Year: 1865

Tho Freedman's Bureau and the NatiOnaA


Froedman's Relief Association.


One of the most powerful engines at work In the re-
organization of the social status the South has recently
been put operation the shape Of the Freedmans
Bureau. This bureau the head of which Major General
O. O Howard recently commander of the Army Of the
Tennessee has been appointed, was authorized by
an of Congress passed during the late session.
The objects in attaching it TO the army were two
first in order that the commissioners might be military
men, drawing salaries from the government and second
to give the enterprise the benefit Of the system and
organization incident to military control Previously
the management Of negro affairs loosely conducted by
class Of known superintendents Of freedmen.
The arrangement is to place all matters connected
with freedmen in the hands Of commissioners who will
be responsible to their superior officer for the manner in
which they perform their work.


By recent order of the War Department all suitable
Fsatel Of necessary in tho army to be turned
over the proper parties for distribution This includes
horses, mules wagons shovels, axes, &c. and will be
valuable accession TO the carrying out Of the first seps
10 make the negro self f-supportnH


very important and valuable cooperating agent In
helping along the efforts of the Freedmans Bureau is
the National Freedman's Relief Association Of which
Francis George Shaw president Joseph b. Collins No
40 Wall street. is treasurer and George G. Ward chair
man of the Finance Committee.


During the year 1864 the association expended
1920 000 distributed four hundred thousand gar
ments and reached with supplies over two hundred
thousand souls employed one hundred and sixty
teachers agents and supcrinendent and in the schools
had over twenty five thousand pupils


The folds chiefly operated in are the valley of the
Miss ssppi, NacheZ and Vicksburg being tho central
points of Distribution Louisiana and New Orleans being
the centre AT the last named point the association has
large orphan asylum for orphan negro children In
Florida Fernandina Jacksonville and St. Augustine are
the hcadquarte


In South Carolina the colonies are located principally
on the sea islands; in North Carolina Roanoke Island
N0Wbern, Norfolk
Since tho close of the the association has increased
the number of its colonies which in a short time will
extend to all parts of the South.


Necessarily attendant upon the sudden termination OF
hosties has been radical change in the relations of
master and slave. Neither know the policy Of the gov
ernment and seem to be waiting for something definite
Meanwhile the blacks, hitherto entirely dependent upon
their masters reduced to the greatest exremites Of
starvation, and suffer a fearful mortality
In order to meet the increase in the requisite outays
OF the association call has been made upon the cha
give an idea OF the red"A~ dition Of the negroes In
Alabama


ARxY AND DIVISION or wns1 Mississlrrr,
O. SHAW prssdeSt NATIONAL A Mss Relief


assp are thirty moor freeen now thrown
upon hands This State They viii be able only to get
sn s
people savsnse ss from Mobile SpwsrS
from The died with thousands
$
Mothers exhausted themselves left their children the
roadside paused their march, and
with kindly souls graves which to bury them The old
mad at the loss OF '.their property" impoverished
and humbled, give but little mercy to the peo-
ple whose lives they formerly held I freedmen
every day who come SCARED, mansled bleeding from
their oppressors There never was
people vast field for the exercise OF
benevoence here In the South to-day to the
good Christian people of this world Viii you be kind
enough simply TO let these facts be known throughout the
North. l they will speak for themselves. wish
had clothing for thirty thousand people ut this moment


leave Montgomery day and will enlarge on this sad
picture there. great haste, truly yours


THOMAS W. CONWAY


General Superintendent Freedmen


The negro is one OF the great questions which has
become the duty OF the country to settle forever
Slavery is dead upon the ruins Of this last vestge
OF barbarism is the great duty of the American
people to build up 1T enjoy the privileges Of
citizenship which cannot long be withheld.