Freedmen's Bureau Records: Frederick S. Tukey to W.
Storer How, January 31, 1866
Summary:
Tukey's monthly report summarizes the condition of blacks in Augusta County. In
the report he discusses the practice of making employment contracts, the
"flourishing" state of schools, and attacks against the Bureau in the newspaper,
The Valley Virginian. Tukey also gives the details of the Walton case, in which
Walton refused to abide by a court decision against him. Tukey recommends that
he be arrested and sent to Richmond to demonstrate that laws and court decisions
will be enforced.
Bureau Refugees, Freedmen & A.
L.
Report of Bureau Affairs in Sub.
Dist. "B" for the month ending January 31st 1866. By F. S. Tukey,Asst. Supt.
Capt. W. S. How, A.Q.M. & Supt. 6th Dist, Va
Winchester, Va.
Capt.
I have the honor to submit the following Report of Bureau affairs in this Sub. Dist.
Since I made my last Report the troops have all been withdrawn from this Sub. Dist., thereby giving us the oportunity to make the experiment as to whether the
operation of the Bureau could be successfully carried on without them, or not,
and I am free to say that the Civil Authorities thus far have done everything in
their power to prevent the interruption of our schools or the operations of the
Bureau. Yet I am not prepared to say by this that no troops are needed but I
believe a very small number, for the purpose of making arrests, when necessary,
would insure the complete success of the Bureau in its
operations. It sometimes happens, and there are several cases of the kind on
hand now, that men refuse to appear here when summoned, that they refuse to
come,
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and treat the summons with contempt. There is also occasionally
a case in which persons refuse to comply with decisions of the Court, and in
such cases as these I am completely powerless with any troops. One case in
particular which I desire to call your attention to is that of E.P. Walton, who
was tried by the Court for a violation of Contract which he acknowledges to have
been made with a freedman, and by which he brought complainant from Kentucky
during the war under the promise of returning her to her parents whenever she
desired it. The Court heard all the testimony in, and carefully weighed the
case, and unanimously rendered the following verdict: Said Walton to be allowed
thirty Days in which to furnish necessary funds to defray the womans expenses
back to her parents. The time expired on the 15th of January, 1866, and he has
failed to comply, or give any explanation why. Now, unless the decisions of the
Court can be enforced it is all a farce, and might as well be discontinued. What
I would reccommend in the case is this: That you
immediately write to Richmond giving a statement of the facts, and request a
guard to be sent here at once to arrest said Walton and take him to Richmond and
compel [added: him] to comply with the decision of
the Court. Our Court here is composed of myself and two as respectable Citizens
as there is in town. One of them is a middle aged man, the other an aged man and
neither of them disposed to
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do any injustice to their fellow
citizens, and there was no disagreement in their opinions in the decision of
this case, and they, like myself, feel that it should be enforced at once.
The freedmen, generally speaking, behave well and are entering into Contracts by the year with monthly payments; true that few of the Contracts are made at this office, but I am inclined to think that this is owing to the Charge that is made for them here and the prejudice of the Whites to coming here. Many of them, however, make their own contracts and bring them here for approval, which I do, if properly made, without any charge.
Our schools here are in a very flourishing condition, and, we think, second to none in the state. This, I think, is owing to the efficiency of the teachers, and to them the credit belongs, and I think we are all gaining ground every Day in the estimation of the respectable citizens of the place.
I had a long conversation yesterday with the Editor of the "Valley Virginian" who
has [added: been] continually throwing flings,
through the Columns of his paper, at the Bureau, in which I told him that I had
never seen any thing of the kind in the other papers issued here, and that such
flings were calculated to excite the populace against the Bureau, and lead them
to some overt acts for which he would be responsible, and he has promised to
desist from such communications. If he does not, I shall again call your
attention
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to the subject and reccommend
that he be notified by Maj. Gen. Terry that
such things will not be allowed. This, I think, is due to the better portion of
the Citizens here, and I have no doubt they would be glad to have it done.
With reference to Highland County, I cannot say anything which would be based upon actual knowledge, but as the number of colored people there is very small indeed, and as I have heard no reports to the contrary, I am inclined to think that matters are moving along quietly there.
No rations have been issued this month, neither have we had any enlisted men detailed to this office; consequently there is no report to make upon either of these subjects. And hoping, now, that the points referred to in this Report, especially the one relating to Walton, will claim your attention.
I am, Capt, with much Respect,
Your
obt.
Srvt.
Frederick S. Tukey
Asst.
Supt. Sub Sub. Dist.
"B"
