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Bureau Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands,
OFFICE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER,
FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Vicksburg, Miss., March 3rd 1868.

Major General O.O. Howard
Commissioner, Bureau Refugees Freedmen & Aban. Lands
Washington D.C.

General:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Communication of Feb'y 18th (copy herewith enclosed) in which you state you desired "to prefer charges against certain individuals without having the ability to prove them".

1st You first charge that—
"Lieut. Williams, my Inspector, drinks strong drink, and occasionally gets drunk, and that in a state of intoxication he fired his pistol, and the ball passed through a picture in a gentleman's house" — In reply to this charge I beg leave to call your attention to the enclosed statements of Bvt. Col. Scully U.S.A., Bvt. Major Norton, Bvt. Major Wikoff, Lieut. Wallace, Dr. Duncan, Surgeon-in-chief, Bvt. Major Preston,