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Washington. Jan 2d 1865 Dr. Horner [[Hornor]] Dear Sir As I was intrusted with the clothing sent to Fredricksburg for the Freedpeople, I feel it my duty to give you an account of the manner in which I disposed of it. I went to Fredricksburg on the 7th of Dec, & the boxes came from Washington a few days afterwards. There are perhaps less than 1000 colored persons in F. and nearly all are poor. Some are very destitute. There were about 30 persons including the sick & disabled & other helpless ones in a large brick warehouse that has neither windows nor chimneys and the floor is much broken. Fires were built on bricks laid on the floor at intervals along the wall. It was dark and filled with smoke unless the doors were kept open, It was a most wretched place, & the discomforts endured there resulted undoubtedly in the death of several persons, We have reason to believe that a number were buried without coffins, This was owing to the neglect or indifference of the officers whose duty it was to look after the wants of these people. But we trust that all this belongs to the past. At one time Capt. Bohonon Com. of the adjoining Dist. bought wood at his own expense to keep the people in the warehouse from perishing. The day after I arrived Maj. Morse came to take charge of the sub-district, headquarters at F'sburg. As he was to report to Capt Cranden at Gordonsville, he
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Reopened for Editing 2023-09-17 08:15:24
Dr. Caleb W. Hornor, Surgeon USV, Chief Medical Officer
Per SI instructions, do not replace "&" with "and"