The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-15
DURING RECONSTRTCTION.
"Reminiscences of an Army Oficer Who
Helped IL Along.

Early in 1861, soon after the passage
| of the reconstruction laws, | was ordered
| TO South Carolina, and assigned 10 Inc
command OF Beaufort district, VIII
headquarters at Hilton Head. The TASK
| of carrying the reconstruction laws into
| effect in the several districts was in
trusted TO the army officers assigned 10
command, precisely as II the work re-
quired to be done was Of purely mile
tarv character. THAT they accomplished
IL i'm spite OF their want of political
training and the bitter hostility OF the
white citizens Of the South. without any
serious collision, is truly wonderful. 10
must be remembered that two years
had clapsed since the surrender AT APP
pomattox. The South had had breath
ing spell. and the people had, in a meas
ure. recovered their morale. The opera
Ii. is of the Freedmen's Bureau had
acted as an irritant TO keep old sores
omen: the breach between the President
and Congress had awakened absurd
hopes: the civil authorities had been
permitted TO resume the untrammelled
exercise OF all their functions and hardly
cared 10 conceal their contempt for milf
tary power; and the number of troops
garrisoned in the several districts made
the word force" as applied to them
slmUlA lNllfulOur- lluti Euiu 'nNhAh7
stances the army was called upon 10
carry into effect an unpopular law, or
10 put il in the language of the disaf-
fected. TO make their former slaves their
future masters"
The first steD i'm the direction OF recon-
struction under the law was the regis
tration OF the voters. To a ward politi-
clan i'm a civilized community this would
have been an easy task. To an army
officer, among a population of ignorant
blacks, it was a difficult undertaking,
especially as the white people were bit
terly opposed 10 the measure. The neg
rocs on the sea islands were even less
enlightened than those on the main
land. They had mixed less with white
people. and some OF them were recent
importations from Africa. Some hardly
knew their own names. very few knew
their exact age. and none could claim
any fixed residence. Then they all look
"a alike, and the Identity Of an indivi-
lral was hopelcssly lost the moment he
entered a crowd. The question of identi-
~ was perhaps the hardest one the
registrars had 10 encounter. An idea
had got abroad that some substantial
benefit was 10 be secured by being regis
tered, and IN order to make certain OF
the prize few darkies would have hest
tdted 10 register as often as they had
an opportunity That this I'm itself
would have been no great calamity may
Doe conceded, byt military discipline would
be satisfied with nothing less than abso-
lutte accuracy I'm TIC lists and registrars
were instructed accordingly.
Imagine a Registration Board IN ses-
sion. Crowds Of negroes-men women,
and chlldren-a few mules. and any
Of
place. Registration Is going on through
an open window. inside OF which the
members Of the Board are seated The
recorder at a table provided with writ
ing materials. is biting the but OF his
pen and has an impatient look. The
other two members are seated near the
window. one on each side, prepared TO
do the questioning. The prospective
voters have been gotten into line and
are instructed TO kesy their places and
wait their turns. The women are in
terested and. as IT turns out. useful
spectators. They arrange themselves In
d dense mass as a background 10 the
picture.
Everything being ready. the first man
is called up, and a bullet-headed negro
presents himself at the window. Nothing
Of him Is visible to the Board but his
head. The Chairman constitutes himself
examiner. and. assuming what he con-
siders legal air. asks the applicant
his name. George Washington" the
darby replies. III some trepidation. as he
plucks nervously at an old felt hat which
he holds in his hand. and listens TO his
own heart-beats. plainly audible In the
death-like stiffness Of the crowd. And
what Is your age?" continues the Chair
man. IN a persuasive tone, Is he glances