Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-18
REPORT or INSPECTION OF THE
EEEInMEN.. n EIAT.
oFFICE SUP'F r., r. AND A. l.,
IT'LL. -----.-E ~. Il -

iilaDlallol- IN llle northern portion q
Fayette county, Tenn.
A. directed 10y you, 1 first visited TN
plantation of Gen. Benz. N. Williamson
and then as many contiguous ones as th
brief time allotted me would permit,
short report Of each Of which j viii giv'
IN order touching upon the more ilnp0r
tant points of interest that came unde
my observation.
ON the plantation of Gen. Williamson
are one hundred and eight freedmen, in
alIthfrfv-iiveareU grown field hands-equa
numbers male and female. Alss, iiftN
children. twenty of whom are able q
earn their living. The remainder are
old and infirm, and able to perform but
little if any labor. All the freedmen on
This plantation are in good health, anC
aufear to be- well provided for in every
ri.5gect- There have been no deaths ano
fust one birth during the year. From
what / am able 20 learn- the negroes re-
caive a large share 0f the profits Of this
plantation III indeed not all
On the plantation of /. p. William
son. .,leceazed1, brother of the General,
which Is now under the supervision and
control of Mr. Staiuback, are about forty
freedmen. of all ages and sexes, women
and children largely pred5minating. On
this place they have worked well and
cultivated a good CROP OF which they are
10 receive one sixth. The freedmen here
object 90 Masking Improvements ON the
farm. claiming that theif work was 20 be
confined Go the crops alone m which
they l.ave am interest; the employer on
She Other hand, claiming that in cOnsid-
Grafton OF uue-siNth, their whole time
for the wear was his This is q common
complaint, and the sause appears 70 have
arisen from q miSappreheusf0n or mis-
understanding rather than from any pur-
r,1-a r., do what is wrong, and the Whole
efficiently can be Obviated in the future
Fv care i'm making contracts On tins
r,iare also. the best interests Of the
freedmen appear 20 be regarded; and IN
the person Of the widow OF l.. /. " II
hanson they have an excellent counsel
Tor. and one who regards them #iln
christian sCliciJude.
w. B0yd has on his plantation twenty
nine freedmen. only two of whom are
mem six arr field hands and three house
servants. The others are children, ana
old and intirm. He expresses himself
fully satisfied with their work, and says
that. for the number employed, they
have oUllivaJeda good crop. Iheser reed-
men vrsreuat so well clothed, but whether
fbe fault was their own, 0r Air. Boyds, /
am unable 10 say. / omitted 10 keHOte
,f their uav, if 10 were told NE, bdt from
his well known character as q gentle
man there l. no doubt that he viii do
what Is right
Col J. II. Moseby has seventy-seven
iu an on his autatiOn-thirty-seve are
field hands and the balance children, old
and in6rm. 4 few of these are able iD
earn their living, the Others have % be
troyi,laI for. Four are orphans. lie
has raised quite d good crop, and eN-
presses himself generally quite well sat
i-fed with both their labor and deport-
mput. He has had no difficulty except
with one, which grew out of misunder-
standing regarding division of crop. He
1iEa a good citizen, Is doing his share
toward bringing order out Of chaos, and
4 irving h. render most efficient and
Heuehcial 30 all eJncrred the new system
Of lab0r.
w. II. Hobs0n, adjoining ilie above,
has on his place fify-hve fifsedmsu-
seventeen work in the field, only i've oi
whom are men-thirty are children, the
craater number of whom are no. abie 10
make their living. He has made for the
pre-sf year ng definite contract, but as
-ured me. iu tl4e Bfsseure OF Als nciSh-
l,1rs. that he would not be behind any OF
them I'm remuneratlng bis labOfeIs. hr
ha- raised q good crop, and eNpresse7
himself well satisfied with their laGGr
and department.
