The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-08-15

THE FRkEU1rEU6 BUREAU.
Report q Majsr KIdrsdge On the Csnlisisn Or
Nseshern Alabama ard Geersia-The Issne
zIleness-Its Discsutlnnancs Recenaended,
wAMu0roH, Assua IL lsoa
The following important report On the alleged destu-
Don N portions Of Georgia and Alabama y ths substance
u TIE personal observation Of ocss Of General How
ards STAR and finds ~ paramount importance in the
ansagonstc policy rscommends to that hitherto pur
w4smno1ox D. G., Angus. 10. 1850
Major General O. O. HOWARp Commissioner Bureau Re.
fugess Freedmen and Abandoned Lands:--
GMsRAL-I have the honor TO report that in com
pliance with orders and instructions from your ONCE,
a allow ss's sh.s ana portion q Northern Alabama and
Georgia reported q m state s e. OF famine,
large portion Of its population. :,
Al Montgomery, the headquarters Of the State, a.
General Swayne- obtained the information TO local.
ities officers &c, necessary 70 guide me IN my future
course Two hundred and ten ratlons per dem are s
tbuted 70 people Of Montgomery county by United
States oceE whose issues are made with careful dis
crimnaton and although 10 the thirteen COUNTESS CON-
psising the district Of Montgomery, 1855 ratons per
dem issuedI could hear Of no authentic case Of
starvation, even Of suffering there Believing
iectad as aiiording fair example Of the destitute
districts would enable me to report more inteiigcnuy
than would cursory inspection Of large extent o.
Railroad % he Rome Geoes branch striking into the
country by,anv available means; then from Rome 70
district Of Alabama In pursuance Of this plan the first
point visited Atlanta Georgia Issues here made
EsKab Two hosand three hundred per diem are issued
so far time allowed visited the houses OF the recipe
ents Of bounty Of the questioned the people
they certainly are starving they are not, and have
besn neither could hear Of any Of starvation
although tho parties questioned In many cases came from
poor distance attracted by the issue Of
tons at Atlanta United Stat es officer ia stationed at
Atlanta in charge Of district Of ten counties, in only
two OF which previously mentioned are raons issued
This officer, well AZ the civilian a2ent informed me
that even after the rations have been delivered TO the
In finding willing to haul them to the place OF con-
sumption without remuneration in money from the
Bureau.
Cobb county, Ga, the visited The relief for
tho county distributed at Marietta, at which point
present during the issue Of raons whence visited
and closely examined large range Of country, convcrs
ing with the applicants for aud the recipients OF the
Snd"d that two thirds Of the peopo now receiving m
tons in ths county are In no absolute need of them,
and have not been since the ssue began and are In no
danger Of any suffering from famine in the future
Kingston Cass county, Ca, was next visited The
agent Of the Bureau being absent at the time passed
into the country however and the impression received
In Cobb county strengthened by observations here
At Rome in the county Of Floyd but Little sun FIRING
exists and lair being anticipated but little Is feared
by the people.
The counties Of Cherokee, Calhoun and DeKalb are
among the mot destitute in Alabama; but while some
might perhaps have starved without timely aid from
without many receiving share Of the ratons sent
who have CLAIM to such rchef either in humanity
about be gathered tho time Of my visit, although
far full will be- sufficient 10 support the people till
the next yield close examination was made Of the
was unable to proceed from Cherokee county to
Huntsville Direct a. had purposod, and returned 70
Dalton, whiteneld county, Ga, was the next point
visited But little difference exists between this county
and others visited in the State
Re.enteriur Alabamn. visited Huntsville the head
quarters Of district comprising thirteen counties tho
mos, destitute in Aabams. Hero l met officers from
whatever may have been the necessity Tor relief the
need past; and that issues should be discontinued
Of tho country 70 which my orders apply, have
converscd with all classes, Union men, including
sciss ind citizen rebels including the vast majority
OF the citizens and nearly all the officers Of he cvi gov
a.. sps the opy %
these various folks may be briefly stated thus Union
men arc positive that the government is uDwiftipgly
Who are abSndaniy able 70 support thsnssives Al
uniting, however that there IL 'somo real desttution,
mcnt and ascrbe 70 the idIeness and reckessness
Of the people, United States officers, far l
Of atons, made, n they ainos. invariably
are, by men Of more than doubtful! loyalty,
nlng the position Of officer Of their civil government
OF the government al least with criminal careiessnes
The second class according to their positions vary widely
oil which class travelling, ~ did, inceguita met
many, claim that 10 makes no difference how much des
having been ruined BY the Yankee government, are
entitled support at its hands and say that they advo
cate getting all they can IN any way. mlaer class
while saying but little, 'ndiC ate IN many ways
their full belief in the old Southern idea that
every born south OF Mason and Dlxou's
line has q natural and nalienable right 10 be
supported by the general government Hoping 10 re-
ceive their share saarled Offices OF the govern
neighbors should receive their government pap
densed in pork and corn The thrd sass have men
toned, have few opinions on any subject that
FOIL stomach Is good thpg-its reverse unpleasant
and that the Yankees tends and little expression
anything 40 abstract AZ the subject 81 my sson could
be- obtained from them.
Prom my observations briefly recorded shove ! am
convinced that there has been single Of
lion in either State; that the OF desttuton
been largely exaggerated and the officers 81 the Bureau
rev. scattered ana 20 located as 10 oa IN
grossly deceived in reference thereto That
although some desttuiicn exists and has existed, it
is not absolute, but CONSISTS mainly IN confinement to
few articles Of food, Of which in nearly ali
there has been asufcepcy and that IL IL Gscrba
bic great part to the dlenesS Of the people That The
ratons the present producing
great decentralization and leness among the people and
tina, 20 long A. IL il continued the apparent necessity Tor
u will exist That the crops of the year. though small
amply sufficient with economy 70 supply the people
with the necessmes OF lite ill another crop harvested
That the system of placing Southern men aud local
politicians rebels today IA positions giving them the
absolute disposal OF large amounts Of government
property although IL promote good feeling between
the various clssses OF soeiety and harmony
highly delightful 10 rebels and their sympaiblscrS,
false and dangerous Even considered In reference TO
The Issue of raops. only these have the absolute
control OF the Of raons, from the tart tia, tho
estimates upon which the supplies are drawn from the
Comrnissary Department furnished by them, and hat
the ratiops finally entrusted Ia them for disir.
button. That the system y dangerous aud wasie.
full appears when n IN considered that thP~e
all petty politicsus anxious 10 secure popu.
lsfity and votes, and that no cheaper and
convenient means Of obtaining popasrt. can be
imagined than gra,uiious distribution of the