Viewing page 177 of 257

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Office Superintendent,
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands,
Dist. Northern Alabama.

Huntsville, Ala, Dec 8th 1866.

Maj General Wager Swayne
Montgomery Ala
General;
I see that the planters are circulating the report among the Freedmen that the Bureau is "played out" and that there is no necessity for making a contract for the next year labor. Freedmen are rushing to me daily to settle up their last year contracts which I am doing and in every case where a contract is on record I have no trouble, but in each case where a contract is on record the Freedmen suffer to the full extent of all their years wages.
If not out of place I would ask for the issuance of an order calling the attention of planters to the fact that contracts with Freedmen for labor must be made in writing and approved by the Agent of the Bureau, and in case of failure the infliction of such penalty as you may deem proper to suggest.
I have nearly or quite succeeded in disposing of the Corn and Bacon sent me; at first the Agents of Gov. Patton refused to receive the supplies, saying they had not received any instruction from the Governor, to

[[stamp]] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES [[/stamp]]

Transcription Notes:
*Wager Swayne's on the staff list