Viewing page 90 of 258

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

248

Crawford P.O Dc'r 21/65

Sir

Your Communication of the 16 instant came to hand in my absence from home; In noticing its contents; I find this Sentence; the old & decriped must be maintained on the place.  Will you please inform me who is to maintain them; the old on my place have received equal share of the crop with the best workers on the place; I have been led to believe as all the Negroes of the South have been freed that their former owners lost all right and title to them & would not be forced to have any thing more to do with them; I have rented out my plantation to other parties; consequently they will want the Houses that the freedmen are in to put other operatives in; what is to be done with the occupants; they have behaved so badly that the parties renting are not disposed to hire them not withstanding I gave them the fourth of the corn & meat & sixth of the Fodder they [[strikethrough]] they [[/strikethrough]] are disobedient & refuse to work go hunting and fishing at any times it suits them regardless of their contract, and the necessities of the farm

please answer this soon & oblige

Shelton Oliver

please state in the answer who [[strikethrough]] se duty it is [[/strikethrough]] is bound to support those old ones; from what is made on the place there would not be a sufficiency to support the operatives & to carry on the farm another year there is on the place 100 persons & 450 or 50 operatives 340 Barrels of corn was made this year last year 1200 Barrels was made by fewer workers

Capt & A A G  W. W. Deane
Augusta
Ga