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of the land as they desired for themselves, furnishing them Teams to Plow and all without remuneration to us except in two or three instances where we had been to expense in grubbing and preparing the Land for cultivation, and then requiring only a small moiety of the crop, also that we have beneited them in various other ways by furnishing them with wood, lumber and provisions when sick and destitute, not with any expectations of remuneration or reward, but from a sense of duty and thinking we could afford it,-

Having suffered great loss we would most respectfully request that you relieve us from the payment of the Rent due or such portion as you may deem proper in the premises, and thereby relieve us from embarrassment,-

In proof of the manner in which we have treated the Freedmen and help't to elevate them to their proper places we would respectfully refer you to the Freedmen themselves who reside here and all of whom are anxious we should lease the Plantation another year.-