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War Department,
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands,
Claim Div.–
Washington, March 22d 1866.

Colonel O. Brown
Asst. Commr. B.R.F. & A.L:
State of Virginia.

Colonel,
I am directed by Maj. Gen'l. O. O. Howard, Commissioner &c. to inform you that this Bureau will assume the work of collecting Claims of Colored Soldiers and Sailors and their families against the U.S. Govt. for back pay, bounty, pensions &c. Samples of the forms nescessary in such Applications and instructions for preparing them will be forwarded at the earliest possible moment. You are requested to have copies printed and distributed amongst the Officers serving under you, and to instruct them to receive and prepare all Claims presented and to forward them to this Office. All Claims will be prosecuted free of cost to the Claimant, except Revenue stamps and notarial fees. It is desirable that this intention of the

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