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Woodstock Middlesex Co Va Dec 4 1865. 
Col O Brown Assistant Commissioner for Va

Dear Sir
On the 14th Nov. I addressed a communication to Genl. Howard of The Freedmens Bureau Washington City. Under date 17th Nov. I had the following reply. "for I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 14th just appearing to this Bureau for relief. In reply thereto I am directed to inform you that the Same has been refered to Col O Brown Asst. Commissioner for Virginia at Richmond, Va with whom you are respectfully requested to Communication Very Respectfully your obedient Servant, Max Woodhull, Col Asst. Adjt. Genl."
Now sir by the above I presume my letter has been forwarded to you, and I suppose you understand that my application is to get rid of a Number of Women & Children which are on my hands of 42 Negroes which I owned when the War Commenced 21 left me during the War Most of which left the 31 May 1863 among them which left me were 16 Men & boys being the  profitable hands of the farm, since that time I have found it very difficult to make those left make enough to support themselves while occupying my lands living in my houses & burning my wood. Indeed for the last two years I have not received enough from the proceeds of the farm after feeding & clothing the hands to pay the Taxes on my lands. of the negroes now left  26 (one having died since I wrote) are under 12 years old, 2 are old Men near 70 yrs. old 4 are Middle aged Men & one boy, & the rest are women & girls. There is a standing Milliatary order forbiding us to drive them 

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