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Warrior Stand Ala Dec 7th / 66
Maj. Genl. Swayne
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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES
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Deare Sir,
As an acting justice of the Peace I have endeavoured to carry out your orders in regard to the settlement between employers & freedmen and in doing so the civil authority have stoped me. A few days since a freedman complained to me that the whole of the crop where he had been engaged had been sent to market and sold except three bales of cotton. I sent forthwith and had that attached. The next day it was taken away from me by the Sherriff of the county, on the ground that the employer had mortgaged the cotton to secure provisions to make it with which was all true but the holder of the mortgage had received the most of his pay and was able to wait another season; the freemen upon the place had never received a dollar and was not able to provide against the winter seasons. D. Stanley was the maker & McDonald and Harper of Tuskegee was the holder of the mortgage. "Stanley" was willing and wanted the cotton to be left to pay the freedmen but his creditors would not submit. he has nothing left to pay with, when the cotton was taken from me I protected it and told the parties not to dispose of it as I should write to you upon the subject. If you approve of their taking