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5
Sub Asst Com for Efras Johnson 
Clerk
I saw the (Freedman) Alfred Harris and the matter of complaint was settled between us, and on the day specified in order 11th Dec. We went together before said John H Morrison and so stated, and he so made the record on his book.

But to my surprise one Mr Duck, a merchant in Palestine, appeared and complained to said John H. Morrison that said Freedmen owed him a store a/c, for which he claimed a payment. He said Duck, alleged that he retained a lien upon the crop, which should take preference of all other claims against said Freedmen, alleging that I, had created the lien; this I denied having ever done,  urging that it was unreasonable that I should have attempted such a thing, as I could not claim the right to control what belonged to them - stating the terms of the contract between myself and them to be, that we were to first pay the rent of land, and then divide the remaining part of crop between us equally. And from the character of this contract, I urged upon the attention of said John H Morrison, that he knew I could not control their part of the crop, had I wished to have done so, which I never did.

I stated at that time, that I did say to Mr Jones, clerk of Mr Duck, that the Freedmen

Transcription Notes:
I changed the name to Duck which had been transcribed as Ducle . . . but I could be wrong.