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Freedmen's Bureau Collection
J. K. Nelson to M. D. Walsh, March 27, 1867
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J. K. Nelson to M. D. Walsh, March 27, 1867
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Description
Title
J
.
K
.
Nelson
to
M
.
D
.
Walsh
,
March
27
,
1867
Record type
correspondence
Creator
Nelson
,
J
.
K
.
Date of creation
1867-03-27
Series
Records of the field offices for the state of Tennessee, 1865-1872
Description
Correspondence
regarding
labor
contracts
,
schools
, and
recruitment
of
Freedmen
for the
army
. Also,
information
about
the
questionable
nature
of
William
A.
Osborn
and
John
E
.
Dromgoole
,
claim
agents
.
Additional notes
Series
M1911
,
Reel
80
,
[Frames
581-585]
Excerpt from record
I
have the
honor
to
report
that in the
month
of
March
I
have
written
and
approved
Forty
contracts
. A
majority
of them were for a
portion
of the
crop
,
ranging
from
two
fifths
to
one
half
–
the
laborers
finding
their
own
rations
–
everything
else
necessary
found
by the
employer
. The
employer
finds
the
provisions
where
one
third
of the
crop
is
promised
. Not
quite
one
third
of
all
the
contracts
written
this
month
have been for
stated
wages
of
which
the
average
rate
for a
good
hand
is
Twelve
and
one
half
Dollars
per
month
,
quarters
,
fuel
and
rations
found
by the
employer
. In
filling
up
those
blanks
furnished
by
your
office
,
I
make
the
bond
given
by the
employer
equal
to the
sum
of the
wages
to be
paid
the
laborers
. But
little
complaint
has
arisen
from
breach
of
contract
, and the
Freedmen
have
gone
to
work
manfully
to
pitch
their
crops
and
make
a
living
. The
schools
at this
place
are
progressing
favorable
. The
corps
of
teachers
has been
increased
to
eight
, and the
number
of
pupils
in
attendance
has
diminished
considerably
, on
account
of their
labor
being
required
on the
surrounding
plantations
, and
yet
the
number
is
so
large
as to
make
it
difficult
for the
teachers
to
do
justice
to
all
, and
give
that
attention
to
each
necessary
to
insure
rapid
progress
. A
man
named
Smith
who
attempted
to
organize
a
colored
school
near
Milton
has been
driven
away
and his
life
threatened
. This
Smith
appears
to be a
very
ignorant
man
.
States
that he
belonged
to
Blackburns
Company
of
Genl
Stokes
Cavalry
in the
army
of the
United
States
and that he
is
still
a
soldier
, has
never
been
discharged
. From this
statement
the
only
inference
I
can
draw
is
that he
is
a
deserter
.
About
the
first
of the
month
I
received
a
letter
from
Capt
.
Henry
C
.
Corbin
38th
U
.
S
.
Infy
Recruiting
officer
at
Nashville
,
stating
that he had been
authorized
by
B[rot]
Maj
.
Genl
W
.
P
.
Corbin
Asst
.
Comn
. to
request
me
to
assist
him in
enlisting
men
(col’d)
for the
38th
Infantry
,
offering
me
$2.00
premium
for
each
recruit
.
I
declined
accepting
the
commission
for the
reason
that in
my
judgement
it
would not be
proper
or
right
for
me
to
attempt
to
serve
the
Government
in that
double
capacity
to
assist
the
freemen
in
making
contracts
and then be
instrumental
in
having
them
break
such
contracts
, by
enlisting
the
men
and
sending
them to the
army
.
I
would be
glad
to
know
if
my
position
in this
matter
is
approved
. The
Claim
Agents
at the
place
(Osborn
and
Drumgoole)
who
have
exceeded
in
getting
most
of the
claims
of
colored
men
are
fast
losing
the
confidence
of
every
body
. They are
both
hard
drinkers
.
Osborn
is
drunk
almost
half
of the
time
.
I
have not
yet
been
able
to
ascertain
to a
certainty
that they have
defrauded
any of the
freedmen
out
of their
dues
as but
few
claims
have been
paid
. This
I
do
know
, that a
former
partner
of
Osborn’s
at the
place
,
David
Kelso
,
is
afraid
to
trust
him any
longer
and has
taken
all
the
unfinished
partnership
business
out
of his
hands
, and has
told
me
confidentially
that of a
number
of
citizens’
claims
collect
from the
Government
some
of the
parties
for
whom
it
was
paid
have not
received
a
cent
. Any
further
information
coming
to
my
knowledge
in this
case
will be
promptly
reported
.
Geographic location
Murfreesboro (Tenn.)
Rutherford County (Tenn.)
Names that occur in the record
Walsh, M. D.
Nelson, J. K.
Kelso, David
Corbin, Henry C.
Corbin, W. P.
Dromgoole, John E.
Osborn, William W.
Subject (LC)
African Americans--Tennessee--Social conditions--19th century
African Americans--Social conditions
Agriculture
Murfreesboro (Tenn.)
Race relations
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)--Tennessee--Rutherford County
Rutherford County (Tenn.)
United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands--Records and correspondence
Coverage
1860-1869
Contributing institution
National Archives and Records Administration
Medium
microfilm
Bibliographic citation
[Document
title
,
date]
.
Records
of the
field
offices
for the
State
of
Tennessee
.
Bureau
of
Refugees
,
Freedmen
, and
Abandoned
Lands
,
1865-1872
.
Series
M1911
,
[Reel
number
,
Frame
number/s]
.
National
Archives
and
Records
Administration
,
Washington
,
D.C
.
Copyright status
public domain
Collection name
Freedman's Bureau Records
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Freedmen's Bureau Collection
J. K. Nelson to M. D. Walsh, March 27, 1867 