Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-03-29
The Floods in louisiana 4
Trip Up the Black River
But Little DestitutiOn on n
TenSaS.

But Little DestitutiOn on PIE
Tensas.
New ORLEANS, March 24-The |
rimes-Democrat steamer TerFas |
arrived at Delhi, La, yesterday. |
It's correspondent telegraph5 a
graphic description OF affairs in That
section and along the Black riker'
AT the mouth of the red river intor-
nation was obtained that the Hog
Point crevassc had submerged six
large plantations. The stock bad
generally been sent out Of that Pee
ton to the Hills in Mississippi. On
the way up te Delhi the steaher
picked up Sc, eral families who We're
in search of high ground. After
reaching the mouth of Black river
the entire country presented theIap-
pearance of a vast island sea; no
lard being visible anywhere. The
houses of the squatters. or small
farmers were abandoned, and almost
submerged. Only the chimneys and
roofs Of houses were to be deem
above the aood. The occupants
had long since removed their stock
and household goods TO high dhds
further up the river. These pePpl.e
having no credit. cannot furnish
themselves with provisions. rhe
present distress will lie relieved by
ration agents at Troy and other
points. Nearly all the women and
children Of this section have been
sent 10 the hills, but the male pop
ulation. white and colored, are liv-
ing in gin houses and corn cribs, the
floors OF which were scatfolded up
above water. They are working
hard to save their stock by convey
ling them in Aatboats 10 the high
land. AT least eight plantations on
Black river are submerged, with
nothing 10 mark their locality but
the house-tops The water in the
fields was six feet deep, and the only
means Of communication is by boats
Rats filled with frightened cattle
and poultry huddled together or
house-tops made the scene one o
utter desolation and difficult to des
cribe. Alter leaving the town o
Troy and entering Tensas river nj
land was seen until we reached Ba
yon Macon hills, distance of IS
miles, and the tip through this
section Of the State was more like
a sea than a river voyage. By in
terviewing the white and coIore(
people it was ascertained that along
the Tensas river very little aclua
suffering for want of food prevails
as the colored people have SO fal
been furnished with food by thu
planters. Stock from this sector
has generally been sent to the hills
Prominent planters on the Tensa:
stated that they were opposed t.
the issuance OF government ration;
as there was no restitution along
that river SO great that the people
could not relieve, and rations would
domoralize the laborers. Planters
generally are able to feed theil
hands until the flood is over. Ne
groes had already refused to assis
IN conveying out stock, saying thu
government would send them "a
lions.
i Other planters, however, sac
that many OF them could not get city
merchants to advance supplies, an(
unless government furnished rationi
there would be great distribution
among the colOred people. Lieut.
Randolph, who was detailed by or
der of the War Department to il
vestigate the condition of the peOp''
in this section of the country, has
carefully questioned those whom hi
met, and from facts obtained th'
conclusion was reached that at pres
ent the only general dcsiitutiOI
which prevails is among white anC
colcred squatters who cultivate
small farms, have no help, an(
have neither money nor credit. Th'
lines. Democrats steamer is rem
dering good service in this section
removing stock, dc