Chapter XXXI: General Robert K. Scott

The affairs of the Bureau promised a change in the advent of its new chief, in the person of Brevet Major General Scott. He entered upon the duties of his office in a most spirited and independent manner.

In many respects, it was thought, his administration was better adapted to the times than was the former general’s. The rebels, encouraged by the smiles of their friends in high places, were fast resuming their old practices, and the status of the Bureau was scarcely recognized. General Scott having had some insight into the southern character while a prisoner in Charleston, during the war, his administration was looked upon with terror by the unrepentant chivalry of South Carolina; and it was not long before the difference was felt by them between the mild administration of West Point’s accomplished soldier and that of the bluff western general.

On assuming the duties of his office, the general, accompanied by a portion of his staff, made a tour of inspection through his department, visiting every officer on duty, previous to reappointing him.

On this occasion the major’s post received attention, and the satisfactory expressions of the general gave a new impetus, if possible, to both officers and laborers in their respective spheres. The plans by which he had accomplished so much in the department were submitted to his inspection, and received his indorsement.

We present here the contract written expressly for his district, and rigidly enforced by him, though in many cases all the articles signed by the contracting parties would be simply an acknowledgment of his triple alliance contract:--

Article I. This contract between Justice Goodman and the
freedmen, whose names are hereunto affixed, is on the basis of
an equal partnership between Capital, Land, and Labor--each
receiving one third of the proceeds of the productions of the
cultivated plantation of Homestead Farm, Beaufort District,
South Carolina, and to continue till January 1, 1867.

Article II. Each laborer is to receive (besides the privilege
of firewood, with team and vehicle to haul it, and _one acre_
of land to each family) one third of all that he or she is
able to produce by cultivation, clear of all expenses except
those incurred in the transportation and sale of the staple, as
freight and commission on storage and sales, they supporting
themselves and families; the proprietor making all advances
of provisions or rations on credit (if required), finding all
dwellings for the contractors, supplying all farming utensils,
vehicles, machinery, sufficient working stock; and no labor is
to be performed by hand or by a person that can better be done
by animal labor or machinery.

Article III. All restrictions and obligations legally binding
contracting parties in the fulfilment of their articles of
agreement are implied in this article, and all damage for
injury or loss of property by carelessness is to be paid by
fair and legal assessment.

Article IV. Negligence of duty in cultivation, so as to become
injurious to the proprietor or other contracting parties,
either by loss in the production of staple, or example
in conduct or precedent, may, by investigation, cause a
forfeiture of the interest of such person in their share of
the crop. Any contractor taking the place of one dismissed
shall succeed to all of their rights and claims on the part of
the crop left by them; otherwise it shall be equally divided
between those who work it.

Article V. All Thanksgiving Days, Fast Days, “holidays,” and
national celebration days are to be enjoyed in all cases by
contractors, without being regarded as a neglect of duty or
violation of contract.

Article VI. Good conduct and good behavior of the freedmen
towards the proprietor, good treatment of animals, and good
care of tools, utensils, &c., and good and kind treatment by
the proprietor to the freedmen, will be strictly required by
the authorities; and all dwellings and immediate premises of
freedmen must be kept neat and clean, subject to inspection
and fine for neglect by such sanitary arrangements as the
government may make.

Article VII. No sutler stores will be permitted on the place,
and nothing sold on account except the necessaries of life,
that such as good, substantial food and working clothes,
conducive to health and comfort, at cost, that no inducements
may be given for spending earnings improperly. Spirituous
liquors will not be permitted.

Article VIII. All accounts must be entered in a pass-book, to
be kept by each family or individual for the purpose, that no
advantage be taken by incorrect charges; and no account against
them will be recognized except such entry be made. No tobacco
charges above fifty cents a month will be recognized by the
Bureau. In all cases of the loss of their account-books, then
the account in the proprietor’s books must be taken to date of
loss, when another pass-book must be obtained, and entries of
accounts made as before.

