The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-06

The Rich Cotton Region
About Augusta.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY.
THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU A CURSE.
Evil Effect Of It's Policy on the
Negroes.
-~~>~>~~~~~~~>~~,>>~-~
Interesting Facts Regarding the Labor Ques.
ton in the State.
->
General Carl Schurz ON His
Inspection Tour,
&C.. Co., 90. w

Our Augusta corrsspondenoe.
AUGUSTA, Ca, July 2S, 1885

Our Augusta Correspondencos
AUGUSTA, Ca, July Is, 1885,
I'm CIT AUGUSTA AND SURROUNDINGS
II may be unnterestng your readers to have
Of matters this point and in its vicnage
since the downfall Of the confederacy and the entegra
ton Of the authority of the United States Tho city Of
Augusta deserving of particular notice from its geo.
graphical position which renders It the enrepo Of very
large back country Georgia well no inconsidera
bic portions Of South Carolina In either State those
districts adjoining the city, finding outlet for their
duce through It, are, perhaps better adapted than any
other portion Of South the culture Of cotton and
happier days. celebrated only their large yields
of this staple but for the number Of their then slaves
The country lying to the back of Augusta and the county
Richmond In which it is situated is composed great
part Of the counties Of Burke Columbia Warren Jeer
son. Washington Greene and Wilkes or the half mil
lion bales Of cotton which the average yield
of the State Of Georgia. these counties produced
one with another less than seventy thousand
bales about fifteen per cent Of all raised in the State
Georgia having ninetyve counties the average to the
county was about five thousand two hundred bales the
State round while this particular portion of her
roy the average yield TO the counties mentioned
hard ON to eleven thousand The number of
negroes formerly held In these counties
slaves about fifty three thousand-round numbers
Burke the number Of blacks that of the whites
four TO one, Is also the in Greene and Wilkes;
Columbia county the proportion I've one in Jeer
son. three to one; in Warren and Washington, just
double-the negroes thus outnumbering the whites q
little three TO throughout back country In
South Carolina the neighborng districts having this
city as the metropolis to which their produce is for
warded are the districts Of EdgeHeld, Barnwell and
Abbevilie Here the blacks are about fourth
than the Whites but Of the three hundred thousand
bales Of cotton forming the average annual yield hereto
fore, Of the twentynine districts composing the State
Che, three districts named above produced
siderably one NTH, or TO the rise Of twenty-five
lion pounds In these districts also over eighth
part Of the former slave population Of South Carolina
was To be found. From these rough statements some
Idea may DO formed of the peculiar importance Of this
section Of country in cotton producing view and Of the
Immense interest once possessed in the culture Of that
crop by slave labor. In region NOT amounting In ex
tent part Of the area of the South
It will thus be seen, also that fully one hundred and
forty thousand bales Of cotton were annually raised
by Q negro force Of one hundred and ten thousand,
supervised by about half that number Of whites
In thus dwelling upon the subject Of cotton it has been
sought to convey idea Of the peculiar richness Of this
Augusta region and in mentioning the preponderance OF
enc former slaves-now freedmen-over the white, it
or this section In tho proper management Of that popu
la.ion BY the suthorities
DESCRIPTION or CIT.
But Of these topics more hereafter In more NIT ng
place. while shall be my endeavor here TO give some
account particularly Of the city itself During the
war Augusta was about the only city Of any prominence
In the South which suffered by actual hostites
Richmond, stubbornly defended 30 long, taken at
the last Charleston, In spite Of Beauegard and Fort
SUMTER OF hAbor distractions and ironclad rams was
entered at length by the armies Of the United States
when the ruins Of st. Mchaes looked mourniuly out on
ne shattered ampars Of the ciys well sheed dofencss
