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Gordonsville VA
June 22 1866

Genl O. Brown
Hd Qrs Asst. Commissioner Va.

Genl

I have rec'd information to the following effect - Within a few days (the date has not been reported to me) A.B. Sweeney, Late Lieut & Asst. Supt. Sub District of Greene. Called together the Freedman of Greene County and excluding women & children from the room in which his meeting was held, made propositions to the colored men to the following effect - That he would obtain an appointment from the National Freedman's Aid Commission as teacher or Superintendent of schools. but that he could not afford to work for the amount of pay which the commission would give him.  But if the colored men would pay him $5 each in addition he would conduct their school during the balance of the year.  By his representations some 70 persons were induced to pledge him such amounts.  The men were told that they must not let any one know of the arrangement, lest the inhabitants should be come incensed &  do personal violence to some of them or burn the school house or do some other wrong acts -

I have not a personal knowledge of these facts but receive my information from a source that I consider entirely reliable - my knowledge of Lieut

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-08-01 12:53:07 Hd. Qrs. = Head Quarters when there is a letter superscripted at the end of a word, it means to add an apostrophe ex: recd (when the 'd' superscript) is rec'd; cold where "d" is superscript is col'd)