The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-11
The2Sea Island Negroes.

The3Sea Island Negroes
The negro colonies founded by Gen.
Sherman on the Sea Islands Of South
Carolina are thus describedsby cor
respondent Of theENew York / Esening
Post:
The appeals that have been made
through out the country and : I'M Com
gress, tn at the negroes should not be
ousted fr ON the lands which they occu-
by by virtue of General Sherman's Old
der, they have either been made IN ig-
norance or are dsingenuous. That
order, which was military measure,
providing for the temporary disposition
Of the throng Of negroeswho had Joined
his column during the march to. the
sea-" has been taken advantage 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 Con-
federates years ago upon the banks Of
the Mississippi. I have taken some
/ trouble to get at thefacts of this matter,
and 1 find that there arc but few nee
groes occupying lands south Of the Sa
vannah River. Many of them former
| ly belonged ON the places. In the
rear of the city of Savannah there are
several localities where these people
have herded together. They live on
fish, oysters and rice, and their cloth
ing is the remnant Of what hung to
them before the war. Many OF their
villages arc not within the influence Of
the agents of the Bureau; and the
primitive style in which they live would
arouse tho sylnpathies, iftit did not
shock tho sensibilities, of ,tho.philan-
thropic South and North.
"You have a6ard job Of it." I said
4 to q party of three: negroes atSwork.
upon u patch of ground on one Of the
sea island plantations. The surface of
the earth where they we're digging was
filed and tangled with grass and weeds,
which in the four years of 'quiet had
obtained possession 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 repairing gate-work that
two men could have accomplished bet
ter than six. One of them to whom I
addressed the above question paused
from his work, leaning upon his big
twelve-inch hoe, while he wiped tho
perspiration from his forehead with his
dirty sleeve.
"Ah massa, dat am solemn fact;
dat ar groun' am tougher nor a pine
| knot"
"Why don't you use a plow? You
would accomplish much more"
"Der amt such a ting on de islam,
nor mule, nor nothin but these
hands"
"Wel if you work hard with them
YOU may be able to buy mule and
plow by and by. How many colored
people are there. on this plantation
"Nigh goin' on ter sixty, sah."
GLOW many acres of cotton have YOU
put in here? ?'
'Forty or hundred, sah."
"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"
eyes, sah !" was the answer.
In the doorway Of one of the cabins
a stout negro, surrounded by several
half naked childred, was "mashing,"
as he termed it, some corn in q wooden
mortar.
"Whcre did you get that corn ?" I
asked.
I'm Sabannah, sah. Toted it all the
way down here. Gitmighty little corn,
sab, for tho fish and listers VIC toto
dar."
II should think so. What do you
havo to cat besides the fish and oysters
and the corn?"
"Nothing, sah; all. sometimes mighty
little Of dat"
The aboveconversation will give you
m idea Of tho condition and prospects
of settlement of these freed people,
who arc an example Of those who are
best situated for raising a crop and ta-
king care Of themselves,
Applications arc now pcndinS for tEs
pardon of S6 oN-membors of the South
ern Congress, 1872 graduates of West
Point WHO served in the Southern army,
1877 Southern Generals, including
Bragg, ,Longstrect, Beaurogard, and
several " the Lees. Also, 81 promi-
nent Southern Officials, and 116 ex-
United States Senators who held posi-
tons in tho Southern service.
Why are young ladies at the tbreak-
mo mn or q marty like arrows Because