The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-07-24
DEsTIrUT1oN in SOUTH CAROLINA.

Governor Orr, in reply to letter of General
Howard as to the necessity of the distribution Of
rations in South Carolina, writes as follows:
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT S. c.,
COLUMBIA, July 9, 1866
General: have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the Sd instant, in
forming rue that there was trustwo rthy testimony
as to the suffering for want of food by the poor
in South Carolina. of both races. and that Gen
eral Sickes had disapproved. of the ration return
upon my statement that the want is very much
exaggerated, has just been received; and | hasten
to reply, with view of correcting any misappre-
henslon. on the subject growing out of my CONVEX
sation with General Sickles. There is great need
of distributing rations through the Freedmen's
Bureau in every district in the State. In some
the necessity is greater than in others, and what
intended to Impress upon General Sickles was
that applications were made by many persons,
white and colored; who were not fit subjects of
relief and that, if all the stories which were told
of the officers of the Bureau in different sections
were to be credited the distribution would en-
brace too wide range. regret that General
Sickes should have understood from me that the
necessity for rations to very many people, white
and colored, had passed. As early as March last
All estimate was made in the Chesterfield District,
and it found that there only seven
bushels of corn to each person in the district
Without feeding any part of this to the stock,
the supply was inadequate to bread the people
Other districts nearly as destitute. In Pick
ems, | am Informed that some six hundred fami-
lies are without sufficient supplies Of breadstuffs
The scarcity is also great in Barnwell Beaufort,
Colle,on, Clarendon, Williamsburg, Lexington,
Spartanhurg, Lancaster Rich!and, Fairfield and
Kershaw, and the local authorities cannot posi-
hly finnish he neady The laval for tba
supporter the poor is district tax, and it hap
pens that in those sections where the scarcity is
most felt the general population are least able
to pay local tax, and hence there thousands
in the State, white and colored, who must suffer
for the commouest means of subsistence unless
rations are issued from your Bureau, and regret
extremely that any opinion of mine should have
been so understood as to justify or require the
suspension of the issue of the ratons which it was
proposed to distribute in this STATE. My object
and intention was simply to guard against the
issue to persons without claim, and thereby in
crease idleness and vagabondiSm. Doubtless l
did not sufficiently explain my views, and Cen
eral Sickles was justified in reaching the conclu-
sion he did. month ago it vas generally be-
lieved that about the time of the wheat harvest
an average crop would be made. but since the
crop has been thrashed out it is found not to
exceed half An average crop, and far less relief
will be furnished the needy from that source than
had anticipated. l therefore earnestly request
that you vii have the rations issued as estimated
for by your agents 10 the State, and which was
disapproved by General Sickles. Proper instruc
tons to distributing agents may be, if they have
not already been, given, to guard against imposi-
ton from those who are not proper subjects of
relief. have written to-day to General Sckles,
and have explained to him the extent to which l
intended my conversation with him to 60.
JAMES L. ORR,
Governor of South Carolina.