Article IX. In all cases where an accusation is made against
a person, the proprietor or his agent, one of the contractors
or freedmen selected by themselves, and a third person chosen
by the two,--provided neither of these three is biassed or
prejudiced against the accused,--shall be a competent council
to investigate and acquit the accused; but in all cases where
a decision is to be made to dismiss or forfeit a share of
the crop, the officer of the Bureau, or some other competent
officer of the government, must preside in the council of
trial, and make the decision in the case. When the proprietor
is biassed or prejudiced against an accused person, he must
name a person to take his place in the council who shall
neither be biassed nor prejudiced against the accused.

Witness our hands and signs this 17th day of February, 1866.

He still indicated, by his unflagging energy and industry, as well as equitable measures, his consciousness of the immense responsibilities resting upon him.

This only served to redouble his zeal and activity, as this trait is in consonance with his character generally. In more than one instance in other days, while the political horizon seemed to increase in gloom, the man seems to have loomed up more conspicuously in proportion to the exigency of the situation. Always actuated by his insatiable though laudable ambition, Major Delany leads an age in advance where others of his own people, possessed of abilities and acknowledged courage, would even hesitate to follow.

In his official duties so conscientiously did he perform his part, and so firm was he in his high-toned native pride, and honesty against bribery and partiality, that he received aid from many of those whose duties were not altogether in the same channel. Among them he mentions particularly his indebtedness to Major J. P. Roy, 6th United States Infantry, inspector general of the Department South, Colonel J. D. Green, 6th United States Infantry, commanding district, and Colonel, now General H. B. Clitz, 6th United States Infantry, then commanding the post at Hilton Head, now Charleston. They facilitated and aided him in his official duties, as well as ameliorated the condition of the freedmen and suffering whites, refugees, and ex-slaveholders: all of these came under his department, and were constantly referred to him when not voluntarily applying. The editors of the New South, who took note of his movements, again make mention of him, in their issue of the 3d of February:--

“Major M. R. Delany, the ‘black major’ of the Freedmen’s
Bureau, is now on the right track. Comprehending the situation
of affairs, he has seized at once upon its difficulties, and
is doing a noble work for his race. His sympathies are, of
course, with those of his own color; but, being a man of large
experience, highly educated, and eminently conscientious, he
does not allow prejudice to sway him one way or the other,
and, consequently, he has a wonderful influence for good over
the freedmen. He tells them to go to work at once; that labor
surely brings its own reward; and that after one more good crop
is gathered, they will find their condition much better than
at present. And he tells the planters they must be kind and
just to their laborers, if they would quickly bring order out
of chaos, and establish a prosperity far beyond what they ever
dreamed of in the dark and dreadful era of slavery.

“Our whole community here is taking heart. One obstacle
after another, to thorough regeneration, is being removed.
As the planters succeed in procuring laborers, their credit
is improved, and the merchants of this place come forward to
assist the onward movement. Agricultural implements, seed,
subsistence, and the various wants of a plantation, are being
much more liberally supplied than they were a month ago. We all
look forward to a large measure of success the present season.”

Meanwhile, the “muster out” of the major was being talked of, which was occasioned by the disbanding of his organization. But the following telegram from the headquarters of the department quieted the rumor for at least a time.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
CHARLESTON, February 3, 1866.

_To the Commanding Officer, District of Port Royal._

The major general commanding directs that Major M. R. Delany,
104th United States Colored Troops, remain, until further
orders, in the performance of the duties in which he is now
employed, by special orders from these headquarters. He will
not for the present rejoin his regiment.

W. L. M. BURGER,
_Asst. Adjt. Gen._

_Indorsement on above Telegram._

HEADQUARTERS, DISTRICT OF PORT ROYAL,
SECOND SEPARATE BRIGADE,
HILTON HEAD, S. C., February 3, 1866.

Respectfully referred to Major Delany, 104th U. S. C. T., B. R.
F. & A. L., for his _information_ and _guidance_.

By order of

A. G. BENNETT,
_Lt. Col. 21st U. S. C. T., Commanding District_.

CHARLES F. RICHARDS, _1st Lt. &. A. D. C._

The interest created in his department was an acknowledged success. He had attempted and succeeded in organizing a system of labor in a place where it was previously almost wholly unknown--leaving the employee to the tender mercy of his employer, but upon equal terms. He could see order and harmony arising out of chaos and discord. He was partially satisfied, for one of his favorite measures was popular, originating from a black, for the good of the inhabitants of his district, blacks as well as whites.