A. ID. Staiubaek has twenty-siX Ia all
of whom aH. except two or three are
women and children. Has planted iorty-
t00 acre- iu c0ttgu, Ot which he gives
eight acres 90 his labOTers for their srrfi-
eas. He hui- a difficulty in dividing
this share satisfactorily 10 an, women
with children expecting Gs much as those
i'm saNM
work well No complaints concerning
department
f-pop the Coe plantation the owner
doc not reside. An Overseer has been
op the place, Gud some complaint Is
made thaf irregularities exist among the
freedmen. Complaint IS Ilade mat tlisy
have not been furnished with suiliclell
food aEd that I'm consequence nelgh-
Lalrs sock has been felOniOIsiy apd
siealthilv taken = supply the demand.
no white person was present al my VISIT
except those who acc0mp3nioi. me Use
overseer having LEFT. The IfseaiiiSh a
here consist mostly OF women
and children. and have cultivated goou
cr0p. and have worked WeB- Dld not
ase-rtaiu in what way they were Teinu-
t,arst-f They auDeared IA good health
and spirits, and were coihIoI'aoig
clothed
r. a. AIerriwsther has thirty in all on
his plantation, fifteen Of whom Nqfk I'D
the field. Did not see the proprietor al
home. nor his lab0rers. ! did not learn
tine wage- paid but did learn that they
have raised an excellent crop, and tual
they are industrious aua wei behaved
WAS Hot uH the farn Of john j.
Piakeu-. but ha informed nae that he EN-
moved three grown hands, o. eash ol
which he gives one hundred G1l+ars Z
year. aud tw6 children, 70 each Oh NIileu S
he gives twenty-five dollars year ivl
am "a whom he BFOyi1es iehorlng clothes
and far.g I'd addition 10 wages. re say,
they have worked a. well a. he could
wish. and that be haa good crop.
M impression h., that 90 nearly
4U nor an these plantations, ei-ii'
f4v. l.an rad that VIII JUS
Hfv the liberal paymrM OF LaoVIeis
Du an ur nearly All these plas.iali.oli'
the hands have oue-siXth Of the limt
given Them iu which to cultivate pafceI
of ground generally about one acre ioi
their exclusive benefit, and the care ana
attention bestowed upon it shows ull'
tIaE are far from being ueglectfulOi theh
own Interests find that there /. greal
desire au tle part Of the more shreWo
and intelligent o. cultivate land uudei
Their aal rlnEal and management, ioi
which La-y IS olIb pay money rents or q
portion ai tle crop. They, certainly u
this more independent way of working
would sooner become more self-sustain
iug, and lAe family relation sooner be
come established, The necessity of the aid
of his family compelling him to gathel
around the Former lis wife and children
4 fear however, That planters a. gen
efal thing, Notwithstanding the com
fnendabie desire they show b adap
themselves q the changed condition %
fIings. are not inclined To- give much en-
,sauragemeut to this plan as 81 woul,
tsnd 10 break up the Ola system of carry
ing on large plantations .ltel hec1Htrp
and management oil one liaA-
feel thoroughly convinced that al ia
Letter class Of planters aie di'le-ed
..,..f an tbe difficulties Of their sltuatio
- I.-o,,,,,es them as men and christian
fbst tEev ere ready and Wiling 70 q
y-bst 3 fight la Fagard 60 their iorh
I..uduen. and that Iissg feel deeply lie
r.srou.ibilities and Obligauobs iowa
fbe comperatiyely helpless ifee
men is theiF midst. / ana force
however. 10 say iiiat fear liil
-.1aicient importance is not gwen
fFln 20 the establishments Of the i4liill
relations. IIuay De mistaken, bat II 90
mot apDear to be efgS4 with that ealDe7
Dess that becomes them As Iioral ~
Christian men. The sacredness Of IA
relation, % say nothing Of the socl
benefit resulting, demands their eohstal
and earnest attention,
Al an these plantations, except that
Merriwether, I addressed the freedmel
stating 10 them plainly their obligation
and duties as free men. l told them en-
rhatically thar tho military auth0Fiu
would not protect them hGm pupis
meut from crime. l eBdeay0red 10 slo
them the necessity Of forming 0haracte
for honesty and Industry, the necessi
0f performing faithfully their contract
that they would have 10 depend ups
themselves for support, and that Cover
ment would give them no material a
whatever When I pointed out the f.
lacv Of their idea that lands were 20
distributed among them gratis, th'
would invariably say that they did a