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Martinsville Texas
June 24th 1867

Capt J.H. Bradford

The colored prisoner John Johnson was today promptly brought to us, acting Justices of the peace for the County of Madison in order that he might be tried by Civil Authority for the crime with which he stands charged. 

In accordance with the Provision of No II of your Special order No 21 we are under the necessity of applying to you on behalf of our county to retain the said Prisoner, as therein proposed for the following reasons, to wit:

1st our Jail is not a Safe one.
2d The terms of our District Court has closed So that a trial could in no circumstances take place under six months with a fair probability,. that the charges occurring in our Civil affairs might Still prolong it - 
3d The Testimony taken by the Bureau Agent Capt. Reinhart will enable the Military authorities to hold him for final trial, while we are not in possession of testimony by which he could be detained under the operation of Civil Law -
4t A fair effort was made to secure a Jury qualified as required by Genl. orders No 13 last week which completely failed.
5t All the circumstances considered & the tardy operations of the civil Law would 

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