His methods, and the successes attending, attracted the attention, as well as challenged the admiration, of the people in and around his post. A brother officer, bearing witness to his indefatigable labor, called attention to it, in his report to the commanding general of the Carolinas, which report induced the general to request the department at Washington to continue him in the service after his regiment should be mustered out.

By such recognition of his services and ability, emanating as it did from that distinguished commander, the black major received another offering at the shrine of his boundless ambition, which none knows better than himself how to value. Just in connection with this, we are reminded of an expression of a distinguished divine in regard to him. “Well for this country,” said he, “that Martin Delany is not a white man, for he has the ambition of a devil.” But when we reflect that the motive power of that conspicuous trait of his character is solely for the sake of his race, and utterly devoid of personal selfishness, one sees the beauty of the halo encircling his dusky brow, instead of the deformity of the cloven foot.

The following is the letter to which reference is made:--

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT SOUTH CAROLINA,
CHARLESTON, S. C., January 30, 1866.

General: I have the honor to invite your attention to the
following extract from a recent report of Major J. P. Roy, 6th
United States Infantry, and Acting Inspector General of this
department, regarding the services of Major M. R. Delany, 104th
United States Colored Troops:--

“Before closing this report, I desire to bear testimony to the
efficient and able manner in which Major Delany, 104th United
States Colored Troops, and agent of the Freedmen’s Bureau, is
performing his duties. I took occasion several times during my
stay to go to his office, and hear him talk and explain matters
to the freedmen. Being of their own color, they naturally
reposed confidence in him. Upon the labor question he entirely
reflected the views of the major general commanding, and
seemed in all things to give them good and sensible advice.
He is doing much good, and in the event of his regiment being
mustered out, I hope he may be retained as an agent of the
Freedmen’s Bureau.”

I have also received the same satisfactory reports from other
sources, and concurring in the foregoing suggestions of Major
J. P. Roy, I must respectfully recommend that Major M. R.
Delany be, for the present, retained in the service of the
United States. I have ordered his muster out to be postponed
until a reply is received to this communication.

I have the honor to remain, general,

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

(Signed) D. E. SICKLES,
_Major General Commanding_.

To Brig. Gen. E. D. TOWNSEND, _A. A. G., War Dept._

HEADQUARTERS. DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
CHARLESTON, S. C., January 31, 1866.

Official.

W. L. M. BURGER,
_Brevet Lt. Col. & A. A. G._

Copy furnished Major M. R. Delany for his information.

This was soon after followed by one demonstrative of the liberality of the major general commanding, showing the great distance he had cast from him his early Tammany Hall political education, recognizing only the true and broad republican principles of our better civilization. It redounds to his credit, and is another evidence of the impartial justice of the great secretary of war in affairs of the government, and appreciation of merit in its officers, regardless of former notions which seemed to underlie the basis of its principles. This order is fully explanatory of the retention of the black major in the service so long.

A report had been freely circulated by some persons that the old planters had petitioned the general to retain him, as he was “_high in their favor_.” The latter clause is admissible, as even among that peculiar class there are men who are liberal enough, by virtue of their acquirements, to respect and appreciate the dignified manhood and high moral character of the negro officer. The planters can offer no allurement sufficient to tempt him to their special interest. They cannot promise _power_ to him, as they are devoid of it, and his own incorruptible integrity to the government is known to have caused him to peremptorily refuse all offers, on the most advantageous terms, to even enter into any speculations of cotton, or any other staple. The following order is sufficient to prove the falsity of the report.

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, February 8, 1866.

Major General D. E. SICKLES, _Comm’g Dept. of South Carolina,
Headquarters, Charleston, S. C._

General: I have respectfully to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 30th ultimo, recommending that Major _M.
R. Delany_, 104th Regiment United States Colored Troops, be
retained in service, and in reply thereto, I am directed by
the _Secretary of War_, to say that this is authority for the
retention of that officer in service, until further orders from
the War Department.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) C. W. FOSTER,
_Asst. Adjt. Gen. Vols._

HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT SOUTH CAROLINA,
CHARLESTON, S. C., February 12, 1866.

Official copy.

W. L. M. BURGER,
_Asst. Adjt. Gen._