| Location | Chestertown |
|---|---|
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Names Mentioned | – |
| Date | July 19, 1866 |
| Document Title | Freedmen’s Bureau Agent at Chestertown, Maryland, to the Headquarters of the Maryland Freedmen’s Bureau Assistant Commissioner |
| Document Description | Agent Johnston describes his perspective on the condition of freedmen and women in Kent and Queen Anne's Counties, along with information on the most commonly available trades and their wages. In addition, he discusses the attitudes of whites towards freedmen in the area and their reactions towards the Freedmen Bureau's presence. Transcription originally published in Land & Labor (Ser III, Vol II of Freedom), 433. |
| Transcription |
Chestertown. Kent Co, M’d July 19” 1866 Captain, I have the honor to report—that in obedience to orders, I have established my Head Quarters at this place: have visited a portion of Queen Ann County, and a considerable portion of this county, and by personal investigation, as well as from statements of numerous reliable men, I find the condition of the Freedmen is quite as encouraging as any section of the country I have visited, and what is lacking is generally their fault. This being an agricultural District, labor is in great demand– Wages rate as follows: “Field Hands” from $15– to $20– per month— Harvest Hands” from $2– to $2.50 per day, “Houseservants” $6– per month– Their wages is promptly paid them– There is no necessity for any population to do Justice towards the colored race—and prevent abuses. Tho’ a large portion are “My Policy” men, and feel sorely over the emancipation of their slaves, they say it was not the fault of the colored man and they attach no blame to him— I notice a restless disposition on part of the Freedmen, which is not profitable to them and causes great inconvenience to the employer. It seems they cannot set a due value on their labor , and are eve dissatisfied with their wages—and rarely remain longer than a few days with one man, but are constantly changing places–, and especially is this the case with Houseservants (women)– They wish to be constantly gadding about the streets–and their great desire is to get to Baltimore as their “Summum Bonum”– There are five or six schools and several churches in this county, which appear to be in a prosperous condition, and have met no hindrance since the establishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau in this state– I learn from reliable sources, that the moral effect of the Bureau in the state, and the occasional visits of its Officers thro’ the Counties, have done much more towards preserving harmony, and preventing abuses, than we had anticipated– a general impression prevails, that the powers of the Bureau are much more enlarged than is the case–and of course, we do not say “they are only advisory”— There is scarcely any foreign element in the population, and the abuses occasioned by it, in many places, are almost unknown here— My information, aside from personal observation, I have gathered chiefly from Ex-Army Officers–men who are sound to the core– I will be most happy from time to time, to receive instructions and suggestions from you I am Captain Very Respectfully Your ob’t Servant Jas M Johnston |
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[Author (if known)], Documents from the Freedmen and Southern Society Project, [Date (if known)], Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva’s Black History, Nabb Research Center, Salisbury University.
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