New York Times US
The Contrabands at Helena, Ark.
AN APPEAL FOR AID.
The Chaplains at Helena, Ark., have published an appeal asking for aid for the destitute contrabands at that place. They desire that contributions should be sent to Rev. J.G. FORMAN, at Memphis. In their appeal they thus set forth the necessities of the class for which they plead:
In the progress of the army from Batesville to Helena, all slaves of rebel masters were permitted and encouraged to join the regimental and commissary trains, in various capacities, as teamsters, cooks, servants, and laundresses, and a large number of women and children were brought along in the empty wagons of the army. This course was deemed, by Major-Gen. CURTIS, as damaging to the rebels, a just confiscation of their property, and an act of humanity to the slaves, who claimed their freedom on the ground that they had been used by their masters in aid of the rebellion. On the arrival of the army at this place, many slaves, including women and children, have come into our camps, and into the town, from the neighboring country, from both sides of the river.
Animated by a desire to obtain their liberty, the able-bodied men have readily offered their services to work on the fortifications, or in the employ of the Quartermasters, as teamsters and laborers, driving mules, unloading steamboats and performing any service required of them. It is not too much to say that nearly the entire labor of building the fortifications, and more than three-fourths of the fatigue duty of the army has been willingly performed by these men, thus saving our soldiers from severe labors which, during the hot and unhealthy season, would have proved exceedingly injurious and often fatal to them.
On Sept. 18, 1862, an order was issued to Brig.-Gen. STEELE, entitled "General Orders, No. 48," and published in the Shield, a weekly newspaper issued by the United States military authorities at this place, of which the following sections are here given. Those portions which bear with peculiar hardship on these people we place in italics:
1. Such slaves as may be required to work on the fortifications, and for teamsters and fatigue parties in the Quarter master and Commissary Departments will be enrolled with descriptions, and the names of the former owners will be noted.
2. The chief Quartermaster will furnish the allowance of suitable clothing, and the wages shall be retained until the legality or disloyalty of persons claiming their services shall be established by courts of law, except in cases where the masters are known to be in rebellion against the Government.
3. To prevent the vagrancy, immorality and distress that have existed among this class of individuals, all such as cannot be employed for the benefit of the Government, or provided for in accordance with law, will be put outside of these lines, and allowed to return to the plantations whence they came.
Upon this order the practice was inaugurated of returning slaves, found within our lines, to persons professing to be loyal owners, some of whom were known to have been notoriously disloyal, and in one instance a slave claimant, a minister of the Methodist Church South, came into Camp Ethiopia with a military order, and carried off a child from its mother on his horse. A number of slaves have been returned by military force and authority, in direct violation of the Confiscation act.
Instead of paying the laborer his wages at the end of his month's work, the practice under this order is "to note the names of former owners" on the descriptive rolls, and "retain their wages until the loyalty or disloyalty of the persons claiming their service shall be established by courts of law." Under this order of things the colored men, employed during the past month, are refused any wages, and can get nothing for the support of their wives and children. Their prospect of ever receiving their pay is very uncertain while this order stands. As to the vagrancy and immorality impliedly attributed to them, it is not known to be greater in degree and proportion than obtains in other communities. Intemperance is seldom, if ever, seen among them, and many of them are willing and industrious laborers.
The facts here given are, necessary to the full understanding of the present situation of these people. Besides those employed, there are many more who cannot be employed, some infirm and disabled, and many women and children, only a few of whom can do anything for themselves. These have come to us in midsummer, with thin clothing, leaving everything behind them. In many instances, their masters have fled from their farms, and the army has left nothing upon which these people can subsist when they shall be put outside of these lines and allowed to return to the plantations from whence they came.
Many others, again, have come with the army a long distance from their homes. To "put them outside of these lines" is, therefore, to send them to starvation and death.
If we can feed the rebel soldiers that fall into our hands, fighting to destroy our Government, it would seem that some method might be devised to take care of these people, who are natural allies, and have done the best they could to serve us. Instead of putting them outside of our lines into the possession of their rebel masters, by military force and authority, as has been done in several instances, justice and humanity both require that they should be protected in their newly-acquired freedom, and assisted until their labor is needed, and can bring its just reward. As soon as a peaceful order of things is established, their labor would be in immediate demand, as free men. Planters in this vicinity are now paying wages to those who were formerly their slaves, to gather the cotton crop, already ripe for harvest.
There is, however, this practical difficulty during the existence of the war. Unless they are within the protection of the army, their rights are not recognized. To the unemployed, there is no officer here who is authorized to issue clothing and provide necessaries, without doing it on his own responsibility and at his own risk. And as for the women and children, there is no suitable clothing to be bad for them from the Government stores.