Background
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands was established within the War Department by a Congressional Act on March 3, 1865. The same act authorized the appointment of Assistant Commissioners who were responsible for operations in specific Sub-Districts. One of the first tasks Freedmen’s Bureau Assistant Commissioners were charged with was visiting the plantations within their Sub-District, and giving an account of them in monthly land reports.
The monthly land reports contain information on plantation owners, plantation names (in some cases), the number of freedmen on each plantation, number of acres cultivated, and whether or not the freedmen’s communities on the plantations were self-supporting [1].
The reports abstracted below were for those plantations affected by the Combahee Raid, an expedition undertaken by Union troops (reportedly led by Harriet Tubman) on June 1, 1863, in which several plantations along the Combahee River were destroyed, and more than 700 enslaved people were freed [2].
Freedmen’s Bureau Land Reports, Combahee Ferry, South Carolina, Sept. 1865 [3]
|
Owner
|
Acres Cultivated
|
Total Acres
|
Buildings
|
Remarks
|
|
Charles Lowndes
|
15
|
1000
|
Mansion, overseers & negro houses stable & kitchen
|
20 people Freedmen on the place, mostly old men & women, who have small crops of corn & c, but will need help before spring
|
|
Saxby Chaplin
|
25
|
800
|
Negro Houses
|
25 Freedmen on the plantation, who are self-supporting, crop corn & rice
|
|
Wm. Kirklin
|
00
|
1000
|
Negro houses stable & c [etc]
|
No people on the place
|
|
Nichols
|
00
|
700
|
Negro houses, barns, stables & c
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
James Paul
|
00
|
700
|
Negro houses, kitchen, stable & other outbuildings
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
Wm. Andrw. Burnett
|
25
|
1000
|
Negro house, stable, barn &c
|
20 Freedmen, crop corn, rice & cotton, self-supporting
|
|
Oliver Middleton
|
25
|
1000
|
Negro houses, barns & c
|
15 Freedmen here, crops corn, cotton & rice, 5 old people here who need help
|
|
Paul Fripp
|
00
|
700
|
None of any kind
|
No people on plantation
|
|
Saxby Chaplin
|
00
|
900
|
Mansion in poor condition, negro houses & c
|
No people on plantation
|
|
Chas. R. Farmer
|
10
|
800
|
Mansion, negro & cotton houses, barns & c
|
5 Freedmen & 1 family white refugees – crops corn, cotton & rice, self-supporting
|
|
James Whaley
|
10
|
700
|
Negro houses & cotton houses, stables & c
|
5 Freedmen, crops corn, cotton, rice self-supporting apparently
|
|
Minot
|
20
|
900
|
Negro houses, stable, kitchen & other out buildings
|
15 Freedmen
|
|
Dr. Gerardo
|
50
|
1000
|
Negro & overseers houses, barns, stables & c
|
25 Freedmen, crops cotton, corn & rice, self-supporting
|
|
Thos. Elliot
|
10
|
700
|
Negro houses & barns
|
4 Freedmen, crops corn, cotton & rice, self-supporting
|
|
Wm. H. Trescot
|
00
|
1000
|
Negro houses & barns
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
Thos. Rhett
|
00
|
1000
|
None of any kind
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
Robt. Chisolm
|
100
|
1200
|
Overseers, negro houses, barn, cotton & gin house & c
|
50 Freedmen, crop corn, cotton & rice, self-supporting
|
|
Dr. John Warren
|
10
|
300
|
Negro houses & stables
|
3 Freedmen, crop corn, cotton & rice, probably self-supporting
|
|
Elliot
|
00
|
1200
|
Negro houses, barns & c in poor condition
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
Jno. D. Warren
|
00
|
900
|
Mansion in poor repair, negro houses in same condition
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
Hanklin
|
00
|
1000
|
Negro houses, barns & c
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
Dr. Thos. Linning
|
00
|
400
|
Negro houses, stable, barns, Dr’s office & c
|
No people on the planation
|
|
Edwd. Means
|
150
|
1500
|
Overseers & negro houses, stables, barns & c
|
50 Freedmen, crops corn, cotton & rice, self-supporting
|
|
Wm. Godfrey
|
50
|
1000
|
Negro houses, stables, barns & other outbuildings
|
25 Freedmen, crops corn, cotton & rice, apparently self-supporting
|
|
Thos. Rhett
|
25
|
900
|
Negro houses & barns, stables & c
|
15 Freedmen, crops cotton, corn & rice, self-supporting thus far
|
|
Barnwell Rhett
|
00
|
800
|
Mansion, negro houses, barns, stables & c
|
No people on the plantation
|
|
Alfred Rhett
|
25
|
900
|
Negro houses, stables, barns & other outbuildings
|
15 Freedmen, crops cotton, corn & rice, self-supporting thus far
|
|
Nathl. Hayward [Heyward]
|
100
|
1000
|
Overseers & negro houses cotton houses, stables, barns &c
|
50 Freedmen, crops corn, cotton & rice, self-supporting thus far
|
|
Wm. Means
|
100
|
1100
|
Negro & cotton houses, stables, barns & c
|
45 Freedmen, crops cotton, corn & rice, self-supporting
|
Agent G.G. Batchelder’s Remarks:
“The lands included in this report are plantations lying South of the Combahee Road (East of the Ferry) & along the Combahee, Chehaw, & a portion of Ashepoo Rivers. The numbers of people are constantly increasing and the new-comers generally come empty handed & the crops will not sustain the people through the year. There is but one place mentioned in this report, where there will be anything to spare; viz: that of Edwd. Means on Ashepoo River.
