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Norfolk Sept 10th 1866.

Capt W P Austin VRC &c

Sir

My son, Dr RB Taylor has handed me your note of 8th inst asking "How much rent your (his) father claims for the use of his farm by the Bureau since the 25th of October 1865 to date or to Oct 1st 1866 not including rent or damage previous to October 25 1865 - Will he (I) take the ground rent (one third of the growing crops) and about (150) one hundred and fifty cords wood and the lumber now held by the Qr Mr Dept in lieu of my part of the rent? In other words will he (I) claim the same rent to have these things left upon the farm as he would to have them taken off?"
     
In answer to the first question, I reply that I claim all that has been made or sold or used on the farm from the 10th day of September 1865 till its final restoration, and I do this on the ground that it has been held by the Bureau without any lease or agreement with me but arbitrarily and against my consent. I am at a loss to know why the 25th October 1865 is fixed as the period from which to date compensation - Whatever claim the Bureau may have had was ended on the 10th September 1865 at which date Pres' Johnson signed the pardon.
     
In November 1865 Col Brown proposed to me to lease to the Bureau and I positively declined, and he has held it since then merely by force - I claim that neither Government nor individual has a right to

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