Viewing page 184 of 242

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Randolph County Ala 
March 18th 1866

Maj Genl Wager Swayne
Montgomery Ala

Sir 
The undersigned citizens of Fox Creek Beat most respectfully represent that we are without Corn or other provisions to live upon, and that unless we can get speedy relief must suffer, We have made every effort to obtain bread and failed and make this appeal to you as the last resort, 

The indigent report sent up from this county falls far below the actual number of destitute in the county - that report places the number of families something over 400  with an aggregate of 1400 - while the true statement is near 1400 families with an aggregate of over 5000 persons - again neither of those figures include the freedmen and there is over 1000 of them nearly all of whome are destitute, and have strong claims upon the the charity of the government

From the above statements, which we assure you is true, you can readily percieve that that the supply is not equal to the demand - All the provisions which have been sent to the County up to this time have been receved at the Court House and those living in the immediate vicinity have draw while those living at remote distances have in but few instances drawn anything, not an individual in this Beat has drawn a single pound.

Many of our men have had to abandon their crops and go to other sections of County and work for bread - and many more will have to follow soon unless we get assistance
The result will be their farms will remain uncultivated and next year will find us in a condition but little than the present 
again we have among us many - very many widows & orphans who cannot go & must suffer unless aid is obtained. If we can get bread to eat, we can make a crop to live upon another year — without it we cant