Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-17
Nninn and Smerifau.
Another Report from Gen. Steedman
to the President.
THE FREEDMEN AND THEIR FRIENDS

ing extracts, Illustrating the disinterested
benevolence Of the freedmen's friends"
COLUMBIA DISTRICT
The first point in South Carolina where
We commenced our investigation was at
Columbia. There we found Brevet Brig.
Gen. Ely, Sub Assistant Commissioner of
the Bureau, who has charge Of district
which embraces an indefinite number Of
counties. We were unable to obtain a
statement Of the extent of territory over
which he presided, for the reason that he
himself did not know the limits Of his iu-
risdiction. This officer is quite extensively
engaged in the cultivation of plantations
His planting interest in the vicinity Of Co
lumbia required so much Of his time that
in one instance at least we found that he
seriously neglected the duties of his office.
Gen. Ely stated that he was cultivating two
plantations on Government account, leased
by himself as Bureau agent, at a cash rent
of $1,000 a year. On three other planta-
tons he stated that he had put freedmen to
work and furnished them with Government
rations, which were paid for out Of their
crops One Of these plantations, he after
wards said, had been rented by William B.
Shepley, Of the Twenty-iifth infantry, wEo
had been a clerk in his Office He Gen.
plantation while Shepley was away at his
home, and had promised TO give them one.
half Of the crop.
A delegation Of freedmen subsequently
called on US and stated that in addition 10
the two plantations which Gen. ELY was
cultivating on Government account, he was
also planting on his own account the farms |
of RoBERT JOINER and A. NJ Hunt. The |
delegation further stated that twenty-nine |
colored persons, men, women and children, |
suffering from the smallpox, were crowded |
into one room, about twenty feet by twenty |
four in size and placed on the bare floor, |
with no bedding while their only covering |
was the blankets they had brought with |
them. These poor creatures were left in this |
condition several DAYS, some Of them deliri- |
Gus, with only one black woman 10 attend |
them, and without any nourishment but meal |
and bread A number of respectable old |
colored people, attacked with the small pox, |
were thus taken from their comfortable |
homes and placed in this room to die Of neg |
lect. One of this delegation assured us that |
he called 10 see Gen. ELY on several differ !
ent occasions to inform him of the suffering
condition of the freedmen in the smallpox
hospital, and was told On each occasion that
the General could not be seen as he vas alb
lect Of duty by Gen. ELY was complained
Of in a letter written by BEVERLY NASH, &
colored man, and published in a Charleston
paper devoted TO the interests Of the freed
men. After the publication of this letter.
Gen. Ely told NASH he did not like have
such statements made about him, and wish
ed the freedmen 10 get up some resolutions
denying the truth Of the allegations pre-
ferred which they refused to do.
We examined a contract between a plan
ter and freedman, which is on file in Gen
Elys Office and herewith forwarded. If this
contract is TO be regarded as evidence of the
condition of the freedmen under charge of
Gen. Ely, they are certainly very little bet
ter of than they were while in slavery. The
system Of labor established by this contract
is at best a system Of peonage.
SEA ISLANDS.
On the 18th of May we left Charleston by
steamer, and visited first the Sea Islands on
the coast of South Carolina, which have
been and still are with the islands on the
coast Of Georgia, under the exclusive CON
troll Of the Bureau. There are on these is
lands one hundred and forty-one valid pos
sessory titles 10 land held by freedmen, I'M
der the order of Gen. Sherman. They en-
Cumber tbirty-two plantations, situated on
James, Johns, Wadmalan, and Edisto Is
lands. The number Of freedmen now on all
the South Carolina islands is about 10000 |
They form, however, but a small portion Of
the aggregate number who have occupied
the islands since Gen. Sherman's order WAS
issued; many Of those who first came here
remained on the island but a short time, and
then returned to their homes on the main
lard. Others who made small crops gath
cred them in and left 10 seek more profitable
employment. A large majority of the
freedmen who still remain on the islands are
in destitute circumstances.
On Wadmalan and Edisto islands many
who are cultivating lands for themselves
would be compelled to abandon their crops,
were it not for the provisions furnished by
the planters. Last season Government IA
lions and clothing were furnished TO most of
the freedmen, who were working on their
own account, with the agreement that they
should aitcrward pay for these supplies fur
nished out Of the proceeds of their crops
but none of the OUTLAWS thus incurred have
been repaid. We found, on inquiry that
some Of the freedmen raised good crops, and |
could easily have reimbursed the Govern |
ment for the supplies provided for them, but |
most OF them were swindled out of all they |
made by gang of white sharpers who, pre- |
tending to be their friends, gained permits |
sion TO come upon the islands and set up /
stores, provided with sweetmeats, cheap |
iewelry and worthless articles Of dress with |
which they plundered these poor creatures |
of their hard earnings. The same class of /
persons who thus defrauded the freedmen |
last year, have made extensive preparations |
TO secure this seasons crop by the same
means. We found a number of their stores |
on Edisto and Wcdmalan Islands and will /
mention one case where one of them is con-
nected with a plantation rs an exam
pie This store is on a farm rented |
and cultivated by a Mr.. Underwood, Of
Boston, Mass. Accompanied by Gen. Scott
we stopped on the plantation and invcstiga-
ted the condition of the freedmen thereon,
working by the task" which is precisely |
the same manner in which their FORMER own
ers worked them. The price per task is fifty
cents which, if paid in money or its equiv
alcnt would be fair wages; but, in lieu Of
money, tickets were given them, on which
was printed, Good for - in provisions at
our store" These tickets were taken up by
the storekeeper, with corn, at s. per bushel,
and other articles at similarly exorbtant
prices. There Tas no meat in the shop.
The freed people gathered round us while
we were there, and complained bitterly of
their treatment stating that with the wages
paid them they were unable 20 earn enough |
10 buy, at the prices charged, their necessa-
sarv subsistence. Ii these freedmen were
paid in money for their labor they could os-
cape the extortious Of the shopkecpcr; but
with the tickets issued 20 them they are COM
PEELED to pay the prices charged, and take
whatever the storekooper sees fiji to give
them, Competition, which would greatly |
reduce the price Of provisions, is prevented, |
at least on this plantation, hy military or
ders Mr.. Tolls on the adjoining planta-
ton, was selling corn 10 these people at 81 /
per bushel, and taking Underwood tickets
in payment, hut he was compelled TO desist
by special order.
On the Baynord plantation On Edisto Is
land, the following circumstances were
brought to our knowledge. The farm was
being cultivated by freedmen on their own
account, partly under land grants and part
Nv without. On the 18th Of MAY last when
the crops had all been planted and the cotton
was being hoed, a man from New York
named Holton, came on the farm with n
squad Of colored soldiers under charge of a
sergeant and compelled the freedmen TO con
tract with him 10 cultivate the land for his
benefit What the exact terms Of tins con
tract were, none of the freedmen knew.