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[[preprinted]] 452 [[/preprinted]] [[Footnote 1]] is taken upon their crops. There is every prospect of a large crop. Contracts are being made for long terms where officers of the Bureau have been stationed. The Central District under Lt. Col. D.E. Clapp Supt. comprises nine Sub. Districts. Four officers have been assigned him and are located at different points in his District. Twenty contracts have been made in this district, and the working under them is generally good. The fact that many farmers have driven away hands without pay, has served to excite distrust in the freedmen and they hesitate to make long contracts. Western District. No Supt. has been assigned to this District yet, and two officers & two agents are the only officers on duty in the whole District. Greensboro. Capt. Mills lately assigned has his Hd. Qrs. here and reports general good working under contracts witnessed by him, throughout his District, he reports several cases of abuse. Charlotte. Capt. L.C. Barnett Asst. Supt. he reports many contracts made for the next year, and thinks he can break up his camp or make it very small before next spring. Salisbury. Mr. Chadwick Agent. The camp here is quite large and very many helpless freedmen are supported, still contracts are being made which are providing homes & support for the freedmen. Generally, every endeavour is being made by the Bureau to break up the camps & scatter the freedmen into the farming lands, so that in the event of the reestablishment of Civil Government the freedmen will as a class be providing for themselves, and not thrown helpless from the camps upon the people of the state. The presence of officers in the different Sub. Districts would very materially lessen the number of persons who draw support, for they in carrying out the orders of the Bureau are obliged to make contracts between negroes & farmers and break up camps and homes where idleness may in any way be encouraged. Very respectfully E. Whittlesey Col. and Asst. Commissioner. [[Footnote 1]] Ruger [[line across page]] [[end page]] [[start page]] [[preprinted]] 453 [[/preprinted]] Bureau of Refugees Freedmen &c Hd. Qrs. Asst. Commissioner Raleigh N.C. Howard Maj. Genl. O.O. Commissioner &c. General In presenting my first quarterly report of the operations of this Bureau in N.C. which I have the honor to forward, I deem it proper to give a history of it. Organization. On the 22d of June I arrived at Raleigh with instructions from you to take the control of all subjects relating to "Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands" within this State. I found these subjects in much confusion. Hundreds of white refugees and thousands of blacks were collected about this and other towns occupying every hovel and shanty; living upon government rations without employment and without comfort; many dying for want of proper food and medical supplies. A much larger number, both white & black, were crowding into the towns, and literally swarming about every depot of supplies, to receive their rations. My first effort was to reduce this class of suffering and idle humanity to order, and to discover how large a proportion of these applicants were really deserving of help. The whites, excepting "Loyal Refugees", were referred to Military Authorities. To investigate the condition of Refugees and Freedmen and minister to the wants of the destitute, I saw at once would require the services of a large number of efficient officers. As fast as suitable persons could be selected, application was made to the Dept. and District Commanders for their detail in accordance with Gen O. No. 102. War Dept. May 31st 1865. In many cases these applications were unsuccessful, because the officers asked for could not be spared. The difficulties and delays experienced in obtaining the help needed for a proper organization of my work will be seen from the fact that upon thirty four written requests in due form, only eleven officers have been detailed by the Dept. and District Commanders. With such assistance however as could be procured I proceeded to divide the State into four general Districts viz. Eastern, Central, Western and Southern. To the Eastern District I assigned as Superintendent Capt. Horace James A.Q.M. who was already on the ground, and had for a long time been in charge of "Contrabands" under the appointment of Military Commanders of the District. Over the Central District, Cap. Beal 9th Me. Vols. was first appointed Supt. but he was soon relieved by Lt. Col. D.E. Clapp, 38th U.S.C.T. The Western District was placed under the Superintendence of Major Smith 17t Mass. Vols. who was however soon relieved to be mustered out with his Regiment and the vacancy has not yet been filled. The Southern District remained without an officer until Aug. 18th when Maj. Chas. L. Wickersham A.A.G. was assigned as its Superintendent. The next step was a division of these four Districts into Sub.-districts. My first intention was to make each County a Sub-district: but the impossibility of obtaining so large a number of officers as this would require compelled me to embrace from two to eight Counties in each Sub-district.