There are a great many old people on these plantations who have raised but very little themselves from their being unable to work the land to the same advantage as younger people might have done, and it will be among them that the greatest amount of suffering will fall unless assistance is ordered to a greater extent than is at present allowed. Upon some of the plantations the smallpox has raged during the summer which was a cause of short crops in many cases.”
G.G. Batchelder
Agt Bureau of Refugees & c
Combahee Ferry, So Car.
9th Oct. 1865
Freedmen’s Bureau Land Reports, Combahee Ferry, South Carolina, Oct. 1865
|
Owner
|
Acres Cultivated
|
Total Acres
|
Buildings
|
Remarks
|
|
Charles Lowndes
|
15
|
1000
|
Dwelling house, negro houses & c [etc]
|
20 people (Freedmen), not self-supporting
|
|
Saxby Chaplin No. 1
|
25
|
800
|
Negro houses & c
|
25 Freedmen, partly self-supporting
|
|
Wm. Kirklin
|
00
|
1000
|
Negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
Wm. Nichols
|
00
|
700
|
Negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
James Paul
|
00
|
700
|
Negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
Wm. Andrw. Burnett
|
25
|
1000
|
Negro houses & c
|
25 Freedmen, self-supporting thus far
|
|
Oliver Middleton
|
25
|
1000
|
Negro houses & c
|
15 Freedmen, partly self-supporting
|
|
Paul Fripp
|
00
|
700
|
None
|
No people or crops
|
|
Saxby Chaplin no. 2
|
00
|
900
|
Negro houses
|
No people or crops
|
|
Chas. R. Farmer
|
10
|
800
|
Dwelling house, negro houses & c
|
5 Freedpeople, self-supporting
|
|
James Whaley
|
10
|
700
|
Negro houses & c
|
5 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Charles Minot
|
20
|
900
|
Negro houses & c
|
15 Freedmen, mostly self-supporting
|
|
Dr. Thomas Gerardo
|
50
|
1000
|
Negro houses & c
|
25 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Thos. Elliot
|
10
|
700
|
Negro houses & c
|
4 Freedmen, self-supporting thus far
|
|
Wm. H. Trescot
|
00
|
1000
|
Negro houses
|
No people or crops
|
|
Thos. Rhett No. 1
|
00
|
1000
|
None
|
No people or crops
|
|
Robt. Chisolm
|
100
|
1200
|
Overseers houses, negro houses & c
|
50 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Dr. John Warren
|
10
|
300
|
Negro houses & c
|
3 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Wm. Elliot
|
00
|
1200
|
Negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
Jno. D. Warren
|
00
|
900
|
Negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
Hanklin
|
00
|
1000
|
Negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
Dr. Thos. Linning
|
00
|
400
|
Negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
Edwd. Means
|
150
|
1500
|
Negro houses & c
|
50 Freedmen, entirely self-supporting
|
|
Wm. Godfrey
|
50
|
1000
|
Negro houses & c
|
25 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Thos. Rhett No. 2
|
25
|
900
|
Negro houses & c
|
15 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Barnwell Rhett
|
00
|
800
|
Dwelling house, negro houses & c
|
No people or crops
|
|
Alfred Rhett
|
25
|
900
|
Negro houses & c
|
15 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Nathl. Hayward [Heyward]
|
100
|
1000
|
Overseers & negro houses, stables & c
|
50 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
|
Wm. Means
|
110
|
1100
|
Negro houses & c
|
45 Freedmen, self-supporting
|
Related Article: Who Lived This History? The Combahee Raid
References Cited
[1] National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). 2005 Records of the Field Offices for the State of South Carolina, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872. Micropublication M1910, Reel 71, Reel Guide. Washington, D.C.: NARA.
[2] Smith, John David. 2002 Black Soldiers in Blue: African American Troops in the Civil War. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: UNC Press, pp. 319-320.
[3] National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). 2005 Records of the Field Offices for the State of South Carolina, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872. Micropublication M1910, Reel 71, Target 3. Washington, D.C.: NARA.
