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Bartow, Jefferson co Geo.,
Jan. 6th, 1868:

Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard:

I have seen a statement recently that, last year, you took the liberty to aid certain S.C. planters, to the amount of $80,000, &c. and that they promptly paid you at the end of the year. I write to see if I can induce you to help us poor Georgians, in this part of the state. Were I not aware, from frequent readings, that you are well-posted in the afairs of this country I would write particulars which, as it is, I shall omit. But I will say this: unless this region get aid from somewhere there is no chance for anything but a bare existence, and, in many cases not even this. My appeals last year to my Northern friends, and those in Baltimore, saved this whole region from starvation. Probably half the people have now the means of subsistence till the coming Fall: but what is to become of the other half? And is this state of semi-starvation, and ever recurring appeals to the people of the North to continue? and from a section of country which, until its labor system was destroyed, was one of the most independent portions of the world? These things must and will go on until we can become again self-sustaining. How can we become so? By getting aid, not only to raise another crop - only partial aid - not half so much as we needed last year - but to procure labor-saving agricultural machinery. Gen. Howard, this country can never rise again [[strikethrough]] without [[/strikethrough]] unless an enlightened system of agricultural management succeed the miserable travesty of