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L.B. V. 2. pp. 62.

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands,
Headquarters, Superintendent Fifth District, Va.
Fort Monroe, Va. August 6 1866

Bvt Brig Gen O Brown
A.A.A.G.

General;

I have the honor to report that, during the past month, the freedmen have not received freely a proper measure of justice from the civil courts.

As a general rule the civil courts do nothing at all with cases in which negroes are engaged — wrongs go unedressed — crime is unpunished and hence, on the increase, and in some portions of the District things seem drifting towards anarchy. The civil courts are utterly incompetent; there are no jails in most of the counties; the police is inefficient and being composed of rebels can do nothing with freedmen.

The freedmen are, to-day, an exasperated powerful class, and, from theer ignorance, are 

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