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Office Sub Asst Commr.
Bu R F and A.L.
Brownsville Texas Dec 18th 1866

Bvt Lieut Col Henry A Ellis
AAAGen Bu RF and A.L.
Galveston, Texas

Sir

A man by the name of A.J. Milsted a widower from S.C. arrived in this state some 30 years since holding at that time a slave woman whom he subsequently manumated shortly after which he commenced to live with her as man and wife

The fruits of this connection were a number of children. By his first wife (white) he had two Boys. About six months since Milsted started to return to his native state first having disposed of his property in Texas and giving to each of his two white sons a liberal share.  At a point twenty miles below here he died very suddenly without a will expressing a desire that such property as he then possessed should go to the colored woman and her children. The fact of his death comming to the ear of the oldest white son