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M46 
[[stamp]] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES [[/stamp]]

Bureau Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands,
Office Assistant Commissioner.
FOR STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Vicksburg, Miss., October 12th, 1865.

Major General O.O. Howard
Commissioner Bureau Refugees, Freedmen &c.,

General,

In accordance with orders from the Bureau, I would respectfully submit the following report of Freedmen affairs in this State for the quarter ending September 30th.

Owing to some unaccountable delay of the mails, I did not receive my appointment till one month after it had been made. I entered upon my duties as Assistant Commissioner for the State June 25th 1865:  I had, previous to that time held the position of Provost Marshal General of Freedmen for the State for over one year, and had around me a number of officers well qualified by experience to take up the new duties required of them by the Bureau organization. I immediately organized all the staff that was necessary at the time and set them to work at various duties, intending to so perfect the machinery of the Bureau in this state, that the Freedmen's interests would be protected during the transition then going on, while at the same