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New Berne, No. Ca.
July 27", 1865.

Brev't Brig Gen'l. Del. Bates
Commanding Dist of New Berne:

General:

I beg leave to appeal to you very respectfully in behalf of [[underlined]] Holland Streeter [[/underlined]] a citizen recently tried by a Military Commission at Roanoke Island, and sentenced to three months hard labor and five hundred dollars fine.  The sentence having been approved by yourself, I cannot doubt that the evidence as it came before you seemed to sustain the charges according to the finding of the Court.

But I would respectfully represent that there are important circumstances having a bearing upon the intent of that testimony which ought to be considered.

Mr. Streeter at the time of his arrest, and previously, had made himself very obnoxious to a portion of the colored people on the Island by reducing the amount of rations issued to them, in obedience to my orders, and in carrying out the orders of Gen'l Schofield. On the first of June that reduction (arising from a stringent order from Dept H'd Qrs) was larger than before,