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Demopolis Alabama
December 30 1865
Genl Wager Swayne
Ast Supt. of Freedmans Bureau
Montgomery
Sir,
I take the liberty of calling your attention to the following facts, in order to have justice done in the premises
"The Demopolis Female Academy" was incorporated by an act of Legislature of Alabama about thirty years since solely to encourage education - By an act of Congress a donation of some lots of land lying near this place, in the French Grant, was made to assist the laudable object of this company. The lands were all sold and the proceeds with other funds, raised by private  subscription, was all invested in the purchase of a block of eight small lots in this town and the erection thereon, of suitable buildings for school purposes, and which have been used ever since, entirely for school purposes, as indicated by the acts of incorporation &c.
In the summer of 1862 Col Phil Stockton of the Confederate Army and, who was then the Comdt of Post at this place, forceably took possession of the said lots and buildings and turned them over to Surg. S. Burke for Hospital purposes, altho' protest was made and other buildings, which were then unoccupied, were pointed out by the Trustees of "the Demopolis Female Academy". Afterwards, Surg. Burke was relieved by Surg. H. Hinkley, who, finding the building insufficient for the numbers of patients he was receiving, put an addition to the schoolhouse and erected a stable and cow house.