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190

January 16th  6.

General:
The Newspapers are saying, that Major General Thomas has become dissatisfied with the lavish manner in which transportation is given to contractors and others taking laborers to different parts of the Country, and will no longer permit it to be done in Tennessee. I beg leave to state that all requisitions for transportation in this State made by this Bureau has been in compliance with S.O. No. 138, War Dep't, Series of 1865, and are signed by myself. I have been very cautious not to allow of any abuse of this privilege accorded to the Bureau - As, however, a large amount of transportation has been given in this State within the past few weeks, I desire to make known to you the facts in the case, and prevent any impression gaining that such transportation has been given carelessly or unneccessarily - When I arrived in this State some three months since, I found that apparently there was a large surplus of labor - full able-bodied men were getting from $2 to $7 per month - large numbers of negroes had been run into this State to get them out of the way of our Armies. Anticipating this condition of things, and