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Demopolis Alabama.
1st June 1867.

State of Alabama. } 
Marengo County.   } 

To
Major Genl. Wager Swayne
Montgomery Ala. 

Sir
In behalf of the Freedmen alluded to in the award hereunto attached, and marked Exhibit "A", I feel myself called upon, as Attorney in their behalf, to Solicit the aid and assistance, in procuring their just dues of your Department, which I am satisfied the Courts cannot or will not give. In January 1866 Mr. H. M. Waldrom entered into a Contract, with the said Freedmen, a copy of which is appended to this paper. The original was signed, in my presence, in this place, but by some means, another contract was drawn up. The Freedmen induced to sign it, & it was filed here in the Bureau of R.F. & A. Lands. The new contract was somewhat more stringent on the Freedmen & more lax on Mr. W., than the one of which I send a copy, but in general the two are much the same. How the second contract was obtained, and how the Freedmen were induced to sign it. I am not informed. On a partial settlement made with me early this year by Mr. W. he acknowledged that he owed the Freedmen $385.00, which he paid me. I divided amongst the freedmen, leaving unsettled claims, which I thought just, in favor of the Freedmen amounting still to $730.00. These claims were submitted to Maj Pierce of the Bureau, for arbitration. I asked Mr. W. to sign a written submission, as required by law, 

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