, 1866-11-15
FROM LOUISIANA.

Sugar and Cotton - Derofla of the
Norlk-The Sugar Harvest-NIvchan-
ical skill Of the Freeln1cn-Appeal
for Clothing.
Correspondence Of ale Chicago Tribane1
NEW ORLEANS, November II.
The friends Of the colored race will be
anxious to learn everything possible Of them
in their new role OF freedmen, and the efforts
they have made to sustain themselves and
families since becoming SO. The time IS fast
approaching when the country will decide
whether these people shall bca blessing or
d curse / yft. do not mean to enter into
political discussion on q subject SO often
written and spoken on by those much more
capable, but must say have been very ia.
vorab}y impressed By the industry and enes-
81 Of this much ina1igned race, so different
from what had been led to expect.
have been lately visiting Port Home Col
ony Plantation III Louisiana. Port Home,
formerly called the Uestrchnn Plantation,
ten years ago Tas, owned by u Mr.. uender.
son, u wealthy Scotchman, who provided for
the gradual emancipation, after bis death, Of
his three hundred slaves, and their passage
to Africa, where each, on landing, was to be
handed 800. al1 to be paid out Of the IN
ever, was contested by his son-in-law, and
declared illegal by the courts. Consequent
IL, not one OF the poor Henderson slaves ever
felt the value of their old masters lesacy
until our late lamentcd President bestowed
OH them the blessing Of liberty.
Port Home Colony is a settlement estab-
lishcd for intlrm and helpless coloEcd people
upon the Mississippi River, about twenty
1--we miles above New Orleans, within the
Limits of the old Destrehan plantation, above
spoken Of, by General Baird, Of the Freed
mems Bureau, the property at the time be-
longing to that department. Almost four
thousand acres Of the estate is composed OF
swamp and cypress woods, always indlspen.
sable to sugar plantation, and the re-
mninder, about nine hundred ucrcs of dryer
The greater part Of the cultivated portion is
covered with the best sugar.canc I have
seen, and the remainder Is yielding of land,
not the best fitted for the raising of cotton,
the heaviest growth of that staple to be
found on the coast there. Crops reflect the
the Superintendent. md tie industry Of the
colonlsts, whose cycrtions as freedmen here
unanswernbly contradict the assertion that
the emancipated slaye will not work. In
deed, Captain Flagg, the present Superin-
tendent, would have been ns unsuccessful as
his predecessors had he not possessed greater
talents for developing the flecdman's work
ing powers.
Although the colony contains over 100
l souls, all but q few a1c more or less inarm
| Alu uctF FkCS5S UE EA41IEtlk. ou luE lEH UUlE-
bodied devolves, and has fallen, therefore,
almost the entire duties Of the plantation !;
nevertheless, such Is the desire Of all to do
something TINT found at the time Of my
visit the cotton.dclds filled with men, women
and children, gathering the produce and
their busy hands were securing to many III
Imagination new dresses, hats, boots or bon.
nets, Others In filling their bags felt that
every hundred added would give another
greenback to their savings the
steam engine, press md Gin, were working
pickers, toll for market, and If one were
confined to this plantation 1t would be diff.
cult for him to believe that there was any
suchsthing as idlencss in the South. The cap,
tain. very intelligent coloied overscer, told
me that up to the day Of my arrival, they had
already gathered seycnty.fvc bales Of cotton
and twenty five morr would be uided before
the plants would be bare or the psckcrs' oc
cupations gone: Even in the North a more
busy sceno Of Industry have rarely wit
messed thnn was exhibited around the git
house aud In the cotton fields Of this inter
| esting settlement.
Close to the principal building, spread ou
on great platforms. the white cotton, pre-
yions to going to the Gin house, was drying
in the hot sun. Long lines of women, witt
the staple from the fields or carrying t
the gin, aud US they pass you In n long singl,
ni.m1 ,, cnr, v,nn ~ tbo " tre,snras NJ ~ tfs th
tho ~ tae a1aSe & u AIaa 1negs
sho rress 1TYn ~. foias tsitI. ~, Iana
~ stnwi7, HAN nv ~ ronnns ~. +ransm;ss;o, Da
IN the ;orcrnmant TaTe;onscs n tbe Crea
cent Civ Wills crcrrona's f:,ca hetrsved
cheerful WILLINGNESS hat Showed I,is hear
Tns n h;e wnrt s7' '""' 0D0"s" AA7 A4S''4
hoetan Frn,n tbo e,,, ,oxv n ,oot o,,o- u,
house o a. ~ th6 s,aooS ~ oos ~ ar
Griaans ot f,nr n,c,ocE The os suoar ~ ha-Tss ca,
Iii nn,nr,aDna y, f daps en6a. "a. ~ !;
1nrt t,,;s ~ ~ nu
Hepa.!ns as' sus' tne e. .s s"nos
aaa'es T. are r. aei:lo] must see .nas ine suga
Eeu 1 70 i, ~ pantboo tanS ~ , nrlv
meL WALL a1utue1 Hahu VI cotorcu "of