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Furthermore, I have to report, and am happy to say that the freed-people are, in this County are better off, than in more fertile, or productive, Counties, and very few complain, they work faithfully and are able to support themselves from day to day with few exceptions.

As to the statement that Mr Martin has done more for the colored people in Stokes County than any man, I beg leave to differ on that. I am in the habit, that whenever trifling matters are reported to me, and people live at a great distance, and both parties would be very much inconvenienced by a summons to my office, and there are good reliable Magistrates in their vicinity, I generally refer such cases for investigation to them, with instructions to report the result of investigation to my office by letter. Mr Martin being a Justice of the Peace, for Stokes Co. & to test his sense of honesty as a loyal man, and to facilitate business by his action, I have referred cases to him but he never attended to them when others with less pretending loyalty at once complied with my request, and reported the result to me. Besides that, he has written several letters recommending himself, or his son, for appointment as Agent of the Bureau, for Stokes, and is very anxious to have such appointment. I for my part, can not see, and upon inquiry could not find out, what good he has done for freedmen.

In conclusion I have to say that I faithfully attend to all my orders, and am in communication in the whole district, with good and honest loyal men, whose character was not stained before or during the war, with disloyalty; and whenever important matters
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