Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-05-19

that the negroes should not be ousted
from the lands which they occupy by
virtue OF Gen. Sherman's order, have
either, been made in ignorance or are dis
ingenious That order, which was mil
itary measure, providing for the tempo
rary disposition of the throng of negroes
who had Joined his column during the
= march to the sea, has been taken ad-l
vantage of to secure possession to the
occupants Of the abandoned lands upon
the Port Royal Islands, all of whom are
not black, and who had taken possession
while Sherman was fighting the Confed-
crates years ago upon the banks of the
Mississippi have taken some trouble
to get at the facts Of this matter, and !
find that there are but few negroes occu-
pying lands south of Savannah river
Many of them formerly belonged on the
places. In the rear Of the city of Sa-
vannah there are several localities where
these people have huddIed together.
They live on fish, oysters and rice, and
their clothing is the remrant OF what
hung to them before the war. Many Of
their villages are not within the influence
of the agents Of the Bureauj and the
primitive style in which they live would
arouse the sympathies if it did not shock
the sensibilities- Of the philanthropic
North and South. - pT
You have hard job of it" ] said to
party of three negroes at work upon a
patch of ground on one of the sea island
plantations The surface of the earth
where they were digging was filled and
tangled with grass and weeds, which in
the four years of quiet had obtained pos
session OF the soil A short distance from
the spot several very good cabins had
been built, while near the road number
Of men were engaged in rearing gate
work that two men could have accom-
plished better than six One of the men
to whom addressed the above question
paused from his work, leaning upon his
big twelve-inch Eoe, while he wiped the
perspiration from bis forehead with his
dirty sleeve. .1 w ID 4Ie. b,
"Ah, massa, dat am a solemn fact;
dat ar groun' am tougher nor pine
| knot.
Why don't you use a plow? You
would accomplish much more"
'Der ain't such ting on de ISLAM /,
nor a mule, nor nothin' but these hands. :"
"Well, ifyou work hard with them you
may be able to buy annie and pillow by
and by How many colored people are
there on this plantation p
Nigh goin' on ter sixty, sab y A'.
"How many acres of cotton have you
put in here p H..
Forty or hundred, sab "
"There is some difference between
forty and one hundred. But you are
mistaken; in this field there can't be
more than FIVE acres, at the outside.
! Yes sab, was the answer.
| In the doorway of one Of the cabins a
stout negro, surrounded by several half
naked children, was smashing" as he
termed it, some corn in wooden NOR
| tar. ta .r
Where did you get that corn p /
asked. ,if.5s.go.T ne,t4
"In Sabannah, sab Toted it all de
way down here. Git mighty little corn,
sail, for de fish and listers we tote dar."
u" should think So What do you have
to eat besides fish and oysters and the
corn 2" .r.. -.
Nothing, sah ah sometimes mighty
little Of dat. -fn-fff
The above conversation will give you
an idea of the condition and prospects OF
a settlement of these freed people, who
are an example Of those who are best sit
uated for raising crop and taking care
of themselves. rg ms- s.tl9 rr-.. q