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United States District Attorney's Office,
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA.
Montgomery, Ala., September 6th 1865

The Act of March 3rd, 1865 creating a Bureau for the relief of Freedmen & Refugees and authorizing the appointment of a commissioner, directs the taking of abandoned lands, and the use of such other property (land) as the U.S. shall have acquired titles by confiscation or sale or otherwise -

The U. States can only acquire title to confiscable property through the courts after condemnation and sale - after which sale the property thus acquired can be used for the purposes mentioned in the act above cited -

Abandoned [[Landed?]] property may be taken possession of immediately wherever located and used for the purposes mentioned in the act -
# Abandoned property is defined to be property abandoned by the owner who flees from the lines and protection of the US. within the lines of the enemy with the intent of giving aid assistance and countenance thereto.

It will appear from the above that abandoned and confiscable property to which the