This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
Bureau R.F. & A.L. 7" Dist Va Office A.S.A. Com. Sub-D. No 8 Lexington Va. April 24"/67 Respectfully returned to Capt. R. L. Lacey Supt. 7" Dist Va with the information that Mrs Virginia Patton is an unfortunate widow whose estate is involved in legal processes — not on account of any political prejudices against her — but through the position in which the death of her husband left his affairs — I visited her and found that she has laid aside the opinion expressed in her letter that she was persecuted on account of the Union sentiments of [[?]] and her family — Indeed the fact of their being Unionists was not known in the community — tho her husband was conscripted, like many thousands of Southern Men who were no more loyal to the United States than those who volunteered- She and her children — tho poor — are not in abject want — and if they ever become so, the overseers of the poor for the county will take charge of them - J. W. Mays Capt. & A.S.A. Comr. F.B. Rockbridge, Bath & Allegheny Cos Va
Transcription Notes:
----------
Reopened for Editing 2023-11-07 19:25:56
Further reading of documents tell that the husband was forced to serve in the Confederate Army, then died. A suitable word match for this is “conscripted”
Also discovered it was assumed her husband was a Union soldier and thus was treated poorly— helping to decipher other almost illegible script here.
Looks good.
----------
Reopened for Editing 2023-11-08 10:02:41
----------
Reopened for Editing 2023-11-09 22:28:11