Viewing page 77 of 270

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

As to my office hours they are from eight A.M. to twelve and from half past one to four P.M. I have been absent from my office but one and a half days in the month then to see the freedman that was shot to learn all I could from him for fear he would die - he could not talk when I seen him. As to the number of troops at this Post there is but seven Infantry  As to the free People being secure in all their rights guarantee them under the civil rights Bill if the troops was withdrawn I can say they had better never have been freed than to remove the troops. As to their Civil Authority protecting them and giving them justice my opinion is they will not in this section they act now through fear of the Military Authority. The freedmen is generally working for a part of the crop or has worked land and a doing good work and fine prosper for a good crops. As to the difficulties I labor under and how they can be remedied the greatest difficulty is I am not able to arrest parties that commit outrages upon freedmen without some cavalry as to sending men a foot after men a horseback in such a country as this is useless - on the other hand if  they were Cavalry they could travel 30 miles in a night and take the party by surprise  This country is infested by many bad men and a U.S. Officer travelling alone is in constant danger I have delayed my trip through any such District