The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-03
sUFFER1NGs OF THE sEABoARD.


Havoc Of Wharf.-The True Condition OF
the Coast Region md an Interesting
Review of the Causes OF the Present
Imuoyerish shment of tho Plant ers in that
neeion-Thc Seasons and the Crops
A Charleston correspondent of the Baltimore
Gazette, writing in the interest OF the Southern
Educational Society, says:
The true condition of the people OF the coast
region of South Carolina is little known or APP
preciated, and should be brought plainly before
those interested in sustaining this admirable
institution. I therefore take this opportunity
to enlarge upon the topic and show how it has
been produced and what it really is.
Charleston is q planters town: The inf1u-
epce of planters and those who sold their crops
has ever predomDated in society and in busi-
land cotton lands from Savannah to George.
town. for thirty miles inland, were the rich
est and most valuable in the Stc,e. The pro-
prietors of these plantations, owning from
one. two and three hundred negroes, to five
hundred and even thousand. bore the bur-
den of taxation, and embodied, to certain
extent, the wealth and culture of South Car
lima.
On the 7th November, 1861, Port Royal
and Hilton Head we're attacked by Federal
fleet, led by the Wabash, q wooden ship. In
consequence OF previous neglect on the part Of
the authorities at Richmond, they fell, and
during the remaining two and half years Of
war peace and quiet torsook this whole coast
region. lhe Confederate authorities forth.
with abandoned the sea islands and sought on
the main land 10 confine the area OF Federal
operations, and to save and kold Charles
ion. A line of defence was established
along the Savannah and Charleston Railroad.
It ran through the urrer portion Of the tide
swamp rice lands and let the great body Of
these plantations in the debatable ground and
picketed by Confederates 1t was occupied
in the winter Of 81 and 62 by some 10000
Confederate soldiers. Their number was re-
duce1 in tho spring. But from that time for
ward troops were moved from place to place,
and ouartered throughout the country, and it
was exhausted by acquisitions Of corn, rice,
peas, pota, oes, fodder, hay, straw, &c. Horses,
mules wagons, carts. csttle, hogs, sheep and
no, try we're also taken. Houses we're often
occupied by officers, outbulldings sometimes
pulled down 10 make barracks for soldiers, and
fences used for 6rewood. Waste and destruc-
ton are inevitable concomitants OF war, and in
it's immediate presence they riot. Tho sub
stance of the planters was either abandoned to
the United states near the sea or consumed
by the defenders of the soil. The thundeIs Of
Federal guns were daily heard, attacks of
land forces we're made, and expeditions
by water along the numerous rivers penetrat
ing the coast every few miles, The secret
efforts Of incendlary agents and spies among
ton. Proprietors who kept their slaves on the
coast made little, and ran the risk Of losing
them by abduction and desertion. Those who,
in order to avoid this, bought or leased unoc-
cupled places in the upper country and moved
their negroes, incurred great expense, planted
only to obtain provisions, and paid heavily for
the coveted but unsubstantiaI security. Under
either arrangement the ricb plantations on the
seabolrd went to ruin. Then came the finish
OF the VII. What its. course had hitherto lett
thas was destructible, Sherman il 1865 demol-
ished. Dwelling houses, oIerseers' houses,
expensive steam mills, barns, stables, cotton
houses, corn-bouses and fences were given to
the flames, and a. rule negro cabins alone
survived the confagrahon.
The war closed with the coniscation of all
tho property vested in slaves. The values
placed in Confederate bonds and currency were
also destroyed. The stocks of banks and rail-
roads we're worthless, tor the banks here had
loaned their money and credit to tho Confede-
rate Government, and the railroads we're torn
up and dcmoll lshed. State aud city stocks, in
planters we're left with their plantations and
real estate as the only property they could
look to.
sberman's notorious order No. 80, at the
stroke OF the pc /, sought to set aside aud con-
tiscate the lands from Savannah to Charleston,
thirty miles from the sea, for distribution
among the. freedmen; And this authority,
manipulated by ''ths Bureau OF Freedmen and
Abandoned Lands" increased the embarrass-
ments Of the proprietors.
The plantations, when rescued from the
grippe of Howard, Sa1ton & Co., of the Bureau,
depended, for their uso and value, upon the
labor. And this labor was Systematically de-
moralized. Not satisfied wi h tho inherent
ideas OF freedom to steal and to shoot, which
took possession Of the African minds, Bureau
agents carefully implanted agrarian views.
The lands, they said, were bought with the
proceeds of the labor Of slaves, and in justice
belonged to them, and would be divided among
the negroes. In proof, Sherman's order and
the Bureau existed. Forty acres and mule
were the promised and expected accompanl-
ments to the glorious immunity from work for
the negro. The country here was bis, the
white man was an intruder aud rebel, and
work was an imposition. The negro's occupa--
ton was to squat Oh patch Of open land, and
his ambition to sport gun for killing and
stealing purposes.
Hence q lolg array Of crimes-insubordina
ton, robberios, outrages and murders-com-
mitted by the negroes in this region since the
war.
With plantations in the condition described.
the proprietors thus destitute OF the means OF
working them and with the esSene'aI :. laoor ~ -
this demoralzed aad unreliable condition, 1t
was the necessity OF planters to plant, it they
could obtain the means.
Ordinary sea is and cotton bringing 81 30
q pound, aud rice selling at Sl4 aud SO per one
hundred pounds in the winter OF l865 aud 1o66,
encouraged the planters and allured Northern
capitalists. The needy ,proprietors staked
their estates-their all; and the capitalists ven
tured the funds requlr,6. BUT money was op-
searching and at great cost, fifteen, twenty or
thirty per cent., secured oy mortgages, Or one
halt, ,oue- third, or moe OF the crops, as In
duccment to plant on shares, with liens on the
whole to secure advances. -.
After securing loans Of money the next dlf.
hculty was to contract with the denlorallzed
hands in O way TO suit their ideas OF freedom
and to get the required approval OF 9 the ao Ba,
amount Of work needed to make Southern
crops and OF the value Of that work IN the
final returns. Generally, planters had to agree
to exorbitant terms, which nothing but enor-
NOUS prices for their produce and excellent
seasons could possibly justify.
The season of 1866 in this region was charac-
terized by protracted drought, lasting
through July, August and September. The
sea island cotton crop suffered severely and
was cut off-the little that was planted-say
from one-third TO one-half The rice crop was
Injured by want of pure fresh water and by
the deprcdatlons OF rice birds during the har-
vest, and turned out light, so that there was
general disappointment in tho yield. Aud the
prices, instead OF advancing, went down, ana,
contrary to all expectation, kept declining. But
the planters had to sell even ut heavy losses.
Tho SO lson Of 1857 was very wet one. Ere.
9uent md heavy rains occurred IN June anu
again in September. The sea island cotton