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Bureau of Refugees Freedmen and A Lands
Head Quarters Asst Sub Asst Comr 2nd Div 8th Sub Dist Va
Abingdon Va July 22nd 1867.

Captain Wm P. Austin
S.A.C. Wytheville Va.

Captain,

I have the honor to call your attention to the importance of establishing a Hospital for the treatment of Sick Freedmen at this place. Ground can be rented in a healthy and convenient locality for such a building. And every day strikes me more forcably of the importance and necessity for such a charitable undertaking. Within the Short Space of two months we had Six death Amongst the Freedmen here. And three of these were non residents and came here sick and had to be taken in. four of them died. The county Poor house has not or is not large enough to accommodate all being a very small imperfect building. Consequently, the practice of the overseers of the Poor is to allow some poor family Fifty or Seventy five Dollrs a year for taking care of such Poor Creatures and