Wilmington went with Fort Fisher, and Savannah
was lost when Sherman swooped through Georgia;
Nashville New Orleans and Norfolk taken
% soon men almost forgot they were ever from
under the authority Of the Union; vicksburg and
Memphis, Macon, Millsdgeville and MONTGOMERY were
severally taken; but through all Augusta the pro-
city escaped unscathed She attacked or
even seriously threatened the torch that laid
Columbia ashes heard the sholl that opped down
Atlanta into ruins Throughout the struggle some kind
providence kept her safe New York Chicago and
when last the Cross Of St Andrew came down and tho
ovsr bcr sIseps the Change was preceded by no moro
boodshcd and accompanied by no moro disturbance than
if an angry feeling had never existed To this singular
rood fortune that exempted her from the actual casual
ties war; Is owing that to-day Augusta presents the
only even approximate type TO be now found In those
naughty States of an old time Southern city Through
out the veong day, as the hot FUN pours down
on the dusty streets aud rpons the gs that overhan
garden walls men stroll stlcssy about diversfyng the
fonotony Of free easy style Of doing business with
the frequent inhibition OF cooling drinks and the COD
sumption Of the delicious fruit for which this section Is
famous and which this year has been vouchsafed In the
richest profuson The omnpctent Niger, little
sobered perhaps, by the responsibilities freedom bring
with It, s usual veryghere 10 be seen heard and az
one may say and ve ssnelt-drving his dray, tag
ging at his cotton hale, ringing along inc sweet
luscious peach, the ng the grape, the PEAR Tie apple
the last-named fruit, by the by, which does not do
woll in this climate lacking Juice and iay9ror ENJOY
ing at scorchng corner the double delights OF IN
dolence and gossip with his kind, Now and then an
equipage kept up despite war blockade and emancpa-
ton, dashos by, or bevy Of lades-and most sweet,
pretty creatures they are-ls from spoil
Ing the Egyptians Of the North by the bargans they
bszen glare Of the sum- the loose dresses and
walk the tnkle Of ice and gurge Of care the cry OF
Tho boys hawking the EHALp, Times and Luroted the
languor, che ease tho general air in everything and
everybody OF drawing II mild and not by any put
ting too dne point upon H. are one and all the very
marks Of q Southern city summer as OF old
Some signs there are, II Is true telling Of different
times but these sights ond sounds rather the
cnaion than the substance Of The picture Itself ThO
dashes BY as though horsehesh, heavy unitorD .. ,c'
satry heat were no. worth considering At an III
time ut worry near full speed, It seeming, Oh M %
be the rule OF the service that the mo- p,ad anA,a
The United states "a must roe through streets k
horse on the cloud OF due ,, ,s s up an
cutchng Of cane. and eecelsr zion Of cal, by stad 81
citizens and fearful squah from he y"vng fsSws
as he makes in terror fv his % man , , u
and sounds dcnoDg aps acoomnanviny Tho nro,n
along the city ways 81 Che furious riders In blue 20 n
tho good luck thas waits Augusta has warded OFF an
damage arising lrvn this style Of equation no rider
mock having noen broken, hapess pedestrian hay
been mutnmried by his traupling horse Another ign
too the war Is TO be bobsld 10 the ounsins li,tl
sqnaos Of the negro troops who in twos and thrccs
poifsr about the streets and market houses chacrin
Fn tho ebon sellers of fruits and cakes icaherv ool
ing pies and epd seeming cdor forming the centres
simirlng groups Of freedmen TO whom they discourse
Ia Sir Oracle and lndusing in two liberties unforb,,
Den by freedmen egulstions-ths consumption OF la
cigars and Vi, venting Of much AID bostef5s profanity
A rule, these colored t9aps are neat in their AZ
oea5snSe % Iar Is my own observation goes, no
from the greatest ut 81 al In southern eye, fbei
being sJdiers al al-being heir excessive an
i2pe venting Of oaths. Taking the cue rom nj
soldier brother, the now military freedman swear
hugely too thinking doubtless that freedom, like goo
many other things, ia best confirmed by an oath. A
rs tho presence and association OF the coored troops