Friday, November 5, 2021

Lieutenant-Colonel John A. Rawlins: Special Orders No. 157, June 11, 1863

Special Orders No. 157.}

Lieut. Z. C. Bryan, of the 27th Regt. Ohio Infty, Vols, will immediately break up the Contraband Camp at Haine's Bluff, and move the old men, women and children to the most valuable of the abandoned plantations within our lines, and put them to work cultivating the Crops growing on said plantations. The able bodied negro men, including both those who have enlisted in companies and those who have not enlisted, will be reported to the Commanding officer of Haines Bluff—for work on the defences of that place and when their services are no longer required for that purpose, those not enlisted will be put out to labor on the plantations, and those enlisted will be subject to such orders as their Commanding Officers may receive from Dept. Headquarters. The Commanding Officers of troops near any of the Plantations, that may be so occupied, will, when necessary, furnish such guards as may be required to protect the occupants of the same from the insults of stragglers and will afford every facility in their power to enable Lieut. Bryan to carry out these instructions without interference or molestation The Quartermasters Department will turn over to Lieut. Bryan for use in tilling of said plantations such of the Captured mules and horses it may have as are unfit for service in the army.

SOURCE: John Y. Simon, Editor, The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 8, p. 318-9

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