Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-30
OLE GRENAnA CoRREsPoNnENCE.

oAh ahENABA
GRENADA, Miss, JAM &c, 1865.
Christmas week passed of very Peaceably,
There existed no apprehension Of violence, and
none occurred in this vicinity. But the scene
in town was one Of strange and confused
appearance. Blacks crowded I'm, and whites
ditto. The blacks had learned that they must
look out or they would have no shelter, fuel or
food; and the whites believed that they
needed the labor OF the blacks. For many
days nothing but confusion appeared TO a dis
interested spectator; but bargains We're in
| progress, and finally nearly all the negroes con-
tracted for homes and employment. since that
time some weeks hsve passed, and the reports
I have received from various sources are cheer
ing. ! mean cheering in comparison 20 the
spirit which prevailed months before, and in
consideration Of the peculiar state Of society.
Hope has certainly been enlivened, but it is
| hope only that the result viii not be as bad as
had been anticipated. The tone Of the negroes
has changed very much in the last two months.
| They have become comparatively modest, or
/ derby and industrious, and appear very much
| as they did before the war. The most striking
difference in appearance, now and then, consists
in their now appearing less cheerful, Lively and
well dressed than formerly. There is reason to
hope that both white and black will do better
than was anticipated by the majority OF the
thoughtful minds in the State. But the best
VIII be worse for white and black
There areabOut six hundred negro troops here
to help reconstruction" who have been very
| efficient in some instances, in the destruction OF
hogs and the peace OF families IN some in
stances they have visited farms in the neighbor-
hood, killed the hogs and cows, and forced the
negroes on the plantation 10 help them take
d auHaV Thafr n1rnTnr In nnA instance rha f4~-
mer made report 10 the commanding officer. Of
their misdeeds, and the consequence was that
a short time afterwards a squad Of negroes Wis
tied his farm, inquired for him, who happened
to be absent, and said that if they could md
him they would take islife for reporting them.
The commanding officer, as we learned, lis
tened 70 the report politely, and expressed a
will 10 punish transgressors II they could Be
IDENTIFIED.
Another worthy farmer near town, informed
me that the negro soldiers killed every hog he
had, except two small ones, and he killed them
AS he knew he could keep no hogs. He was
requested 10 report these things not only
to the officer in nina here but 20
the Government; but he replied that he be-
lieved no good would result from this course,
but, on the contrary, he would probably have
his house burned. This officer ever ex-
presses readiness 20 punish, If the transgressOr
can Be Identified. In most cases tins is impossible,
even If the soldiers are seen in the act; but much
mischiefis done by them, when they are not
seen by those whom they have ~plundered. The /
citizens are, in most instances, afraid % report
on the negro soldiers, besides believing that il
win do no good. There is but one way TO pre-
vent these depredstions, aHd t4gt is, for no sol |
diers to be allowed TO go from camps except by |
special permit or orders, and then in company
with officers lrho cUn Be Identified at hesdquar-
tiers as Hglzsnt when outragcs are perp, rated, |
and ought to be hela responsible.
The murder Of two Germans, Tell sHd Green,
recently in Grenada, is condemned as decidedly
here as il can be any where. There are many
rUmGrs, founded only on conjecture, as 20 the |
causes, ana ing perpetrators Of these foal muir
ders, bat none reliable.
IN my next. may eudeavor 20 describe the
Spirit Of the Times mere, aud give my views on
the progress Of reconstruction" OF 81 the de-
s,rucdon Of the Union. SIDNEY HANIPDEN.