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Louisa County Court House Va
[[strikethrough]] February [[/strikethrough]] January 31, 1866

Captain Jas. A. Bates
A.A.A.G. B.R.F.&A.L.
Richmond Va

Sir,

In regard to the condition of Bureau affairs in this County I have the honor to report that there is a want of confidence between the whites & Freedmen and that few contracts are being made. The whites are so loth to pay the freedmen fairly for their service during the past year, that to this cause, more than to the indolence of which the Freedmen are accused by the whites, do I ascribe it. The whites as a rule wish to make the contracts for a year, the Freedmen wish to make them by the month.

I have numerous complaints from Farmers in the interior of the loss of stock, but as [[strikethrough]]far[[/strikethrough]] near as I can learn, the poor whites do as much stealing as the Freedmen.

Magistrates as a rule refuse to arrest or take any notice of the arrest of Freedmen, declaring that the arrest, conviction & punishment of that class of persons belongs entirely to the Freedmen's Bureau, as I have no assistance

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Can't make out last word * got it! Assistance ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-07-31 15:19:27 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-08-01 09:18:33