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La Fayette, Chambers County, ala.
Aug. 10, 1867

Major General Wager Swayne, Commanding District of Alabama

I wish to inform you of the urgent desire of all minor citizens this county that a Bureau Agent should be at once located in this place, and not unionists only, but "conservatives" also have expressed the same wish; J. Applebee, Judge of Probate for the county has particularly requested me to state the facts to you. The crop is 'laid by', as they express if, and many planters are seeking every possible pretext to get rid of their employees, who have contracted for a share of the crop or otherwise, and having formed some light pretense thy order off the freedmen without a cent of pay.  The redress afforded by the civil courts is too slow, & uncertain at best.
A am writing while I remain here to do my best at advising the poor people what to do, but as soon as I openly take up a case it tends to make a satisfactory settlement impossible, because the planters declare I have no authority to interfere, while they could in many cases be brought to terms if a person, speaking with authority to back him, should offer judicious advice. Judge T.O. Harper, a well-known unionist, and a  consistent Christian gentleman, is the citizen best fitted for the Agency, & is willing to accept it.  There have been twenty cases of freedman turned away from home, without any sufficient cause, brought to my knowledge in the past two days, and I heard a prominent secessionist estimate that a hundred would be homeless by the close of the week.

Very Respectfully,
Elliot Whipple, Teacher of Freedmen

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