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A. 2. F B S N.C. 1865. 902 A 1865. War Department. Adjt Gen'l Office. Washington July 19th 65. Adjutant General. S. Thomas. States that Mrs Mary Blake, residing on her plantation near Vicksburg Miss, informs him that Col Thomas Asst Com'r, will not approve the contracts she has made with some thirty Negroes, although they themselves are perfectly satisfied. A 1865 [[stamp]] FREEDMEN'S BUREAU, STATE OF MISS REC'D AUG 3 1865 [[/stamp]] [[stamp]] FREEDMEN'S BUREAU, STATE OF MISS REC'D AUG 31 1865 [[/stamp]] Wrapper P.E.C. Recd Bureau R F & A L Aug 18 /65 Received A.G.O. August 17 1865 Office Ass't Comr Freedmens Bureau for State of Mississippi Vicksburg Miss Aug 4, 1865 Respectfully returned. The colored people on this plantation are not satisfied with the contract which Mrs Blake required me to approve. They did not understand what Mrs Blake had written yet signed it, when in truth the terms of the contract would not feed and clothe them. I presume it is not intended that I should approve contracts which secure to the Freedmen less than they received when slaves, even if they do agree to it, and in their ignorance sign the contract. The facts in this case are these. Mrs Blake wished to retain her servants as she always had them, and will feed and clothe them, but does not wish to do more. In order to make herself secure in this, she wrote a contract that did not secure them even this, called up her negroes, had them sign it, and asked me to approve it, which I refused to do. Saml Thomas Col. Asst Commissioner State of Miss E & M 13 1865 War Department Bureau of Refugees &c. Washington Aug 16/65 Respectfully forwarded to the Adjutant General of the Army, calling attention to the report of Col. Thomas endorsed hereon. O.O. Howard Maj. Genl Commissioner by J. S. Fullerton Bvt. Brig General & A. A. Genl (In the absence of Maj. Genl, Howard) E.B. 50 1865 For Genl L. [[?]] (over) Recd bk Bu R F & A L Aug 22/65
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Reopened for Editing 2023-11-26 23:23:31