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and told us in presence of Col. Gilmor, that we could go and be protected in so doing. The Board commenced Registering at this place This Day July 22 1867. We expressed our desire to Col. Gilmor Yesterday the 21st to come to the city for that purpose he refused his permission and threatened that if we attempted to do so he would fine us we came and expect he will be so good as his word and fine us $5. each. he further threatened that if we ever left the place hereafter to attend to politics or voting he would be prepared for us and would shoot the last one of us — we came and was promised the protection of the Military authorities in so doing and we now appeal to them to protect us against this man Gilmors tyranny. We live Twenty Miles from this place in the interior and we would state that we are in many ways oppressed not being to exercise the rights of Free man. We would state one fact that the Overseer carries a pistol to the Field and although he has had no occasion to use it we do not like to think we have to be treated in so arbitrary a manner we would not dare defend ourselves against any wrong he might impose on us as we know the character of our employer and would not dare oppose an armed man acting under orders from him.

John [[Green? Gain? Gum?]] x his mark
Benj [[Heull? Hall?]] x his mark
[[Simeon? Smiven?]] [[Heinferd? Hunt?]] x his mark
Simeon [[Himford?]] his x mark
William [[Heale?]] x his mark

Transcription Notes:
unsure of names signed at bottom ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-11-04 19:29:48 really unsure about the freedmen's signatures ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-11-04 19:45:07