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State of South Carolina,}
Abbevelle County,} S.S.

Aaron Mitchell - freedman - resident in the State and County above written, on oath declared, that he was present at a political meeting of the Democratic Party of Abbevelle County, held at Gordon's Mill, about 13 miles from Abbevelle Court House, on or about the 9th day of September, instant, at which Wyatt Aiken (so called Colonel) was one of the Speakers: That in the course of a public speech there and then delivered by the said Wyatt Aiken, referring to Wm F. De Knight, the Officer of the Bureau of Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, then and now stationed at Abbevelle Court House, in charge of the Office at that place, he declared that - "Never did a damneder rascal sit in a chair; that while his predecessor, "Genl." O.H Hart, was a perfect gentleman, he, the said De Knight was a nobody; that he was doing all he could to injure the white people of the County, by telling the Negroes a lot of damned lies, and thus influencing them to vote against them, but however there was no wonder in that, as he had lately understood that he, the said De Knight, is a Son-in-law of the man General Grant, and he of course, very naturally wanted to get as many votes for him as possible that through just such scamps as he they were being crushed to the earth, and untill they bestirred themselves and did something, they would be utterly destroyed; that as for paying the taxes imposed by the pretended