloth
ing. just as ia tie former coalition OF siaN"ry we're
KEEP: a state OF depend nee had no incentive to work
adust oYsly and had opportunity Of qlpg ideas
and habits II sef.Gepeuterce.
In letter addressed Ia Gen pu'ord BY Chaplain
IIer.ick in November. lsG4 Ind tie following pas.
rage IN regard 70 this mstter:
Not school Las beea established on Plantation.
end believe effort mace 10 establish one No suca
.ipery sion las hcoa main tinol would pr srt
iJffon insre mat tho food aud cofhinS furis'nf
the IA, ores s5ou: DO cd snd suhstmtsl Of is
Kind. No particular and Pcrsisient "noft las beed
m1e cultivate thriliu,ss furcihoEght 20 ps,
ieci the weak. ignorant. All humble rom i, 'tce.
No officer having caro- OF this PEOPLE has visic lem
no heir holcs; and from obsrTs atifa 0ni inquiry,
become fsmii.ir with the state at Affairs there;
no adequate ard efficient .ioans II redress btve been
ai'de. and, If iljrsiicc hss been cYrer need he'd ed
ha hid 10 b. endured in silence"
This le,i,r VIA written by Chaplain Herrick I be.
q ,ve, before no connected With tie Free!mens
Department presume II the result of his .btcr
va;ons here, and gives view II ust,.fs very similar
10 what / have received To-, other !, was
fortunate for e coiored lsb'rs that the White lesees
were general, fair and hono be men. they
ported TO have been The t ne II compensated Ifbor
a. this point 10 doubt has b. md viii be used bs TIE
,nemi,. Of the col red pecre aid hence have sm"d
brag out the fef aud siauces TO which ,he
failure my pro- y attributed. viz: first Of al he
rysten that u: pred; and secondly the manner In
which il has bs,n ried out by those who might have
made u more ei lcen'.
Notwithstanding the experiment may be rsgaried IS
failure n tie re.alts OF he years labor to these
hired Ieope have been ol,ur follows; Gt the close
Of he year noet ~ tbCm bette. hoath and bet
ter clad tran at irs hegnnir, About orefourth when
the settlement was male, eAc. were IN debt or lad
nothing dle them; onef mt d balauo, In their
favor Of thGl e2O and til utIer hall bannce Of
lees than $40. A Few we:e qrite 'uccessfaL Dne old
woman, ~ yegrs II age had balance Of SIS 81.
boy OF . Leonard Lloyd. had balsnce Of I iCa &c.
Laborers certain plantat ma were allowed by the
ssees 70 have an acre or 81 Of land their
count and II when they cond they themselves
cevng s the proceeds One Of this class sold the cot
ton he thus raised for e. which he had above his
years wages; aud heard Of another instance where
man closed the year With $500 earred in this way.
Two plantations were cultivated a. share system.
the owners furnishing hateve- was .llred 10 make
the CROP and allowing the lSborers on.thri Of the
crop for their labor tho employer furnishing food and
clothing and charging the some TO the laborer The
only fact tave regs;d To this pin is that Ia