Year: 1866

Correspondence Of the Louiscille C0urleT.] J


HELENA, ARK, January 25.-As every body
is anxious to know what is going on in the
cotton region, drop you line to give you a
few brief items. | have lately travelled
through considerable section of the river
counties of this State and Mississippi, and
have been able to form very correct idea OF
the work going on toward the restoration OF
cotton culture


The feature which strikes every one, espe-
cally an old citizen, is the remarkable energy
with which planters have gone to work to re.
build their lost prosperity. Plantations, aban'
doned since the beginning Of the war, with
the buildings of all kinds destroyed, are being
occupied The work ofresettlement is going
on, and everywhere can be seen the building
OF houses to the burnt chimneys, and cores
ponding preparations for putting in crop
Stock, furniture and agricultural implements
crowd every boat, while from the exhausted
condition of the country nearly all are depen'
dent upon the same source for everything
that is eaten by man o. beast


The quantity of land being prepared fol
cultivation is not so large as is generally sup
posed. 1t appears very large when one con



settlement Of so great body Of land, but fol
the want Of capital or Of labor fully one-third
of the cotton plantations in the bottom will be
idle another year. In this country, Philips
which, before the war, was one of the wealth
lest in taxable property in the count.y-its
assessment list for 1861 amounting to $l6
100000 (sxteen millions)-perhaps there is q
more general revival of planting than any ir
the South.


There is hardly vacant plantation in the
county, and with ordinary good fortune the
cotton crop will be large, and will tend at
once to restore planters to their former indie
penderce. AS general thing, every one has
sufficient labor, and although no one expects
to get as much work from their hands as for
merly, it is not seriously doubted that the ne
groes will work enough to raise crop. The
system adopted in this country is that of Civ.
ing share of the crop, which is Objectionable
but regard it as the best which could be effect
ed under the circumstances.


regret to observe statements in remote
newspapers reporting the existence Of lawless
ness in Arkansas is as equally unjust and un'
true. Everything is quiet and safe in this
section, and | venture to assert that there is
less of crime and lawlessness to-day in Arkan
sas, than in many of the sanity States. Al
this point there are quite number Of negro
troops; but with all ones prejudice agains
them, it must be admitted they are as we'll
behaved and disciplined body of soldiers az
any equal number of white soldierly / have
seen in the same service There are some an
noyances incident to a military occupation
but they are not as grevious as the same il
Kentucky.


In the county north of this, Desha, tht
same activity in planting prevails, as also il
Chicot, while in Coahoma, Bolivar and Wash
ington Mississippi, similar energy is being
displayed. In these counties, hire for wages
prevails over the share system. In Misslssip
pi, State Legislation, and the hearty co,opera
ton of the Freedmen's Bureau, is perfectinE
the system of labor more thoroughly thar
elsewhere