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18.

Tenn. The freedmen are not wholly to blame in this matter and there will be always trouble when one man makes a contract with freedmen and leaves all its details with other parties to carry out. For instance Capt Droullard made the contracts with the men promising them certain things by word of mouth, that are not mentioned in the contract the Capt leaves all his business in the charge of Mr. Stone, his overseer instructing him to make the colored man live up to his written contract not mentioning what he had promised them, and he (the Capt) not being prudent, necessarily caused a misunderstanding.  If the making of the contracts had been left to Mr. Stone, whose duty it is to see that they are faithfully carried out, that exit to the other Furnace would not have occured. However I remained three days, examined the books, contracts &c, and succeeded in having both parties make some concessions, and in my opinion there will be no further