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Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands,
Headquarters, Sub-District York and James City Counties, Va.
Yorktown, Va., January 5th 1867

General:

Pursuant to instructions I have the honor to report that from estimates which are now completed and so far as we are enabled to judge from the unfinished census which is now being taken of York Co (it is believed that during the past year their has been a gradual decrease of the population of York Co. It is wholly impossible to give the exact number but it is estimated that the efflux will number (570) Five hundred and seventy "Freedmen": three fourths of this number are supposed to be women and children. Great numbers of Freedmen are moving to and from the County constantly but no complete record has been kept of the number) No transportation whatever has been given at this office during this past year, but every effort has been put forth constantly to persuade the dense population of Yorke Co to go to points where their labor would be in demand and be more remunerative, and accept the offers of transportation which are presented to them by the Bureau, but to a great extent all efforts to that results have proved in vain.  I believe however that there is a growing disposition in the minds of the "Freedmen" to remove and could I have ready