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8
Bureau Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Offices Sub Comr F.B.
Shipwith Ldg Miss

Dec. 12th 1865
Maj. F.S. Free
Inspct Genl. F B. Miss.

Major  I have the honor to submit the following report of matters in my District up to date 

In my monthly report dated November 30th I gave as minutely as possible an Epitome of all matters of interest at that time, since then the necesity of my actions and presence in the plantations [[?]] of Freedmen has become doubly apparent.

There seems to be a deep rooted feeling of hate, and a desire to show enmity, by the white towards the black people that the continuations of the former is not able to conceal, at least in my District, Freedmen have come to me with cheeks pounded, eyes badly injured, teeth knocked out, and other evidences of maltreatment; As far as possible I have assisted them in endeavoring to obtain redress. Several cases have been tried before Justices of the Peace of complaints for assault and battery, the freedmen being the complainants, As for as I have been able to Judge these cases have been thrown aside by the County Court, and the only instance in which a negro has had quick Law administered was that in which a few weeks since a black man was sent to jail for raising [[strikethrough]] cotton [[strikethrough]] a few hundred pounds of cotton for the support of his family but without leave upon a plantation that had not been worked during the War or since.