New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-08

and Adjutant General Thomas was sent GU
With proper authority to organize regiment
IN the Mississippi Valley. Already ont
company of colored troops had been organ
lied, furnished with arms, and put on duty
General Grant was at Millikens Bend
Louisiana. His General Orders No. %, say
Commissaries will issue supplies, ant
quartermasters will furnish stores on tn,
same acquisitions and returns as are re
quired from the troops. 1t is expected tina
all commanders will especially exert them
selves in carrying out the policy of the AID
ministration, not only in organizing coloret
regiments and rendering them efficient. bu
also in removing prejudice against them
Was this opposing the organization o.
troops?
General Grant, in his letter to General
Lee, October 10, 1864, although declining
to discuss the slavery question, declares, " !
shall always regret the necessity of retail
ating for wrongs done our soldiers, but re,
gard it my duty to protect all persons re-
ceired into the army of the United States,
regardless of color or nationalityr'
HE WAS ALWAYS READY TO HEAR CONCERNING
the FREEDMEN.
l learn from an ex off GER, who was
thoroughly cognizant of the facts, that in
the midst of the fearful labor around Vicks-
burg, General Grant always found time to
attend to the calls necessary to make upon
him in regard TO the colored people or col.
ored troops. that he gave every aid to the
development of their industry and the means
of their improvement. He favored no
Utopian schemes, and sought practical So
luton of every difficulty in the way of the
welfare of our people. That when before
Vicksburg, he, and his associates in the
chief command of the troops, who, night
anc day, were pressing the siege, found time
to listen to an extended report of the officer
he had placed in charge of our people in
the November previous. This report he
afterwards forwarded to President Lincoln
with private letter, dated June II, 1868,
in which he says:
Finding that negroes were coming into
our lines in great numbers and receiving
KIND or abusive treatment according to the
peculiar views of the troops they first came
IN contact with, and not being able to give
that personal attention to their care and use
the matter demanded, l determined to an
point General Superintendent over the
whole subject, and give him such assistants
as the duties assigned him might require.
have given him such aid as was in my
power, by the publication, from time to time,
of such orders as seemed to be required, and
generally at the suggestion of the Superin:
tendent.
He speaks of the results up to that date
as of great service to the blacks in having
them provided for, when otherwise they
would have been neglected, and to the Gov.
eminent in finding employment for the ne
gro whereby he might earn what he was
receiving. And, in closing, directs special
attention to that portion Of the report which
would suggest orders regulating the subject
which q Department Commander is not
to issue.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS SATISFIED WITH HIM
The officer who delivered this letter aad
report to Mr.. Lincoln, states that Mr.. Lin.
colin received them with the greatest salts
action, asking may It's ioas about General
Grants views upon the whole subject of the |
treatment Of the colored people, and on thus
learning something in detail Of the success
Of General Grants plans and the usefulness, |
in his judgment, of colored soldiers, he re.
peated the expressions of his qualification |
hat General who was winning such mill.
AIRY successes over the rebels was able, from
l military standpoint, to give him SO many
practical illustrations of the benefits of the
policy.
lE ORGANIZES FREE LABOR WHERE HE GOES.
find in a printed copy of a letter to Mr..
Levi Coffin, then in England, written by the
General Superintendent, and dated at Vicks.
'urg only a year after its fall, statement
hat "this supervision, embracing the terri.
DRY within the lines of our army, from Cairo
Town the Mississippi to Red river, together
With the State Of Arkan sas, numbered in its
are during the past year ll3, $50 freedmen.
These are now disposed as follows: In
looks, officers servants, and laborers in the
'arious staff departments, Al, $50; in cities,
IN plantations, and in freedmen's villages
md cared for, 72,5Oo. Ofthcse, 50 800 are
Entirely self supporting the same as any
Industrial class anywhcre-as planters, me.
hanics, BARRIERS, hackmen, draymen, &C.,
onducting enterprises on their own respon.
Utility, or as hired laborers. The remain.
ng 10, 200 receive subsistence from the Gov
Thirty thousand of them are
members of families whose heads are carry
ng on plantations, and have under cultiva-
ion 600 acres of cotton, and are to pay the
Government for their subsistence from the
rst income of crop. The other 1900 in.
lude the paupers Chose over and under the
elf supporting age, the crippled and sick in
ospitaD of the ll3, $50, and those engaged
n their care, and, instead of being unpro-
uctive, have now under cultivation 500
cres Of corn, 100 acres Of vegetables, and
500 acres of cotton, besides the work done
wood chopping, &c.
There are reported in the aggregate some
hing over 100, 900 acres of cotton under cul-
walton. OF these about 1000 acres are
eased and cultivated by blacks. Some of
aesc are managing as high as 800 or 400
cres. 1t is impossible to give, at the pres
mt date, any definite statement of many of
ne forms of industry. Fify.nine thousand
ords of wood are reported to me by Col.
homas, Superintendent and Provost Mar
hal of Freedmen, as cut within the lines of
10 miles on the river banks above and be.
wv this place. 1t would he only a guess to
late the entire amount cut by the people t
nder this Suneryisinn II mnst ha onnr | 1