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Memorandum of Report of a tour of Inspection by Major Bowler, 113 U.S.C.T.

Visited Counties of Jackson, Independence, Lawrence and Fulton, in all of which Civil Govt. is nominally reestablished and County and Township officers have been appointed and entered upon their duties. In Jackson Co. quiet prevails and justice has been fairly administered, the rules of the Freedmen's Bureau are understood and observed, and in all instance the freedom of the late Slaves is fully acknowledged; the only apparent difficulty is the disinclination of employers to give sufficient wages for labor, but now this is overcome by the scarcity of labor and enforcement of rules of the Freedmen's Bureau; The people of the county are nearly unanimous in supporting the rebellion and they only regret its failure. During the war a large number of inhabitants of these counties were driven out of the country by tyranny of the rebels on account of their adherence to the Union cause, and they are now returning and find their property carried off or destroyed or in the hands of their rebel neighbors and they are too poor to go to law to regain it. The civil officers are mostly those who were active rebels or sympathizers; the Union men complain of this and allege they cannot obtain justice at their hands, they have no confidence in such men and feel that the Govt. wrongs them in permitting such to be appointed over them. Many Refugees have returned in a destitute condition and the civil authorities make no provision for them or for any other poor. Evidently strong prejudice exists in the minds of late rebels against those of Union sentiments, actuating them to discriminate against Union Men, when serving as civil officers jurors or in any