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Wetumpka June 23rd 1866

Sir
Yours of June 16th is received.  I have notified Mr Chancellor to come down and give me the facts at issue between him & Rachel Kennedy (a Freedwoman) and he has, up to this date, failed to appear. My investigations thus far leaves me to believe, that Rachel is entitled to her child. and that Mr. C has no just right to retain her. Rachel did sue out a writ of habeas corpus, and Mr C, evaded bringing the child before the court, on the flimsy pretext that she would not be brought. This fact is of itself sufficient to satisfy me in believing that he has no good claim. If he had, he would have invited legal investigation, rather than avoided it and he would have advised the child to that course also. The child is under age, Chancellor has no covenant with her mother who is entitled to her services. These facts in law give the mother the custody of the child. Rachel has appealed to the courts of the county, & failed to get relief, by reason of Chancellor evading bringing her child into court. There by thing entitles her to relief at the hands of your Bureau. If I were in your place, under the circumstances, I would grant her such assistance as was in my power
I am very respectfully
Yours &c Geo L Mason
Atty at Law