One of the duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau in the former slaveholding states where it operated, was to oversee labor contracts between Freedmen and planters. Labor contracts stated the terms and obligations of planters and Freedmen. Freedmen agreed to plant, tend and harvest a crop, most often receiving a share of the crop when it was harvested. If a planter turned a Freedman away from the plantation before the crop was harvested and the contract was fulfilled, the Freedmen’s Bureau could intercede to enforce the terms of the labor contract1.
The document abstracted below2 was a report of planters on St. Simons Island, Georgia who had turned Freedmen away before the contract was fulfilled. You may view the microfilmed images of this document on FamilySearch.
The table below is searchable. You may also choose how many rows to display per page.
This file was transcribed by Alana Thevenet.
| Names of Planters | Residence | Names of Freedmen | When Discharged | When Labor | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asa Burney | Glen County | Daphney Burney | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Thomas B. King | Tebeauville No. 9 | Pylus King | July 13th | Jan 1st | |
| Hamilton Cooper | Tebeauville No. 9 | Bonny Gibon's wife | June 1st | Jan 1st | |
| and Daughter | |||||
| Dempsey Palmer | Wayne Co. | Elizabeth Palmer | July 1st | Jan 1st | This company are among the most destitute upon the island. They brought absolutely nothing, not even clothes to cover their nakedness. Several half grown persons landed as innocent of clothing as Adam and Eve before they used fig leaves. |
| Jack Palmer | " | " | |||
| Lilly Palmer | " | " | |||
| Maria Palmer | " | " | |||
| Nellie Palmer | " | " | |||
| Abigail Palmer | " | " | |||
| Katie Palmer | " | " | |||
| March Wade | " | " | |||
| Margaret Wade | " | " | |||
| Hugh F. Grant | Waynesborough | Matcher Grant | July 1st | Jan 1st | These people all were encouraged in the spring to plant themselves crops but when sent away nothing was matured and Mr. Grant swore he would shoot them if they appeared to claim them. They must suffer greatly if means are not supplied to them from some quarter. |
| Richard Grant | " | " | |||
| Andrew Grant | " | " | |||
| Mary Grant | " | " | |||
| Sipeo Grant | " | " | |||
| Abbie Grant | " | " | |||
| Nancy Grant | " | " | |||
| Priscilla Grant | " | " | |||
| Amelia Grant | " | " | |||
| Harely M. Stafford | Wayne co. | Thomas Stafford | July 1st | Jan 1st | This man returned to me some of the most obscene, insulting, and profane language in reply to a letter informing him officially that he would be required to pay these hands And swears he will shoot any one who may attempt to collect it. |
| Alexander Stafford | " | " | |||
| Emerline Stafford | " | " | |||
| Lena Stafford | " | " | |||
| Sylvia Stafford | " | " | |||
| George Stafford | " | " | |||
| Daniel L. King | Mayfield Camden | Tim Saunders | July 15th | Jan 1st | |
| Adam Tatnell | " | " | |||
| Alexander Couper | Alatanna Ware Co. | Elizabeth Couper | Aug 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Sandy Couper | " | " | |||
| Peggy Couper | " | " | This woman was a 3/4 hand | ||
| James Postell | No. 9 | Tonny Farm | July 1st | Jan 1st | 30 dollars a month was paid to his master for his labor |
| Hannibal Robinson | June 1st | " | |||
| Charles Robinson | Aug 1st | " | |||
| Saunders White | " | " | |||
| Robinson Postell | July 15th | " | |||
| Martin Miller | Tebeauville | Rebecca Count | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Alexander Edwards | " | " | |||
| James Sweat | Tebeauville | Sarah Andrews | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Robert Stafford | Waynesville | Emerlilne Gill | July 1st | " | |
| Wm A. Couper | No. 9 | Peter Pitman | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Abram Coupler | " | " | |||
| Middleton Tyson | " | " | A Mechanic | ||
| Sarah Couper | Aug 15th | " | This woman was driven away violently without clothing, food &c. | ||
| Martha Wiggins | Waynesville | Wm Collins | July 1st | Jan 1st | Sinclair Wiggins Agent for M. Wiggins |
| Dr. Henry Troup | Ware Co. No. 9 | Cyrus Troup | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Robert B. Crum | Clinch Co. No. 11 | Clara Coen & | July 15th | " | This man brags that he has out-witted the government and got a good crop out of the very Negroes which he has turned over destitute upon its hands |
| two children | |||||
| full hands | |||||
| Caroline Armstrong | July 1st | Jan 1st | |||
| and four children | |||||
| full hands | |||||
| Frank Dannon | Aug 21st | " | |||
| Martin Bradley | June 1st | " | |||
| Nancy Hutto | Waynesville | Eliza Aiken & her | |||
| daughter (full hands) | " | Jan 1st | |||
| Wm Arnet | Wayne Co. | March Aikens | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| James H. Couper | No. 9 | Betsey Murry | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Prince Taylor | " | " | |||
| Elsie Tatnell | " | " | |||
| Delia Ramsey | " | " | |||
| Allie Sams | " | " | |||
| Mitchel Filtzson & | " | " | |||
| his wife | " | " | |||
| Samuel Lockwood | " | " | |||
| Mallory King | Waresborough | Bonny King | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Robert Murphy | " | " | |||
| Gabriel Merchant | " | " | |||
| James Piles | Glen Co. | James Piles (col'd) | July 1st | Jan 1st | |
| Daughter of the above " | " | " | |||
| Cornelia Piles (Field) | " | " | |||
| Mary Piles | " | " | |||
| Polly Burns | " | " | |||
| Cornelia Piles (House) | " | " | |||
| George Piles | " | " | |||
| (half hand) | |||||
| Margaret Cato | Ware Co. No. 9 | Robert White | June 1st | Jan 1st | This man was hired out by Mrs. Cato at 30.00 per month |
| Wm Murphey | July 15th | " | |||
| Cassius Murphy | " | " | |||
| Col. Robert Du Binion | Buffalo | Margaret Du Binion | July 1st | Jan 1st |
References Cited
[1] United States, Bureau of Freedmen, Refugees and Abandoned Lands, NARA RG 105, M1903, Roll 77, Descriptive Pamphlet. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
[2] “Georgia, Freedmen’s Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89GF-PNC1?cc=2331267&wc=SKFF-C6T%3A1439028908%2C1438803607 : 9 December 2014), Saint Simons Island (agent) > Roll 77, Land report and report of planters who had sent their freedmen away unpaid, Aug-Sep 1865 > image 1 of 11; citing NARA microfilm publication M1903 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
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