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the freedmen to avail themsleves of the privelges of the "Homestead Bill"
The crops in the vicinity of Talladega, (and I am told by competent authority that in country [[?]] to Talladega) are very poor indeed, the supply of Corn, Wheat, and Rye, being estimated to last only, till about next Feburary.
Tuscaloosa
There is neither Colony or Hospital at this place and Capt Peck considers that there is no necessity for either.
There is a disposition on the part of a large number of planters to cheat the negroes out of their Earnings and turn them adrift now that the bulk of the labor is over for the season, and the result not such as was anticipated. 
Capt. Peck says he has no power in such cases; on to refer them to the Justices of the Piece for action to be brought against the Employer, in most cases the freedmen have not the money to pay the necessary fee's, neither can they give bail should the case be decided against them for the costs - so that in a majority of cases no action whatever is taken.
From an inspection of Capt Pecks complaint book I find a large number of complaints are for assault and battery, some of assault and highway robbery of freemen, and two or three instances having come under Capt Pecks observation where parties were sold into Slavery for no crime one of the cases was that of Toby