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Headquarters,
BUREAU REFUGEES, FREEDMEN & ABAND. LANDS,
State of Texas,
GALVESTON, TEXAS, July 1, 1867.
MAJOR GENERAL O.O. HOWARD,
Commissioner,
Washington, D.C., 
GENERAL:--I have the honor to submit the following brief report of the operations of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, in the State of Texas, for the Quarter ending May 31st 1867. 
On relieving Bv't. Major General KIDDOO, Jan. 24th, 1867, I found on duty, as Sub-Assistant Commissioners fourteen (14) Officers and fifteen (15) Civilians. These were all (with one exception) on duty in the Southern part of the State, the farthest being on an air line, not more than one hundred and eighty (180) miles from the Gulf Coast
This had arisen (notwithstanding the most energetic efforts on the part of the former Assistant Commissioner of this State) from the fact, that all Troops, not on or near the Indian and Mexican frontiers, were stationed near the Coast, and the Agents of the Bureau were powerless unless in the vicinity of Troops. 
The Bureau had hardly, therefore, a third of the area of the State, and barely half the population of the State under its supervision.
Reports poured in unremittingly from the remote parts of the State, of wanton outrage, robbery and murder.
As soon as the Troops were so distributed as to extend protection to every part of the State, the whole was divided into Sub-Districts. Under an order from Headquarters, District of Texas, all Post Commanders were ordered to report to me for duty, as Sub-Assistant Commissioners of the Sub-District, in which their respective Posts were situated, and on the 31st day of May, 1867, there were 57 Sub-Districts, in charge of which were 69 Agents, 38 of whom were Officers, and 31 Civilians, in a manner extending protection and redress to the most remote parts of the State. 
The majority of the Freedmen find employment in the great Cotton raising Counties in the Southern part of the State, between the Neches and Guadalupe Rivers, and on Red River in the North Eastern part of the State, about one-third are scattered over the grain raising Counties in the East, Centre, and North. 
Owing to the fact that most of the Freedmen were without means to rent land, and plant on their own account, they were compelled, either, first, to work for specified monthly wages as Farm laborers, or, second, to work for a portion of the crops, generally one third, (1/3), the planters furnishing horses, tools, provisions, etc, etc.
In the Cotton planting portion of the State, nearly one-half (1/2)