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Bureau Refugees, Freedmen & A. Lands
Office Sub. Asst. Comm. Sub. Dist. of Magnolia
Magnolia Miss. Nov. 5th 1867

Lieut. Merritt Barber
A.A.A. Genl.
Vicksburg, Miss.

Lieut.

I have the honor to make the following report in regard to the complaint of Thomas Bates (Cold) vs Noble Lea forwarded by E. P. Fournequet Sept. 27th 1867 viz.

Complaint was made to me on the 7th of Sept. 1867 by Noble Lea that Thomas Bates a freedman in the employ of the said Lea was behaving very badly on his (Lea's) place, breaking his contract & removing the crop. Upon said complaint I issued a summons to sd. [[said]] Bates to appear at my office to ans. [[answer]] to the charge and gave the summons to Mr. Lea to read to Bates; when Lea attempted to read the commons to Bates he (Bates) refused to hear it read to him; saying that he would hear nothing. from the "Bureau" and would not obey any summons from any one
(over)