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4

necessity for relief, the need is past and that issues should be discontinued.

While I have visited perhaps but a small portion of the country to which my orders apply, I have conversed with all classes, Union men, including U.S. officers, and a very few of the state officials, and citizens; Rebels, including the vast majority of the citizens and nearly all the officers of the civil government; - and the large class whose only end in life is to secure their sustenance without labor. The opinions of these various folks may be briefly stated thus;

Union men are positive that Govt. is unwittingly feeding many, not only its past and present enemies, but who are abundantly able to support themselves, admitting however that there is some real destitution which they think should be relieved, by the local government; and ascribe to the idleness and recklessness of the people.  U.S. officers so far as I have met them believe that the final issues of rations, made as they almost invariably are by men of more than doubtful loyalty, filling the positions of offices of the civil Govt. are conducted, if not with utter disregard of the interests of the Government, at least with criminal carelessness.

The second class, according to their positions, vary widely on their statements; the loud-mouthed blatant rebels, of which class, travelling as I did, incognito, I met many, claim that it makes no difference how much destitution exists, or whether there is any, - their people having been ruined by the Yankee Govt. are entitled to support at its hands; and say that they advocate getting all they can in any way. A milder class, including