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His witnesses all concur in saying that the [[strikethrough]] crop was raised inside the [[strikethrough]] confederate lines, and that these freedmen were worked as slaves. The freedmen testify that they had belonged to Mr. Gooch and that he had some 13 slaves of whom but four were field hands and that their labor in raising the crop did not more than compensate Mr. Gouch for the support of them and their families. They further testify that upon the surrender of Dick Taylor in whose Department they were Mr Gouch ceased to control them or their labor. Two of the hands went to the federals in April and have never returned and all the others except the boy Jim are now at work for Mr. Geirs, and the witnesses all concur in saying that their labor pays him for their support. 
By what right then can this case be taken from Mr. Gouch and given to these freedmen. They were not freed until by the surrender they came under the laws of the Federal Government. His Emancipation Proclamation only went into effect as our lines advanced. Mr. Gouch is not liable to pay them for labor done prior to the surrender.