New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-10
Their Situation I'm the Gulf
States.
Report Of Generals Steedman and
Fullerton
Review of the Action and Policy Of the Freed
mems Bureau.
Special D i,ps.ch to The N. Y. Tribune.

WARRINGTON, IhurSla., Aug = iSo'
The following is the report Of Gems Steeiman and Full
lcrton to the War Department:
HEw.0RLEASs. La, July % 1906.
To tie Hon. I. NJ. STANTON, Secretary Of Var
SIR We have the honor submit the following report Of
our inspection Of the operations OF the Freedmens Bureau
Departments OF Georgia Alabama Mississippi Louisiana and
Texas Taking up seriam the points TO which special attn
ton is called order Of Instructions found frat that
tho number Of officers and civilians employed by attached
to ths Bureau in the Departments above named fol-
lows
GEoRGI,.-One Brgadier.Genera Assistant Commis.
staff duty 10 charge Of hospital and = sn1
pay Of $50 no. in addition III agents appointed in accord
aDce with the resolution of the Georgia State Convention
Oct 80 lst They are not paid from bureau rsna' ou' D
ALABAA-One MaiOrGenere, Assistant Corr missioner
staff duty Sub Assistant Commissioners. Civilians ~
MIssI,sIPf-0nc MaorGenera Assistant
snS on 'S nv duty r. performing oa 'n cs
sA-One BrigadierGen Assistant Commission.
err nine on STAFF duty 20 Saba Commissioners, two
on temporary duty civilians 49, at moAlhy SharT Of
TFxAs-One BrigadierGenera Assistant. Commissioner
six staff dqty 20 Commissioners CIVILIANS
The n1fher to whom rntons have been issued in each
State since the st Sept 1862 up the lat Of April were
as follows:
GEoRGIA-Rasions 70 freedmen December 5O; rstions
10 freedmen January Co.'S raons freedmen. February
1910; rations freedmen, March 1912 Eaol5 20 waite
refugees DECEMBER 3; Tatlons white refugees JaBuary
l2 raons white refugees February 81 Faions 10 VINE
refugees. March liz.
Ai,BAM,-Rations to freedmen December oa9i rn.ions
TO freedmen January 2i26 to freedmen Feoruory
1923. ratons freedmen March 5Oj0l5 Ratons y white
refugees December $50 ratons TO white refugees January
g 0 rations white refugees February 1909 raons 70
MISSISSIPPI to freedmen December SO; rations
freedmen, January 90 rauons to freedmen teorla'
g7 cations freedmen. March, J6j Ratons 20 white rei
gees. December. 90 raoas TO white refugees JaHlit -,
TO white refugees February 3d. raIions 20 WHITE Teu
gees. March iL-. -. -,
l92 February, LIS; March. l3ee 10 wht; refugees
December. 81 January 2ii February 90; March 10 ~.
ar1 ~ MaTeb ~ To white refasees-Decem6er i5 jan
uary. g. February, z March, none
There no necessity relief beyond the present season
except in Northern Georgia and Alabama where ahtncd
may be requisite for some time Much depends 10 al
the States upon tho Of this years crop But little
has been given the operations Of the Bureau
by the citizens OF any State except Alabama and Georgia in
which the Assistant Commissioners Wilson and swayne
have much OF the prejudice against the Bureau o
securing the cooperation Of the civil authorities reduction
in expenses the Bureau renders il far less Objectionable
than il is now The dcoutinuance Of paid employs, not in
the military service Of the Government would reduce ex
psnses for clerks hospital stewards &c. to
the following amo"nts'
Georgia :3i5ss per annum Alabama. s339 par annum;
Mississippi s92so per annum; LOUISIANA s9'5i per an
NUN; Texas. sl0,-y6 per annum Total slbJOJ2
All the labor performed by these employees might be dis
charged by details from the troops In previous reports
have recommended the merging Of the duties Of the
Bureau and the military We would again urge this
aagamation Of officers should be required to per
form the joint duties.
We have stated opinion Of the eject Of the operation OF
the Bureau habits OF freedmen aud their disposition to
labor and support themselves We have nothing in sub
sequent Investigations induce to charge tho views
pressed past reports We speak In detail OF the Bu
reau the States have visited The Bureau in Georgia
under the OF Brevet MaoGen Tson has beOn
honestly administered and has accomplished all the good Of
which the is capable 1t has been assisted by the Gov
Judges OF the Supreme Court and civil Authorities
and extent by citizens. The amended laws Of
Georgia are fully liberal those Of any Northern
State. Notwithstanding this fact have found
that agents Of the Bureau have taken OF the hands OF
civil authorities and disposed OF them in
contemplated BY the laws of the State The freedmen OF
Georgia where through the State generally at
work and wherever their remuuerae and
larry paid they contented and doing we'll In Alabama
Msor.Gen. Wager Swayne Commissioner, has pursued dis
Greet liberal enlightened policy laboring the
cooperation Of the civil authorities and 10 obtain from the
judicial machinery Of the State recognition OF the rights
essential well being freed people Subordinate agent
have been guilty OF considerable irregularities The following
named officers and agents are engaged in planting
c Tad Mcacc o. arsa, at SeaI%aarte ,s
Chief Quarteaser Buckly Superintendent Of Educat
ion 5. S. Gardener. late agent at Selma.
agent at Greenyle in selling Government raons but
Gen swsyne himself had undertaken to investigate
the matter did inquire into the We found the
freedmen In Alabama working well the plantations but
the heavy had swollen the Of their banks
doing immense damage to the and apprehensons
were that the freedmen who working shares
would lose their labor. and would not be able to
make subsistence for themselves and families In Mississippi
MsJoGen Thomas j. Wood has improved upon the admins
traon his predecessor Col Samuel Thomas whose policy
was not calculated produce harmony between the
There is still more III feeling existing between the whites and
blacks Mississippi than elsewhere There are causes opcr
atng in localities the control Of tie Bureau producing
antagonsm and bloodshed At Grenada organized band
Of DIES peradoes have for time past held the in
terror. In April last they murdered Lieut.. Banding
Of the Bureau The respectable citizens strongly
condemn the crime. and sought to have the muir.
derers brought to Justice At Meridian condition Of things
nearly bad prevails Major J. Knox fir ed in the
night few months ago. excellent officer on good terms
with the people At Columbus. Major smith made
nsrkable statements He first said that tho people Of the
district wedisposed that the freedmen doing WELL
and kindly treated by all except the poorer classes OF
whites In very few minutes aferward be asserted that
,uages the freedmen had been committed OF
he Planters in the noighborhood He pro- !
,eeded to state especially the nature OF the ourages'
Dy whom committed He mentioned three only oil Of which
lad been committed on plantation by the
md all Of which remeded by the planter himself
non his attention was called 10 them On investigation
und the statements Of this officer to the Ill treatment
grossly exaggerated and learned that the agent him
e had on one OCCASION advised planter with whom he
lining to club any negro who refused TO work Aside from
he places Infested by bad the negroes in Mississippi
work ndustrousy and rule are kindly treated and doing
WE'LL The officers Of the Bureau formerly imposed and col
ected fines and many records At Grenade former
gent Chaplain Lyermore did thriving business this way
II collecting fines and selling raons and Government
lorses and mules This officer not only have col
eeted fines ranging from so cents TO S. from freedmen