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Elba, Jan 15th 1866
Gen. Wager Swain
Dear Sir
Since I saw you in Montgomery several weeks since I have had numerous applications to bind apprentices (minor freedmen) & I have bound out a number simply upon ex parte applications sworn to & representing the parents as unable to take care of them in some instances where they have no parents Several cases have been recently presented to me upon petition of the parents of some I had bound out asking that the articles be revoked upon the ground that they (the parents) were able to take care of their minor children and do not desire to have them bound out. Their cases are now set for trial. I tried one last week in which I had bound two children to their former mistress. The father filed a petition setting forth that he did not think the lady they were bound to a suitable person & that he did not think they would be well treated. He admitted that he was not able to take care of them himself but desired the privilege of naming the person he was willing to have them bound to before an examination of the evidence in the case I concluded to revoke the articles & permit the parents to name suitable persons Cases of this sort will be constantly occurring & it is occupying too much of my time. There are very few if any cases where parents will be willing to bind their children whether they can support them or not or whether their children can support them To save these