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Georgetown So Ca Nov. 8" 1867

General.
I have been harassed so with complaints of freedmen, that I am perplexed beyond measure, and nearly crazy—
The trouble, existing here are unlike most I have been familiar with, and are legion. I commenced to act immediately to prevent what we all know to be wrong, the discharging of hands, with loss of crop. The planters as a general thing are well educated men, but I must say hang with a pertinacity to them way of doing things; and say in some instances that they will continue to do as they have done. I write hurriedly, for this mail, but write this unofficial letter hoping I may be able to convey to you some ideas which will cause you to give me some starting point, and advise in carrying out what is right — how is it to be done? Today one whole plantation of hands came en masse to my office had been discharged because they would not dig the ditches — said right up and down, they'd die before they would dig a ditch — The Contract is that they shall do the necessary work for the plantation until Jan'y 1st 1868 Chance approved this — The planter says digging ditches is necessary work  — and they have delayed threshing the rice, saying that if it was divided now, the people would leave and not work till 1st January — The people universally think that the rice being in it should be divided, and they say they will not dig ditches until it is — Now what am I to do in such cases, It is useless for me to tell them to go to work; they will not do it — and to complicate matters, &