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Elba Coffee County Ala. Jan. 20th 1866
Genl. Wagner Swain
Sir
I have a somewhat troublesome case on hand and desire your assistance and advice.
On the 3rd Just. Rev. N.A. Moore a gentleman of high standing and unimpeached good character petitioned by Court to have the following minor freedmen (all formerly owned by him and raised by him) to wit: Rufus a boy aged 16, Susana a girl aged 14  [[Mourse?]] aged 11, Killis a boy aged 7. The petition (sworn to) alleges that these freedmen were "left on his hands and had "no homes nor anything to support them. That the mother of these minors is dead and whose father has left and gone to parts unknown to him". This was about the first commencement of my binding any apprentices and I bound them upon the Ex. parte Application above named. Since they were bound a Mr. Hays has been here from Montgomery  Co. and demanded these minors of Mr. Moore who refused to give them up he then went to Montgomery to see you upon the subject and was again here on yesterday and again demands them and when being refused called to see me and in a very threatening and dictatorial manner talked about getting a military force from you and taking them by force in case he could not get them without, at the same time asking my advice &c. I told him that I really did not know whither I had acted right or wrong in binding them but I thought I had done right, but that it was a new question & I was liable to do wrong but that I would correct any error immediately when I discovered it as I was determined to act as impartially and for the best interest of the freedmen as for the whites as the law now makes no distinction, and advised Mr. Hayes to file a petition before me setting forth the facts in the case (I omitted to state that he informed me he had made a contact with the father of the said minors) and I would set a day to hear it and give an opportunity to all parties to be present and heard-He then wanted to know how I would decide the case