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Huntsville March. 12. 1866.

Genl. E.M. Gregory
Galveston.

Dear Sir.
My Alston of this County having submitted to me a freedman's contract with a memorandum in writing from your office disapproving certain features and provisions of the same, I have at his request prepared the form of a new contract herewith enclosed embodying all the suggestions from your office except the one in relation to his supplying at his own expense subsistence for all the children and non productive members of the families of freedmen in his employ; a provision which I trust you will not insist should be inserted in view of the facts in this particular case. Mr Alston was one among the first men when Emancipation was officially proclaimed in this Department to accept the situation and conform his action in good faith to it. The order of Gen Granger last summer declaring the slaves free found between 60 and 70 on his plantation, more than one half of whom were children or non productive. He at once recognized their rights under the new relation and made a fair