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Hon D. D. Clayton

Sir: Your note of this day just recd. It is out of my power to come up this evening. I sent up Simon to see you. I suppose it is in relation to his children that you wish to see  He was found guilty ant the spring term of /66 of Bigamy & sentenced to the Penitentiary for two or three years. I by petition got him out in December last. While he was absent the former owner of his children had them bound to him & his son in law has the other one bound. Since Simon's return home has demanded his children & they refuse to give them up. He consulted with Attorney & was told that One Hundred Dollars was the lowest they could undertake to get his children for. He has no money & his only course was an appeal to Gnl Swayne. His character while a slave was good. Since he has been free he has behaved well except in the case above stated & that took place directly after he was set at liberty. He knew nothing of the ordinance of the convention, thinking he could do when free, as he had done while a slave. He is a good worker now & true to his word. You can see from his looks, that he is able to work

Yours Respectfully
R. J. Hudspeth.