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War Department
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, & Abandoned Lands.
Official Asst. Com. for Ky. Tenn & Nor. Ala.
Nashville, Tenn Sep 2, 1865

General,
I have the honor to state that during my recent tour of inspection through Northern Ala. my attention was called to General Order No. 7 issued by Brig Gen Wager Swayne Asst. Commissioner for Ala. in which said order he directs that "Until further orders the judicial Officers and magistrates holding Office by appointment of the Provisional Governor of Ala. are hereby designated as the Agents of this Bureau, for the administration of justice in the cases above mentioned.

I am not advised as to the working of Genl Swayne's system of agencies in Southern Ala, but I know it is oppressive upon the colored people, in the Counties bordering on that portion of the State within my jurisdiction. It is being used by the magistrates as a means of re-enslaving instead of guarding the liberties of the freedmen. Gov Parsons appointed as his civil officers the same parties who were in power when the Rebellion failed. Not one in a hundred of said appointees have any sympathy with the wronged negro, and many of them use the Circular of Genl Swayne as authority to oppress the freedmen, and coerce them into measures and