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0647

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

Napoleon, Ark
August 4th 1866
Predmore, Lt J. C.
Supt & Pro Mar.
M470. R.F&A.L. Vol 8. 1866

Requests instructions to guide him in cases where Freedmen not under contract are destitute and need provisions and medical attention or when under contract are turned off by employer after long illness.

County authorities will do nothing for them; Arkansas, White and Miss. River boats often touch here & leave their sick to the charity of the citizens or to die.

Can he employ physician? How will he be paid?
The Marine Hospital building
(over.) Filed

is not used for Hospital purposes, rooms being rented out for dram shops, stores and county offices, and nearly half the building occupied by the most rabid & bitter rebels, who keep a Hotel. The custodian of building a resident of this place before the war, took the oath of allegiance to the Southern Confederacy, & then went north to avoid conscription, & people here charge him to his face, of fleeing to Canada to avoid the draft, which I have never heard him deny.

P.S.
Vol 2/66 
Recd Sept 7th 1866.

Office Gen'l Supt & Pro Mar
Pine Bluff Ark
Sept 8th 1866.

Respectfully forwarded.
The cases of indigent and sick freedmen at Napoleon demand aid from the Govt, as the people there will not provide for them unless coerced to do so, and I greatly doubt the ability of many of them if they had the inclination.

I am aware that the situation of the Marine Hospital building is worse even than represented but am of the opinion, the Bureau has as many legitimate duties to perform as it should have without going outside to rectify (over.)

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