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Eufaula Ala Apr. 24 1866

Gen Swain, Sir at the request of William Tennell freedman I write you these lines informing you that said freedman and one other freedman last winter Caught four bales Cotton floating down the river landed it and had it hauled to a Warehouse Where 2 of the bales was receipted for, no marks or letters to be seen. the other 2 was carried to Aaron McKenzie's house & stored. Wm Tennell who had made arrangements with me to act as his agent brought the receipts to me for his 2 bales cotton stored in Chattahoochee Ware house. he had employed a boy calling himself Starks to assist him and owed the boy for his Services, this boy Starke living in Georgia Came over to see Wm and finding him sick, wished his pay and Wm told him to come and see me & tell me to come and see him, the boy came and told me that Wm Sent him after the receipt and I gave it to him to take to Wm, the boy as I afterward learned got a Soldier and went & Sold the cotton to Mr. J. G. Lallastin for twelve dollars an insurance agent who claimed that it was Cotton lost off of a box up near Columbus Ga & insured by him or some other insurance office and refuses to give it up to Wm. I saw the cotton and such was its condition I don't think any person could have seen any marks by which it could be identified, Gov Shorter says that unless Mr Martin