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Headquarters, Department of the South,
Charleston, S.C. Dec 26th 1866.6

Col J.V. Bomford
A Asst Com Bureau R.F.&A.L.
Raleigh N.C.

Colonel
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 22d inst inclosing a communication from Gen'l Howard relating to the apprenticing of children. It is evident to me that the Commissioner is misinformed as to the facts, in relation to the release of the persons bound to Mr Russell by the Court of Hanover County, and I request that you will forward to him all the papers relating to it, including my correspondence with Gov. Worth together with a copy of this letter, in order that he may fully understand the subject.

I have given no orders "limiting" apprenticing to 14 instead of 21 years for males and 18 for females", and all representations to that effect are disingenuous and unwarranted by facts. The Civil authorities well know that hundreds of children have been bound out by officers of the Bureau and by the Civil Courts until they arrive at the age of eighteen and twenty one 
(over)