The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-06-17
Extract from Gen. Steedman's Re-
port of the Freedmen's Bureau.
SEA ISLANDS.

On the 18th OF May we left Charles
ton by steamer, and visited first the
Sea Islands OF the coast of South Ca
rolins, which have been, and still are,
with the islands on the coast of Geor-
gia, under the exclusive control of the
Bureau There are on these islands
one hundred and forty-one valid pos
sessory titles to land held by freedmen,
under the order of General Sherman.
They cucumber thirty-two plantations,
situated on James, Johns, Wadmalan
and Edisto Islands. he number of
| freedmen now on all the South Carolina
islands is about $4,000 They form,
however, but a smallsproportion of the
aggregate number who have occupied
the islands since General Sherman's
order was issued; many of those who
first came here remained on the island
but snort time, and thea returned to
their homes on the main land. Others,
who made small crops, gathered them
| in, and left to seek more profitable en-
ployment. & large majority of the freed
men who still remain on the island are
in destitute circumstances. On Wad-
malan aud 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 Govern
ment rations and clothing were fur
nished TO most of the freedmen, who
were working on their own account,
| with the agreement that they should
afterward 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 in
curry, that some of the freedmen raised
good crops, and could easily have re-
] imbursed the Government for the sup
plies provided for them, but most of
them were swindled out of ell they
made by gang of white sharpers who,
pretending TO be their friends, gained
permission to come upon the islands
and set up stores, provided with sweet
meats, cheap jewelry and worthless ar
ticles of dress, with which they plum
dered 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 season crops by the same
means We found a number of their
stores on Edisto and Wadmalan islands,
and will mention one case where
one of them is connected with q plan
| tation as an example This store is
on a farm rented and cultivated by
a Mr.. Underwood, of Boston, Mas
sachusetts. Accompanied by General
Scott, we stopped on the plantation
and investigated the condition of the
freedmen thereon, working by the
"task," which is precisely the same
manner in which their former owners
worked them The price per task is
fifty cents, which, if paid in money or
its equivalent 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 store
keeper, with corn at 80 per bushel, and
other articles at similarly exorbitant
prices There was no meatin the shop
The freed people gathered round US
while we were there, and complained
bitterly of their treatment, stating that
with the wages pGid them they were
unable to earn enough to buy, at the
prices charged, their necessary subsist-
ence If these freedmen were paid in
money for their labor, they could escape
the extortions of the shopkeeper, but
with the tickets issued to them they
are compelled to pay the prices
charged, and take whatever the store
keeper sees fit to give them Compe-
tition, which would greatly reduce the
price of provisions, is prevented, at
least on this plantation, by military
orders. Mr.. Tolls, on an adjacent
plantation. was selling corn to these
people at s. per bushel, and taking
Underwood tickets in payment, but he
was compelled to desist by special
order.