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136 On the day of the adjournment of the Legislature the General issued the enclosed Circular no 3 which was promulgated finally throughout the State. The General was very busy with the Legislature during the last days of the session and was obliged to go to Mobile as soon as they adjourned or he would have written to you fully on the subject. I have the honor to be, General, Very Respectfully Your obt Servt Bvt Col & A.A.G. Office Assistant Commissioner Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands Montgomery, Ala Decr 22d 1865 James M. Smith Esqr Intendant Town of Prattville Sir; A statement has been made in this office of an atrocious outrage committed on Sunday night on the property of Jake a Freedman living about two miles from Prattville on the Kingston road. The facts in the case you are already acquainted with. There is evidently an organized band of villains in Autauga County who are endeavoring to keep the negroes from improving their condition. There must be more or less complicity of the citizens with these men or a stop would be put to these outrages. It is further reported that these outlaws intend to disarm the Freedmen and to prevent their changing their places of work at 137 Christmas. Unless measures are at once taken by the people of your County and more especially by the civil officers to end the outrages of this gang and bring them to justice, it will be necessary to revoke the jurisdiction of civil officers in your County and to place a military officer in Prattville with a force sufficient to preserve order and to protect the Freedmen. Very Respectfully, Your Obt Servt A.A.G. Office Assistant Commissioner Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Montgomery, Ala. Decr 14th 1865 Y. M. Rabb Esqr Evergreen, Alabama Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your note of yesterday advising me that the citizens of Conecuh desire to organize upon a plan similar to that adopted in Monroe, and asking my views in regard of the movement. It is my design, being charged with certain powers and for the general welfare of the destitute white and of all the black persons, to employ the assistance of many right minded men who can be got to work with me, and to render what help I can in turn. Now if the people of Conecuh are desirous of discharging that duty which society recognizes throughout Christendom of providing homes for the destitute and helpless, each color by itself, or if but one be necessary for the
Transcription Notes:
Young M. Rabb, Esq. - on U.S. Census - Y.M. Rabb, Esqr above