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[[stamp]] STATE OF VIRGINIA. BUREAU OF R. F. & A. L. RECD. HD. QRS. ASST. COMMISSIONER. SEP 27 1866 [[/stamp]]

Fincastle Botetourt Co Va Sept 24" 1866

My Dear Sir

Some of the Freedmen have requested me to write to you concerning some of their business. I will state their cases in brief but correctly. The first is:  M W. Pettigrew of this county holds to children Betsy and Cary Caldwell under an informal Order of the County Court of Botetourt, from the possession of their Uncle Caleb Benton and their Grandmother Delila White.  Those persons who claim the children (their mother being dead and father too) are industrious, orderly, sober, and well qualified to rear them up in life. An order was given Caleb Benton by the agent of the Freedmans Bureau, for this county, for them, and when presented to Pettigrew he put the order in his pocket, cussed the agent and ordered Caleb Benton and Delila White not to come on the premises again.  The children want to leave Pettigrew. The childrens relatives were not counselled before application was made to the County Court to have them bound to him. This order was made soon after the reorganization of the Courts of Va  I understand from very good authority they are treated in a very harsh bad manner. Please do something for them. Force the old aristocrat to give them up. They formerly belonged to him as slaves; all parties.   

Second case is that of a Freedman who sued his employer for his wages after first making efforts to settle without it. This man F. R. Rosser, when the constable presented the a/c, flew into a powerful rage and threatened publicly to shoot him on sight; and his manner was such that many persons advised the Freedman; William Jackson, to keep out of his way, and if he could have him arrested for a breach of the peace to do so. A peace warrat was obtained, he was brought forward for trial after some delay by the officer James M McCoy.

Transcription Notes:
2 question marks remain. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-07-28 13:43:40