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Galveston, November 27, 1865.
   
General,

Some days since we had occasion to represent to you that some difficulty existed on the part of some of our country correspondents in regard to the movement of their cotton from the plantations to market prior to the payment of the freedmen employed by them. We communicated to them the reply you were pleased to make to us then; but are now informed that the local agent of your Bureau at Alleyton or Columbus, in Colorado County, still declines to permit the cotton in question to come forward without the prepayment of wages to the freedmen aforesaid.  We have therefore to ask you, General, to do us the favor to give us a written order or instructions to your local agents to permit cotton consigned to us in this city to come forward to us without obstruction on account of the wages due to freedmen employed by the owners of the respective lots of cotton so sent forward, we agreeing to guarantee the full payment of said wages upon sale of the cotton and to furnish satisfactory evidence to your Bureau of a compliance, and to hold the proceeds of the cotton until this is done.
We hope there may be nothing in the way of your granting us this favor, assuring you, General, that in all cases to which your order now sought may apply, we shall take care that the rights of the freedmen in the premises are properly and fully protected; and for this purpose we are ready and willing to execute any bond that may be required.
We have the honor to be, General,
Your ob't serv'ts,
Hannahan & Gilbert

Gen. E. M. Gregory,
&c. &c. &c.