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Crawford, Russell Co, Ala
January 14th, 1868

Bvt Maj S C Greene 

Sir
In compliance with a circular from your Office recd on yesterday, I can only state that from the best evidence before me, there were in this County, in July and August last, some six hundred persons, (white and black.) who are regarded as destitute and consequently furnished, to such extent as the supply permitted, with rations. The low price of cotton and the consequent inability of Landholders to employ as largely or at such prices as were given last year, together with a manifest indisposition upon the part of the Freedman to contract permanently, must necessarily increase the pauperism of the County to some extent, but in what proportion I cannot now say. There seems to be among that class of our population, a wide spread and, I think, unfortunate disposition to throw off entirely the restraint of constant and permanent employment, and to set up for themselves. This might be