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Charlottesville May. 28th 1865.

General. O.O. Howard.
Commissioner of. Freedmans Bureau.

Honored Sir.

We the undersigned colered people of Charlottesville Va. constituting about two thirds of the inhabitants of the place, would respectfully. represent that being deprived of those safeguards which enable white men to protect himself, and having no power of defence against unjust, local laws, save that guaranteed by the general Government, we feel unsafe in this community without the protection of Federal troops.

We are struggling against a tide of bitter opposition on the part of that smaller fraction of the people here who formerly, claimed to be our owners. Indubitable evidence of this opposition can be furnished by conversation with any truthful colered man in our midtst: every day, and hour giving fresh proofs of the virulence of those who by, the results of the war have been deprived

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