The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1865-09-14
FreeN,,2 cn's RAleu,t.

Maj Gen. Howard, Commissioner of this
Bureau has promulgated the following impor-
tant circular respecting confscated and aban-
doned property
ft. WAR DEPARTMENT., ef.
| BUREAU OF REFUGEES, FREEDMEN, AND
= -7ri: ..I u ABANDONED LANDS, So F.
lf WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. 4, 1865.
! Circular No. Is
Circular No. h. of,July %, 1865 from this
Bureau, is hereby reseinded, and the following
rules and regulations are adopted for the purr-
! pose of establishing a definite and uniform pol
| icy relative to abandoned lands of real proper
! ty, and lands or real property to which the
| United States shall have acquired title by con-
| fiscation or sale, or otherwise which now are,
or may hereafter come, under the control OF
| this Bureau, by virtue Of the act of Congress,
approved March 3, 1865, establishing it, and,
| by orders of the President, to-wit: General
| Orders No. ITO, War Department, June 18th,
| 1865. l.f
|. Abandoned lands referred to in the law
and regulations governing this Bureau, are de-
fined, according to section Of AN act of Con
gress approved July ., 1861, as follows, viz:
Property, real or personal, shall Regarded as
| abandoned when the lawful rthereofs shall
voluntarily absent therefrom, ara engaged,
either in arms or otherwise, in aiding or en-
couraging the rebellion
II. Property will not be regarded as confs
Gated until after the decree of the United States
Court for the district in which the properly is
condemned as enemies property, and becomes
the property of the nited States. h4
/ III. All abandoned land or real property,
and al land and real property to which the
United States shall have acquired title by con-
fseaton, or sale, or otherwise, that now is or
may hereafter come under the control ofthe
EBufeau of Retisd ees Freedmen and ban don
ed Lands by virtue of said act and orders of
the President is and shall be set apart for the
luse of loyal refugees and freedmen, and so
much as may be necessary assigned to them
Itass provided IN section Of The act establishing
the Bureau, VIZ: 20 eyefy male citizen,
I whether refugee or freedman as aforesaid,
there shall be assigned net more than forty
acres Of such land, aud Mcpherson to whom, It
is assigned Shall be projected in the use and
enjoyment of the land fer the term Of three
years, at an annual rent not exceeding six. per
apprai scd.by THE State authorities ii the year
1860, for the purpose of taxafion: and, in case
no such appraisal can be found then the GENITAL
shall be based upon tho estimated value OF The
llandl in said year. to be aseertained in such
manner as the q9plmissieAer may, By regula-
ANY time during said ter, the occupants Of
| any parcels. so assigned ntdy purchase the land
land Receive such title tn erotesass the United
States can convey, upon paying therefor tho
| value Of theland as ascertaa1ed and fixed for
the purpose Of determining tue annual ront
| aforesaid" f.
Nv. All lands, ogotherHeal properly, within
tho several States, viz: Virginia, North Caro-
lima, South. Caroline, Georgia, Florida, Ala
lbama,J Mississippi, Tennessee, kentucky Mis-
Texas, to which the United States has aequir-
ed or shall acquire title by eontiseation, sale
! or otherwise, and all abandenea land or other
| abandoned real property, in those States (pro-
abandoned, remaining unsold or otherwise dis
posed of, shall been properly transferred
toithe Bureau upon requisition ofthe Commits
signer or Assistant Commissiones) shall be
considered as under the control Of the Com
missioner Of Refugees, Freedmen, and Aban-
doned Hands, for the purpose hereinafter set
| forth, and for the time authorized by the act
| esta blishng the Bureau, and no part parcel
of said con6scated orabandoned property shall
be surrendered or restored to the former own
ers or other claimants, except such surrender
or restoration be authorized by said Commits,
sioner.
" Assistant Commissioners will, as rapidly
as possible, cause accurate descriptions of all
contiscated and abandoned lands, and other
confiscated and abandoned real property, that
is now, or may hereafter come under their
control, to be made, and besides keeping a
record Of such themselves, will forward month
~ to the Commissioner Of the Bureau copies of
such descriptions in the manner prescribed by
Circular No. 10, of July H. 1865, from this
Bureau. This will, with as little delay as pos
sible, select and set apart such confscated and
abandoned lands and property as may be deem
ed necessary for the Immediate use of refugees
and freedmen, the specific division of which
into lots, and the rental sale thereof accord
ing to the law establishing the Bureau will be
completed as soon as practicable and reported
to the Commissioner. In the selection and
setting apart of such lands and property care
will be used to take that about which there is
the least doubt that this Bureau should have
custody and control Of
vi. Whenever any land or other real prop
erty that shall come into the possession Of this
Bureau as abandoned" does not fall under
the definition of "abandoned' as set forth in
section 2, of the act of Congress approved
July 2, 1864, hereinbefore mentioned it will
be formally surrendered by the Assistant Com
missioner Of the Bureau, for the State within
which such real estate is situated, upon its
appearing that the claimant did not abandon
the property in the sense defined in said section
and act. Eg-Ls
VII. Former owners of property held by
this Bureau as abandoned who claim its resto-
ration on the ground of having received the
pardon of the President, will, as far as practi-
cable forward their applications to the Com
missioner of the Bureau through the Superin-
tendents and Assistant Commissioners Of the
Districts and States in which this property is
situated: Each application must be accom-
panied by