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Georgia
Pike county

In person appeared before me a Justice of the Peace for said County's Thomas Cobb a freedman of said County who after being duly sworn deposited and said that he heard Marsh Matthews a colored man from Griffin address a large audience of colored people at Flat Rock Church in said County on the fourth Sunday in October or the succeeding sabbath as well as deponent can remember, and among other things said that there were government lands in Texas for them which they could have free of cost and that there was a free train running now and now was the time for them to go: he told them not to break contracts but now was the time to go, he expected thus the freedmens bureau would be abolished after a while and the free trains stopped and those who stayed behind would be like sheep turned loose among wolves and would fare very bad: he said this he has one slick cap (meaning a United soldier who has accompanied him) and when he came back would have fifty slick caps with him.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this [[strikethrough] Ja [[/strikethrough]] November 1866.

C R Wilson JP

Thomas Cobbs his x mark