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Greenville Ala April 3rd/66

Dear sir the facts to which I would call your attention are this. In a case of Henry a freedman whom I Bailed out of the jail of Lowndes County Said Henry was bound when put in jail under contract with Thigpen which was last fall and I think was put in jail about the 25th of November 1865. As Thigpen suffered the man to lay in jail all the time he was under contract with him and did not make one Effort to take him out that i know off  Sometime in Dec' 1865 passing the jail the boy stopped me and asked me to go on his bond and take him home with me and that he would work for me until he payed me for all my time and trouble if it takes him two years to do it. I then agreed to go on his bond and made a contract for the year 1866. This I can prove by good witnesses
The reason I give you these facts, that I think Thigpen will try to make a verbal contract he made with the boy stand. If so in his case why not in mine now the facts in the case are there  Mr Thigpen let Henry stay in jail some two or three months and did not make one single effort to take him out until after Henry asked me to do it and I agreeing to do it from his and two uncles solicitations of Henry and his uncles binding themselves for his faithful performance to fill the contract with me.  Henry and his two uncles being old family slaves I for the good feeling that I had for them made the bond and taken him home with me