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Phila 9mo 13 1865

Respected Friend

Thy letter received last week was a surprise to us as Dr Rhoads had understood from Capt Wilder that the Freedmen's Departm in Virginia had about 10000 people unemployed of whom they desired to secure homes for with Northern farmers &c. and that there would be no difficulty in regard to transportation  as it would be a relief to the Government to have them thus located

It was with this understanding that we invited applications for this kind of labor and have now on record quite a large number

From the tenor of thy letter we infer that their is no great necessity for their removal if so it might be well not to do so as their labor I doubt not will eventually all be needed in the South

In order that we may give a definite answer as to the necessity & probability of any of their coming here I would solicit information on these points

& obliged
here truly
Jos  M. Truman Jr
413 Franklin