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Office Supt Refugees etc
9th District State of Virginia
Fort Monroe Feb 1st/66

Col O. Brown
Asst Comr — R.F.&A.L.
Richmond Va

Colonel
I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of communication from D. Hubbard Williamsburg dated Jan 12th addressed to you & by you referred to me with directions to confer with the leading citizens of James City Co. with a view of arranging the matter of employment & labor satisfactory if possible. I have attended to the matter & found them settled upon the plan of enforced labor, & ask the Government to aid them in it. They talk as well as they write, but stick to it that the colored people must work when & for whom & for such rates as a committee shall designate. Are not willing they should hire out as they please or rent lands themselves, & even blame some of their own neighbors for renting lands to colored people at any rate. When I gave them to understand this not be done they replied then they