SLAVES. 





tion of their slaves. In one instance this was 

 granted, but the slave was rescued by tl 

 diers, and the master's property destroyed. It 

 occasioned so much censure of the conduct of 

 Gov. Stanley among the friends of the Admin- 

 istration, that the Secretary of War found it 

 necessary to deny that the act was in accordance 

 with the instructions to the governor. 



The effect of all the regulations adopted, ex- 

 cept in Missouri and Baton Rouge, was to se- 

 cure freedom to every slave that would make 

 the effort to obtain it. "Wherever permanent 

 headquarters for Federal troops were estab- 

 lished within-slaveholding States, they soon 

 became crowded with hundreds and thousands 

 of fugitive slaves. The Government was im- 

 mediately obliged to feed them or starvation 

 would ensue. At "Washington, at Fortress Mon- 

 roe, Kewbern, and Port Royal were large 

 numbers furnished with quarters and fed at the 

 national expense. Various schemes were de- 

 vised for the occupation of these negroes, par- 

 ticularly in the department of South Carolina. 

 The following were the instructions origi- 

 nally issued to the commander of that depart- 

 ment : 



TVAK DEPARTMENT, Oct. 14, 1S61. 



SIR : In conducting military operations within 

 States declared by the proclamation of the President 

 to be in a state of insurrection, you will govern your- 

 self, so far as persons held to service under the' laws 

 of such States are concerned, by the principles of the 

 letters addressed by me toMaj.-Gen. Butler on the 30th 

 of May and the 8th of August, copies of which are 

 herewith furnished to you. As special directions, 

 adapted to special circumstances, cannot be given, 

 much must be referred to your own discretion as com- 

 manding general of the expedition. You will, how- 

 ever, in general, avail yourself of the services of any 

 persons, whether fugitives from labor or not, who may 

 offer them to the National Government. You will em- 

 p^foy such persons in such services as they mav be 

 fitted for, either as ordinary-employes, or, "if special 

 circumstances seem to require it, in any other capacity, 

 in_ such organization, in squads, companies, or other- 

 wise, as you may deem most beneficial to the service. 

 This, however, not to mean a general arming of them 

 for military service. You will assure all loyal masters 

 that Congress will provide just compensation to them 

 for the loss of the services of the persons so employed. 

 It is believed that the course thus indicated will best se- 

 cure the substantial rights of loyal masters and the 

 benefit to the United Sfates of the services of all dis- 

 posed to support the Government, while ft avoids all 

 interference with the social systems or local institu- 

 tions of every State beyond that which insurrection 

 makes unavoidable, and which a restoration of peace- 

 ful relations to the Union, under the Constitution, 

 will immediatelv remove. 



Respectfiilly, SIMON CAMERON, 



Secretary of War. 



On the 6th of February, Gen. Sherman, then 

 in command, issued an order relative to the 

 fugitive slaves, in which he said: 



Until proper legislation on the subject, or until or- 

 ders from higher authority, the country in occupation 

 of the forces of this command will be "divided off into 

 districts of convenient size for proper superintend- 

 ence. For each of these districts a suitable agent will 

 be appointed to superintend the management of the 

 plantations by the blacks, to enroll and organize the 

 willing blacks into working parties, to see that they 



are well fed, clad, and paid a proper rrmAiallua for 



tlx-ir hiltor ; to di- 

 lutions, whfthcr lumiil ti. 



1110111 'id to perform all other 



administrative d>. ,<! w ith the plaolatioae 



that may be required \>- 



lions on this subject, as well as a proper division 

 of districts, will be furui.^hcil in iiu. 



In the mean \viiii.-, and until ;. Macki become capa- 

 ble themselves of thinking and acting judiciously, the 

 services of competent instructors will \n- receired MM 

 or more for each district whose dir 

 teaching them, both young and old, the rudiment* of 

 civilization and Christianity their amen., 

 laws of both God and man their relation to each other 

 as social beings, and all that is necessary to raider 

 them competent to sustain themselves in social and 

 business pursuits. 



Subsequently the Secretary of War, without 

 any authority from Congress, and without the 

 knowledge of the people, issued orders, which 

 developed the following plan for a social experi- 

 ment with the negroes : 



HEADQUARTEES, E. C., HILTO* HIAD. 5. C., J 

 JfarcA 8, 1662. f 

 General Order, No. 17. 



1. Mr. Edward L. Pierce having been appointed by 

 the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury General Superin- 

 tendent and Director of all persons engaged in the cul- 

 tivation of the land and the employment of the blacks, 

 he is hereby announced as such. 



2. The following instructions to the general com- 

 manding are hereby published for the information 

 of all concerned ; and commanding officers of all 

 posts and stations within the limits of this command, 

 will be governed in strict conformity thereto. 



WAS DEPABTMETT, Feb. 18, 1888. 

 To Gen. T. W. Sherman, Commanding at Port 



Eoyal, S. C. : 



GENERAL : You are hereby directed to afford pro- 

 tection, subsistence, anJ facilities, so far as may be 

 consistent with the interests of the service and the" du- 

 ties and objects of your command, to all persons who 

 may present to you written permits, issued to them 

 under the authority of the Secretary of the Tre.. 

 setting forth that s'aid persons have" proceeded to Port 

 Roval under the sanction of the Government, for the 

 collection, safe keeping, and disposition of cotton, rice, 

 and other property abandoned by the possessors 

 within your military department, and for the regula- 

 tion and employment of persons of color lately held to 

 service or labor by enemies of the United States, and 

 now within the occupying lines and under the military 

 protection of the army. 



Such permits, signed by the Collector of Customs at 

 New York city, will be considered by you as emana- 

 ting from the Treasury Department. 



Under the head of subsistence will be included ra- 

 tions to such persons as may be employed under the 

 direction of the Treasury Department, in the tern 

 porary charge of the abandoned plantations ; or, with 

 its sanction, to labor for the instruction and improve- 

 ment of the laboring population. 



EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. 



To L. If. Pdovzc, Captain I'M Infantry, Acting At- 

 sistant Adjutant- (lateral : 



3. No quarters, hospitals, storehouses, or other 

 public buildings, however temporary, will be erected 

 within the limits of this command, without previous 

 sanction and order of the general commanding. 



When anv temporary building is proposed to b 

 erected, a plan and specification of the same will b* 

 sent to the chief quartermaster fr the examination and 

 consideration of ie 



