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You cannot give freedmen orders to purchase rations from the Coms'ry.  The Coms'ry vouchers are not needed with your report. 

Very Respectfully, 
Your Obt Servt, 
A.A.G.
 

Office Assistant Commissioner 
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmenand Abandonded Lands
Montgomery, Ala.  Jany 29, 1866 

R.W. Russell 
J.P. Lowndesboro Ala 

Sir: 

The order from this office given to Genl. Bragg states as follows - "the facts when shown will confirm the title" - that is the title created by the order of the Provost Marshall.  In the contract made by and between J. Bragg and the Freedmen employed on his place, on file in the office of the Asst Supt of this Dist, is the following clause, "6th All mules brought home by laborers belong to them, but are to be used for Plantation purposes". 

By the ruling of the Asst Coms'r as expressed in the enclosed General Orders No 2-1866 your decision should be reversed, Mr Bragg having be express contract vested the ownership in the Freedmen.  They are therefore entitled to the animals and you will please give them such assistance as will enable them to obtain possession of them.

At the time the order from this office was given Genl Bragg nothing was known 


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of the above clause in the contract above cited and the order itself was conditional and applied only to Genl B's case.

You should not have made your decision in other cases on that order and when you have made decision not in compliance with the enclosed order please reverse them.

By order of
Bvt Maj Gen Major Swayne
A.A.G.


Office Assistant Commissioner
Bureau of Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Montgomery, Ala.  Jany 29, 1866

To the County Judge
Lowndes Co Ala.

Sir,

Creasy, a Freedman states that her son, Lewis, aged 18 years has been apprenticed by you to a Col Shuford without his own consent or that of his parents.

The object of the apprenticing of children is to provide a home for them where they may be cared for when their parents are unable to support themselves.

If the statement of his mother is correct the boy seems to have been bound out only for the benefit of Col Shuford no attention having been paid to his wishes or ability to support himself.

If the boy is 18 years old, able to work and is not willing to be bound out you will please annul his indenture.

If there are any other cases of apprenticing that are similar to that of the boy Lewis you