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Chesterfield July 5th 1866

Lieut L Hoysradt

Sir  Yesterday about 12 oclock as I was going to one of my fields, I discovered a negro man about to fire his gun as I supposed at a flock of birds, & in a direct line with my wagon where one on the servants was about to drop a load on manure, I call'd to the man not to shoot, and told him it was dangerous so be shooting so near to ones House moreover most disagreeable to me and hoped he would go elsewhere, to which he made some insulting reply, construing his remarks as a threat I requested my little son between 10 and 11 years old to go back to the house and bring me a gun, this man whose name I understand to be Beverly Gray, call'd to his companions who were in the main road to come to him and they would form a line of Battle, one whose name I hear is James Woodson got over into my field and approached me, saying that he would settle the matter or words to same and as well as I remember, I walked up to him and requested him to behave himself, he cocked his gun and threatened to kill us finding that he was aiming at my son (who had come up with his shot gun) I pushed his gun aside in time