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ensuing year- mostly for an intrest in the crop.
As yet no contracts have been submitted to me for approval, as the freed people are advised by the white's that there is no necessity for approval of contracts by the Bureau and as I am powerless to adjudicate, the freed people are easily persuaded there is no necessity for such action. Many of the freed people have been defrauded out of their wages for the last year. Many irresponsible parties have disposed of their crops without rendering a settlement with the freedmen."

Mr. S.H. Melcher South of Fayette County at LaGrange, states that "The freedmen in that part of the County are generally in a much worse condition than one year ago. The several causes for this are the failure of the crops, their natural extravagance or knowledge of economy- and who being in many instances defrauded by their employers out of their wages &c.

Education is the only hope of the freedmen. I would request that one or two schools be established here, if however the Bureau Freedmen Aid Society will supply the teachers and pay such for suitably rooms, these will be plenty of scholars and much good accomplished