The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-02-17
rosr OrrlS, CoSFEDnIT y ROADS,
(Wich is in the State w Kentucky }
Drc ~ 1868

Dec. 81, 1868.
The condiShuu Nv atlairSin the
States wich wnz cHgagcd in the
late uuplcAsantncss with Il prcjoodis in
favor NV the Contcdcracy. is most terri
ble. The country is unsafe for any
man to live into. Brootal niggcrS
armed with implements Nv war go
roanlin thro the country in bands,
burnin, KILN, roDbin and destrOyin !;
,crrilyin the pccceful planters who are
fviu 10 the cities for perfection.
saw more than twenty nv these strlken
men in \ faro bank in Louisville, one
mite.
Frclim that \ statement nv the Facts
NV the case mite possibly result in soft
cnin the riggcr.uv radical ro0l.nnd ln-
dooce the imcomiu administration to
remedy our evils by putin the power.
where it icgilimitIy belongs. viz: into
the hands NV the white Cnuca>hcn citi-
zcuS nv the South. irrespective ur their
prriOudi>ScS in the matter nv govern
nrnt. induIgrh into Il small tour Of
im>prc>hrm. cXtcndim my researches cz
tar South cE Arkansas.
My first stoppin place WIZ in Gror-
ria. Here found Il most lrlclul
state of anar@y cxi>,in. The nl"grrS
were in Il state nv complete in>ubordi-
naShcn. AN old friend nv mine. whose
hospitality | he'd accepted. WIZ llrin
with his house barricadcd in hourly
! cXprrta<hcu NV an attack from the ln-
! tuuriatcd demons who wu2 ra"iu with
ont. very soon a<cc:laimrd the Sit
uua >hcn. Ma or Rug%lr> WIZ stripped
! hv the war uv all his possessions
! i'm niv"cr>. lie WIZ hrrravrd. lie
ned 2.U0D akcrs nv land and nary i hand
TO work it. and wuz con<ckrnllv dis
lrc>>l. The unlrclin Burrnw officers
! in>ultihly rcrarkt that Hu"@lr>>rS
ihrir>rivrS mite possibly work rmnil
nv his land To make Il subsistence. but
the Ma or wilhrrcd rin. He wuz COM
prllrd To either >tanr his hanaS with
labor, or hire mi|"rr>. He took the
other ALTERNATIVES. and hired Il hundred
nv en-. | saw the coniraX, AMI more
clear documents | never SAW. 1t wuz
! stipulated that the ni%@rrS >hund labor
. iur six dollars per month. and >hnu'l
forfeit one dollar per day for each day :
of. f.z the rig"rrS wuz starvin they
accr,lrd 10 these terms AMI ail went
pracrlly. Thcy got. each ny rn. 50
much corn meal and 50 much bacon
: per day. and tn" prospects they he! ny
wrttim 81 each. ut the end vi the SraI-
ON. stimulated rin tna inirrablc degree
OF activity. The crop pr"mi>t we'll.
and the Major AMI his family went 10
Saraiu"v in the summer: il wuZ har.
, vested and resulted we'll. and In" fam
iiv went to Moo Orlrcn> 10 spend the
winter. On Christmas Day the Ma ior
settled with his hands. and hrvim no
further v0oSc for en- till spring. hr
discharged cin. The most nv en- hr
brnt in debt to him largely. vi they he'd
bin sick duurin the season more ur
less. and six days sickness balanced II
months work when well. t'v course
all he'd drawn Suthin all thrn The yrrr
for rloihin. This class he treated gen
/ rusty.
IL don't want the money which y0"
owe me- ne rrmarkt. lid Skorn TO
take il. You may work il out chopin
cord-wuod. or buildim fences. or ANY
other work WOO choose. desire I" be
easy onto all NV y"u--nay, more, gcn-
! crnlIS.
Those who he'd lost no time. AMI
who he'd not drawd their pay in full,
: by ioSin time. he WIZ jest W generous
with. He he'd spent the hrIt nv his
money at Sara,o"y and to "it his girls
! their outfit for Moo OriccmS. and he
hrdn't Il dollar to pay EN- with.
But" Srd he. that >hoodcnt inter-
rrtpt our friendly rclaShunS. After the
next crop probably shcI hcv cnuir to
! liQuirlatc these little bills. At all
cvcncc. whether do or not. let us hey
prrcc. Let us be friends ~ before
| let cvcrvthin. be pleasant, and lovely,
and serene"
! The mim"crS. >ingler cz it may seem.
didn't see it. KNOWN W they did that
+ the Major hcdn't amy money. the I'M
rrzonablc wretchrS insisted upon his
payin nv en-. They sworc that they
ron,rnt live thro the winter without
supplies, and that money they must
hrv.
IL hcvn't got it" rcmarkt the Major,
>lnilin onto en-.
ECii .VN' VIZ "C'' ""'
Yelled they.
but Mrs. Ru"glcs and the Miss
Rugglcs coodcnt ride next summer in
that event." rcnarkt the Major.
At this pint the unplca>antnis began
: The intooriated niggcrS woodcnt listen
to reason. Their wuZ scvIll bales NV
cotton yet on the place. and score.
more or less. nv mules and horses.
The cotton they seized, and hitchin up
the mules to wagons. they proceeded
to lond 1t, with view nv cartin it of
to the next markit town and scllin it.
The Major, his four SONS, and perhaps
Il dozen or twenty nci.hhors. who hap.
pcncd opporiuncly to be present and
armed with iowliu pieces and rrprtin
rifles, determined, unprcparcd ~ they
wuz, to resist. and in the melee per-
lmps q dosen or more nig.crs wuz
shot and. fatally killed.
From this crowd the trouble that
afflicted this pcrlikelcr ncishborhood.
and d0ubtlis the circumstances arc the
same everywhere.
The niggcrS hcv no regard for law,
and no desire to keep within due
bounds. The law wuz open to EN-.
Thirteen miles from Major RuGSlcScs
place resides u JustiS Nv the Pecce,
nnd they Good hcv sood the Major cE
Al IL. I.,.,