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Columbia County Ga Appling June 4 1867

To Col Caleb C Sibley
Ast Comr Bureau FR & AL for Georgia

Sir
To day I received per mail a letter I had written you on 26 May last & in it enclosed an a/c & duplicate for the services I rendered in January February & March. It is returned to me with the endorsement of several perhaps all the functionaries that "Respectfully returned to Seaman Crawford Esq Columbia County Georgia thro Bvt. Col E M L Ehlers S.A. Com Augusta Ga  Mr Crawford has no claim a salary as he was appointed with the understanding that he was to receive only the fees of his office."  
By Order Col C.C. Sibley.  
J.R. Lewis Bt Bg Gn &c. &c.

It is true that I did the services of the last years & received the appointment with the understanding of receiving only fees.  I made no such agreement for the present year & indications went to show a change.  I saw in the Newspapers amongst the proceedings of Congress that through the influence of Genl Howard that an effort to cut of all pay to Bureau agents was arrested & an assurance given that they would receive pay.  In December I saw a gentleman a clergy man by the way, who was acting as Bureau agent said Genl. Tillson told him that agents would receive pay instead of Perquisites. Soon thereafter I wrote you to know what prospect there was of pay. I suppose you were ready to give me information but I recd no reply soon thereafter I saw Genl Howard order that no pay should be exacted of employee or laborer in contracts or like service (about that in substance) I had not up to that time had received the first cent nor have I since received one cent for arduous & [[some?]] duties, though but few contracts turned over for the year.  I had written & examined a number