347 



Beaufort, Washington county. North Carolina. — "Nearly all the negroes were 

 carried off from this country in the course of war; since its conchisiou about one- 

 third of the former number have returned. As a general thing the women and 

 children do not work in the fields at all ; none but able-bodied hands are em- 

 ployed ; the general estimate is that they now do about three-fifths the work they 

 formerly did, that is, those employed do ; where they rent land they work harder 

 than they ever did ; they will not work more than half the time at any price. 

 One day's work will feed them for a week. * * * * We would welcome 

 white men from any country," &c. 



Brtmswick county. North Carolina. — "The critical time for rice has yet to 

 come, and unless our laborers exhibit more energy and zeal in the performance 

 of their work, the whole crop, it is thought, will fall a prey to the rice birds." 



Barnwell district. South Carolina. — "Not unfri'queutly the negroes would 

 refuse to contract if an overseer was employed." Loud complaints are made in 

 this letter of the idleness, ignorance, and vicious propensities of the negro. It 

 is said that upon their own crops they work more carelessly than upon those of 

 their employers ; that they ape the manners and customs of their former mis- 

 tresses and masters ; that they refuse offers of work and break contracts when 

 made; and, finally, that " they cannot make more than subsistence to the first of 

 January, 1S67." 



Georgetown district, South Carolina. — "The freedmen having guns rove- 

 about the open woods, (our only pasturage,) killing the stock Avherever they can 

 find them. * * * It is difficult to get them to do a small day's work, and 

 that, when said to be done, is done in such a careless and slovenly manner as 

 not to be worthy of the name work." 



York district. South Carolina. — Apprehensions of a famine are entertained, 

 " owing to the drought and want of proper culture, which cannot be obtained un- 

 der the present system of working freedmen." 



Macoji county, Georgia. — " A few of the freedmen are working tolerably 

 well ; a great many of them work neither much nor well ; a great many are 

 crowding into the towns and villages, where they manage to subsist some- 

 how ; a great many of the women are living in idleness upon the plantations, 

 depending upon the labor of their husbands or children for support. Their la- 

 bor is not of the reliable character it used to be, for they cannot be compelled to 

 exert themselves. They are seldom in a hurry, no matter how pressing the ne- 

 cessity, and they can leave you if they choose at any time they please, by going 

 out of the county into the jurisdiction of another Bureau officer. The fact is, 

 when a negro gets tired of work, and won't do it, the most of the planters know 

 that there is now no method by which he can be compelled to perform it, and 

 they let him go without putting themselves to any trouble about it." 



Greene county, Georgia. — "The freed negroes will not work, but live by 

 stealing. It is not safe for a hog, or sheep, or cow, to run at large." 



Washington county, Mississippi. — " I doubt if the negro will ever work again 

 so wpII as he has this year. Thousands of planters will rent, or give upraising 

 cotton, next year." 



Hinds county, Mississipjyi. — " I am satisfied that the free negro will make a 

 good average laborer when he learns that he is no longer the foundling of the 

 government. I find that the negroes labor more faithfully and are better con- 

 tented as they are removed from the influences of the ' Bureau.' The men, in 

 most instances, are working very well." 



Pike county, Mississippi. — " The difficulty of making the freedmen available 

 in the production of cotton is inducing many to turn their attention to the culti- 

 vation of grapes." 



Catahoula county, Louisiana. — " The freedmen do pretty well. Some few 

 persons have had them quit, but there are a great many avIio will not work at 

 all. It seems to be the opinion of all that they will be worse next year, and it 



