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Clinton N.C. Jan. 21st 1867

Major H.H. Foster
Magnolia N.C.

Dear Sir
George Autery Esqr. a delegate to our legislature from this County, exhibited to me on his way to Raleigh an order from you dated 26th of December 1866, and taken to the residence of Mr. Autery in his absence while engaged in attending to some business in Wilmington during last week, for the delivery of three (3) colored children, named respectively "Chainey," aged about 16 years, "Frank," aged about eleven (11) years, and "Chancy" aged about nine (9) years, bound by the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of this County to the said Autery

Those children were bound to Autery by a provisional court of which I had no jurisdiction and was not a member under the following circumstances as represented by Autery which I deem to be truthful
Those three (3) children had no father. Judy - the mother of the children left them completely destitute and did not return for several months and the condition of the children required immediate care and attention and (they) must have suffered had not Autery provided for them, as no other person would permit them to remain with them. This at a time they required a friend. The freedman who had your order and delivered it to the family of Mr. Autery was I am informed very impertinent and had Autery been at home he would have been arrested under the civil law, as he will be, as soon as Autery returns from Raleigh