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War Department
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands,
Claim Div.
Washington, March 22nd 1866.

Bvt Brig Gen. E.M. Gregory
Asst. Commr. B.R.F & A.L.
State of Texas

General,
I am directed by Maj. Gen'l. O.O. Howard Commissioner &c. to inform you, that this Bureau will assume the work of collecting Claims of Colored Soldiers and Sailors and their families against the U.S. Govt. for back pay, bounty, pensions &c. Samples of the forms necessary in such applications and instructions for preparing them will be forwarded at the earliest possible moment. You are requested to have copies printed and distributed amongst the Officers serving under you and to instruct them to receive and prepare all Claims presented and to forward them to this Office. All Claims will be prosecuted free of cost to the Claimant, except for Revenue stamps and notarial fees. It is desireable that this intention