Freedmen's Bureau Records: George T. Cook to R. S.
Lacey, June 30, 1866
Summary:
Cook gives a negative assessment of the attitudes of the local white population
toward free blacks in Augusta County, noting that juries frequently go against
the law in cases involving freedmen. He also discusses the registry of free
blacks and the problem of vagrants.
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and A.
L.
Office of Asst.
Supt.
Sub-Dist.
Va
Captain R. S. Lacy
Supt. Seventh District. Va.
Lynchburg, Va.
June 30th 1866
Staunton Va.
Sir:
I have the honor to submit the following report of Bureau affairs in the Counties of Augusta and Highland for the month ending June 30th 1866.
Augusta County
In this Co I have received during the month quite a number of complaints from freedmen in regard to sums due them from their employers - mostly for small sums, but in the present undefined position of the authority of Officers in Civil Cases I have been cautious in interfering - I am at a loss how to advise them - if the matters are handed over to the Civil Courts it will require money to prosicute them successfully even then months will elapse before any benefits can be realized even supposing that just trials can be obtained.
Magistrate and Circuit Courts on Criminal trials
[page 2]
of Freedmen, are
inclined to give fair and impartial trials so far as the presiding Judges are
concerned - in case of one colored man, the Jury found a verdict of guilty after
being charged by the Judge to the contrary in the plainest terms possible the
Judge even remarking to the Jury that he wished he could instruct them otherwise
- the Court granted a new trial - the man will be convicted in a new trial as
the inditement will be made good, still it shows
the feeling of the Jury to have been against a strict compliance with Civil law.
It is very difficult to get a local Magistrate to attend to complaints of
Colored men, I have yet to hear of an instance in which the complaint of a
freedman against a white man has been taken up unless under instructions from
this office.
In compliance with Circular No. 11 CS from HdQrs
Asst
Comr State Va I have registered during the month 544 couples of
freedpeople as married by the State Act of February 27th 1866 - making a total
of registry for the Co. of 721 couples-- Total
number of children recognized by the Father as his 1986 or an average of 2 3/4
children to each married
[page 3]
couple-- The total slave population before
the war was 5617- the total registry amounts to 3428, which with licensed
marriages, illegitimate children, and the floating population not reached by the
State Law, must with the losses to the Co. from the
emigration of Colored people during the war include nearly all those required to
be registered by the Law.
Stringent measures should be taken with a [unclear: numerous] class of freedpeople who congregate in towns, and live - no one knows how - or shift about through the country changing employers upon the most frivolous pretexes or often with no reason further than their own inclinations - the forfeit of the wages does not affect them in the least, though a finall compensation to the employer, who is often during the pressing, busy season obliged to seek other labor, with perhaps the same result, as the better class find employment by the year.
Highland County
In this Co. the General [unclear: Lands]
Dept of Virginia issued an order through this
office dated May 27th 1866 directing that proceedings in
certain cases - [unclear: "Burkit & Guhin"] refugees
[page 4]
be stopped and the property in question be restored to them at once - this
order was promptly communicated to the Common Wealths Atty of the C. but Mr. Burkit informed
me on the 23d inst. that he had been unable by personal
application to get the property in question and the lawyer of
[unclear: Guhin] since informed me that his [unclear: Ch] was
still held to answer the charges against him.
I am Sir
Very Respectfully
Your Obt Servant
Geo. T. Cook
1st Lt and Asst.
Supt.
