Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-12-28

1
= raising crop this year, having Little ma
: terial left TO work with. Thus they wer
t unable to make contracts as favorable Z
IS the freedmen as they could otherwis
Y have done. The Assistant COMMISSIONS
4 finds great difficulty in getting parties Z
= enter into them for the next year. He
= reports affairs in Darlington, Williams
burg and Marion districts, in better con
: dition than elsewhere. The freedmen
: here are self supporting, and there il
little or no conflict between whites anc
I blacks. A pass and patrol system Is still
kept up in Barnwell district The De.
Da-tnlent Commander had his Headquar.
ters at Hilton Head Gen. Saxton his al
Beaufort, and finally at Charleston, and
the Provisional Governor was in the
= northern part of the State. Hence there
p has been much separate and some con-
iiicting action on the part of these OIL
GERS, and many misunderstanding. | be-
lieve, now that the Department Com
mander and Assistant Commissioner are
both at Charleston. and cooperating,
more complete order and confidence will
be the result. In this State the feeling Is
general against the presence Of colored
troops. II IS alleged that the effect is to
disturb labor throughout large district
in the vicinity Of the garrison, and the
fear is expressed by the white inhabi-
tants that the colored troops will join the
negroes in case Of insurrection.
Since the arrival Of Gen. Davis TillsOn
in Georgia, in the month of September,
there has been favorable change.
He was at Milledgeville during the ses-
sion of the convention, and explained to
its members the purpose of the Bureau,
and succeeded in correcting many false
impressions.
The Department Commander has given
him full and hearty cooperation, and,
from late reports, j should judge that ali
matters under charge of the Bureau,
were favorable TO good order and stability,
were il not for the extreme destitution
in those localities impoverished by the
war
Brev. Col. 7. w. Osborne, formerly
I Chief of Artillery of the Army OF the Ten
nessee, having received the appointment
of Assistant Commissioner for this State,
reached his postal Tallahassee, in August.
/ Through the influence of the Department
/ Commander, Gen. Foster, he has prac-
1 tically departed from the method usually
/ practised by the Assistant Commission
( ers. He has acted as If on the staff of
/ the General; the commanders of sub
districts have been er-ObiciO, superinten-
dents Of freedmen. and have reported
! upon freedmen's matters to the Assistant
/ Commissioner, always however, max
I ing this duty subordinate TO their military
/ reports.
The State has been very orderly and
/ quiet, scarcely any acts of violence hav-
! ing been reported, though | am inclined
I TO think the freedmen see less change of
{ system, and have less realization of the
j Iarro- thor halono "a frapdpanr hnra
/ than elsewhere in the South.
The Assistant Commissioner is q young
man of high character, and warmly COM
mended by the Department Commander
and Provisional Governor. He has la
bored under great difficulties, having
been obliged to struggle on with scarcely
any funds, and with details altogether in
sufficient to make his department indie
pendent. His circulars and orders are
very complete and satisfactory.
Alabama.
Brev. Maj.-Gen. Wager Swayne, As
sistant Commissioner for the State Of AL
ALBANIA, was assigned 10 duty in the Bu-
reau. by Special Orders Number three
hundred and twenty-three, paragraph
twenty-seven, curren5 series, Adjutant
Generals Office, Of date June twenty
third, and proceeded at once to his sta
tion, at Montgomery, the State capital.
Prior TO his assignment the affairs OF the
Bureau had been administered in Ala
bama by the Assistant Commissioner for
Louisiana.
Gen. Swayne is an officer OF ability
and worth, and during the rebellion dis
tinguished himself by gallantry in the
field. Al the Salkehatchie, in the South
Carolina campaign, he was severely
wounded.
As there was little or no abandoned or
confiscated land, or other rebel property,
in the State of Alabama, and nothing
but tax on labor contracts, from which
the Bureau could derive a revenue, Gen.
Swayue was compelled to rely almost
entirely on the military and State
authorities for officers to act a. agents,
and for such supplies as were required IN
his operation.
He has been particularly fortunate in
securing the cooperation Of the Provl-
sional Governor of the State, and through
him, of the judicial and other State
officers Of Alabama. An recount Of
judicial action has been already given.
While the Constitutional Convention
was IN session, he used his infiuencewith
that body in behalf of the freedman's
interest.
As the crops for the past year have not
been large, owing to the drought and 10
the operation of the hostile armies, Gen.
Swayne apprehends that there VIII be
considerable suffering during the present
winter but be is maturing plans 10
meet the necessity, and hopes to be able
70 succor the destitute Of both classes.
In such counties as seem most TO need
his assistance, he proposes to organize
farms or colonies, to be in the END self
supporting, but in which those who may
have no meansof support, may find tenn
porary shelter and employment. Ar
rangements, recently made with the
Commissary Department, remove the
fear of not being able TO supply them
with rations. During the month Of Sep
tember, Gen. Swayne issued ratiOns 10
three thousand five hundred and thirty
seven freedmen, and TO one thousand
nine hundred and sevenJy-0ne refugees,
making total Of five thousand five
hundred and eight. But in the month OF
October he issued rations totwo thousand
enc hundred and fifty-One freedmen, and
TO two Thousand eight hundred ana
seventy-five refugees, making total OF
five thousand and twenty-siN, being a
reduction I'm the whole number of per
sons receiving rations of four hundred
and eighty-twO.
The schools are not in as fiOurishing a
condition in this State as could be wished,
owing to the lateness Of occupation 10y
our forces; but every effort e being
made TO extend them, and with good
prospect of success. Gen. SWayne re-
ports two schools in operation in the
State, with eleven teachers and four hua-
dred and ninety-seven scholars at Mont
gomery, and four teachers, and four hun
ID, "a nj ttr-ar,rrv uat1nlarz ~ MnhilA
Louisiana.
As soon as the city Of New Orleans
had fallen into our hands, the negroes
from the upper counties OF Louisiana
crowded TO the city and its environs in
such numbers thgt il became necessary
70 organize some system of government
for their control. This matter was al
first left entirely In the hands Of the
military authorities, and the Provost
Marshals Office was the channel through
which they were influenced and assisted;
but as the numbers increased, and rs the
sphere OF military operations was exten-
ded in Louisiana, it became necessary o
organize a Department that should be
charged expressly with the supervision OF
negro affairs, and Gen. Banks in General
Order No. -, Headquarters Department
Of the Gulf, created the " BuaeGu OF Free
Labor
In connection with this Bureau
Board of Education was constituted, and I
taxes levied TO support the expenses IN !
cident upon obtaining suitable buildings
for schools, and securing and paying
teachers for the Freedmen.
This Burean was placed under the con- I
troll of Mr.. 7. W. Conway, who, as Gem 1
eral Superintendent OF Freedmen's AZ I
fairs, Department of the Gulf, exercised I
control over all subjects relating 70 I
freedmen in that Department, making 4
renarts to, and receiving instructions 4
from the Department Commander. lie 4
was authorized to draw the necessary /
supplies from the Oommissary and Quar- /
terinaster's Departments, upon requiSi- /
tions duly approved, as should be required 4
in the performance Of his duties, and 4
otherwise assisted ana protected in or /
ganizing his department in the territory I
acquired by Our arms.
The Bureau was charged with the gen I
eral care of the ageO, iniirm and desti- 1
tute, and with the Institution of such .
regulations governing labor as would in I
sure protection 70 ths Interests OF the 4
freedman and his employer, Thus, when 4
General Order number ninety-one, cur
rent series, Adjutant-GeneraPs Office,