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Office of Assist. Supt. 
Bureau of Refugees + Freedmen
Greenville, Ala. March 12 1866

Colonel C. Cadle Jr.
A.A.G.

Colonel;

I have the honor to transmit my tri-Monthly Report as also the Ration return.  Nothing unusual has occured since the sad affair between the military and citizens.  I this morning received some vaccine Crust from the Chief Surgeon, I trust it will prove beneficial. 

The small pox has broken out in the colony at Garland but I have instituted a pest house, with a Guard over it, and am doing my best to prevent that dreadful disease spreading.

Contracts are coming in very slowly, as the Planters seem to have obtained all the hands the require.  The town is now nearly cleaned of the loose colored people, of whom there were members, I either compell them to hire out, or hand them over to the major as vagrants, of course I only do this, in cases where I am perfectly convinced the parties are really vagrants; besides which, their houses were the resort of drunken soldiers + receptacles for stolen goods ect. 

I enclose a letter from the Major to me - I trust it will meet with General Swayne's approbation. 

Transcription Notes:
pest house is where they would quarantine small pox victims. small pox vaccine scab (or "crust") was used to intentionally infect people in order to give them immunity. "Crust" is correct!