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Office Sub Com. of Refugees & Freedmen
Brandon Miss. Aug 31" 1865.

Lieut. S. D. Barnes
A. A. A. Genl. Freedmen's Bureau
Northern Dist. of Mississippi.

Sir,
I have the honor to submit the following report of the Refugees and Freedmen of this Post for the month of August 1865.

Approximate number of Freedmen in Rankin Co. 6000.
Contracts Registered 19.
No. Hands included in the contracts 125.
No. Dependents " " " " [[dittos for included in the contracts]] 107.
No. Rations issued to Freedmen 160.
None issued to Refugees

If a school could be started here there would probably be 60 children to attend at this post.

The only chance for schoolroom is to appropriate a hall, there is in the Shelton Hotel, formerly used as a ballroom. The building is unoccupied eccept by renters in a few rooms, and Hd. Qrs. of the Post. Mr Shelton is a poor man & would be justified in claiming compensation for the room, I think, if appropriated to school purposes.

There is a school, at present, in the upper story of the jail conducted by a colored woman who appears to be doing very well but has to charge for teaching which excludes those who are not able to pay.

As I do not know what preparations are being provided for the destitute and homeless this winter I would say I believe to much cannot be done. I am satisfied that many will be turned outdoors at the expiration of the year. They would be turned away

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