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Office Commissioner of Alabama, Appointed in aid Maj. Gen't Wager Swayne, Ass't Com's of Bureau Refugees, Freedmen [[?]].,in the receipt and distribution of supplies of the indigent. Talladega, March 30th, 1866 To the [[?]] Judge of Probate to: County SIR:-- The estimate made for you County for the ensuing month is the same as previously furnished you to wit: rations daily. You will also receive them from the depot formerly specified. You will, through you agent, or in person, call upon the agent of the Freedmen's Bureau at the point from which your supplies are drawn, he is advised as to the number of persons in you County to whom he is authorized to issue, and will draw upon ration returns for that number, from the date his return is made to the end of the current moth. The necessary orders and instructions have therefor been sent to these officers from General Swayne's Head-Quarters. No back rations are issued. It will thus be seen that if the County agent fails to call for the supply apportioned his county at the commencement of the month. H will only be able to draw from the time he does call until the end of the month. Counties remote the supply depots will see the important of promptness in sending for their supplies early in each month. Otherwise the counties the greatest destitution prevails will receive only a portion of the supply intended for their people. It is designed that these supplies should be equitable distributed throughout the State according to the wants of the different sections and is especially desired that the most destitute regions should be certainly provided for. Repeated enquires are made as to what class of persons these supplies should be issued to. They are designed by the Government for the "indigent" without distinction of color, and are not expected to be issued to persons able to support themselves. The limited number of supplies issued to each county and the large number of applicants would suggest to the county agents or officer issuing that every effort should be made to see that the most destitute are first supplied. The helpless and those likely to suffer should be first cared for. In a time of such great want it would be criminal in an agent to suffer any of the supply designed for a suffering and starving people to be consumed by those competent to support themselves or to be used as a means for encouraging idleness or sustaining the vicious and abandoned. There should also be no distinction made on account of color. These supplied are furnished by the Government through the Freedmen's Bureau, designed to prevent suffering from starvation amongst both whites and blacks. I have been advised that frequent complaints are made that "county agents discriminate between whites and blacks in the issue of rations and that in some places they utterly refuse to issue to Freedmen" And I have been instructed "to notify the Probate Judges or their agents that if complaints of such injustice are hereafter made and substantiated it will result in the suspension of the issue to the county complained of." I sincerely hope that there is or may be no good grounds for such complaints. The counties through their Commissioners' Courts are authorized to pay for hauling or transporting these supplies from the depots to their counties or into the different neighborhoods of their counties. As not having been passed by the Legislature at its last session for that purpose. Many of the counties have no more money in their treasureis and have failed to make any arrangements to meet this necessary expense. County agents have had great difficulty in securing or furnishing supplies greatly needed by their people in consequence of the failure. The County Commissioners with a little well direct effort could certainly secure the small amount necessary to defray this expense. For such an object extraordinary efforts should be made. Enquirers have been made by agents as to whether portions of the rations might not be disposed of to persons who had wagons but were destitute of provisions to pay the expense of moving the supplies, and other prepositions of like character. In reply to all such I would state that no portion of these rations can be directly or indirectly traded or sold for any purpose. Reports--Agents are required to report promptly at the end of each moth, and this should be done so that the reports could be received by the agent of the Bureau at the point where the supplies are drawn by or before the end of each moth. There has been no inexcusable negligence on the part of agents in some counties in the failure to report promptly, and in some instances to report at all. In justice to the needy and suffering, whose interests they represent, this matter should be corrected at once. I have prepared to inclose you a convenient form for making these Reports, You will perceive that the names are not necessary in the report except to show the adults and the children under twelves years of age. Very Respectfully, you ob't serv't M. H. CRUIKSHANK Commissioner of Ala & c.
