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42 FREEDMEN'S AFFAIRS IN KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE
office and reported that the day previous John and Mart Lashley, cousins, came to her house and told her they wanted that meat she had stolen, and took her about one-half mile into the woods, tied her hands around a tree, and struck her 30 or 40 lashes with a rod, raising large
welts on the back. They then untied her and put a piece of bark round her neck, nearly choking her, and threatened her with death if she ever reported what they had done to her. I have inquired into the character of the girl, which I find very good; but the Lashleys are represented as notorious ruffians and guerillas during the war. The girl is now in Johnson ville, but afraid to return home. In the mean time I will await your instructions in regard to the matter. 

While it is gratifying to report the quiet condition generally of my sub-district during the past month and the disposition on the part of the freedmen to obtain employment and carry out their contracts in good faith, also the flourishing condition of the schools, (many of which I have visited,) I regret the unsettled condition of society in some of my counties - the consequence of midnight prowlers and assassins of the "Ku-Klux Klan," who assault peaceable, inoffensive colored people, threatening their lives if they do not at once leave the country, committing such outrages as to intimidate not alone colored but white Union citizens. In some instances murders have even been committed by them (as in Maury county.) The civil authorities apparently make no effort to stop the proceedings of lawless bands throughout the country.

Lieutenant Colonel Fred. S. Palmer, sub-assistant commissioner sub-district of Memphis, reports as follows: 
But two cases of outrages have been reported to this office during the month, as follows: 
Turner Pugh and Andrew Neighbors, both colored, rented some 60 acres of land about five miles from the city of Memphis and commenced to make a crop. On the night of April 3, 1868, about 10 men came to their cabins disguised, with their faces blackened, and took them out in the creek bottom, threatening to kill them. Pugh and Neighbors, begging off, were allowed to leave by giving to the gang a shot-gun, a watch, and five dollars in money. They were also notified that unless they left the piece of ground which they had rented within 24 hours, and the State in five days, they would be killed. On this threat they abandoned their crop and reported to me. I had James M. Glenn, Jacob Glenn, and Robert Weaver (the only three of the crowd that Pugh recognized,) arrested and bound over in the sum of $3,000 each to await the action of the grand jury. Two days afterwards the same parties were arrested and thrown into prison for perjury and theft. I had the bonds reduced to a small amount, and Pugh, obtaining the necessary security, is now at large. 
The other case of outrage occurred at Bolivar, Tennessee. On the night of April 24 Henry Parker, James Dunlap, Austin Slatter, Alfred Tiller, and other white men went to the house of Henry Johnson, colored, in Bolivar, Tennessee, and assaulted him, while in bed, in a most barbarous manner. They also beat and abused said Johnson's wife, Rose, injuring them both severely. The reason of this outrage was that Johnson had had a writ of [italicize] habeas corpus [/italicize] served upon Henry Parker for the purpose of obtaining possession of his wife's daughter, whom Parker had against her mother's consent. Johnson, fearing that he and his wife would be killed, left Bolivar, and is now in Memphis, Tennessee. No action has been taken by the civil authorities in regard to the case. 
The colored schools in this sub-district during the past month have been very successful. The number of schools is 28; the number of teachers, 45; number of scholars, 2,791; number of Sabbath schools, 25; number of teachers, 176; number of scholars, 2,911. * * *
The public sentiment toward the colored schools is, as a general thing, improving. There are, however, many sections where the greatest bitterness to the system still exists, and every now and then exhibits itself in its attempts to break up the schools.
On the night of April 16, 1868, the freedmen's school-house at Carthage, Tennessee, was burned by incendiaries. This house was, in part, built by the bureau.
Numerous repairs of school-houses have been made by the disbursing officers during the month. 
Inspections at Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Winchester, Murfreesboro', Shelbyville, Wartrace, and other points were made during the month, and the reports in regard to schools and bureau operations are nearly all favorable. 
The following is an exhibit of the amount of money paid, through this bureau, to freedmen during the past month, on account of their claims against the United States government for back pay, bounty, &c. :
At Memphis.............................. $44,206 58
At Pulaski............................... $6,858 98
At Knoxville............................. $2,964 60