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Powhatan CH. 
May 15th 1867.

Lieut. Clinton 

Dr Sir. 
Agreeable to my promise to you at our last Court, at this my earliest convenience, I proceed to give you the information you were seeking in relation to the matter in controversy between Fund and the Lynchs.

In the latter part of the year 1862. Frank Lynch (free man of color) died leaving a wife & child possessed together with other property of a yearling & a steer - His wife, not acquainted with her legal rights or duties, did not qualify in Court as her husband adm. Being in want of food, she determined to kill the yearling (as she had a right to do, by the Virginia law) but old Bob Lynch offered her $15. for the yearling stating (as was the fact) that the money would buy more & better food than the yearling would afford. She therefore sold the yearling to Lynch & he kept possession of it until the present year, during which time the yearling became a cow, worth at this time about $30 & had two calves.

At February Court Jim Fund, having married Frank Lynchs widow, with her consent qualified as admr. of Frank Lynch dec'd. & gave bond & security as required by law. He then brought a suit against Bob Lynch for the cow & calves, alleging that his wife when a widow, not having qualified as admr. of her husband, had no right to sell the yearling. Bob Lynch employed me as his counsel & Col Mosby represented Fund. N.S.T. Michaux a justice of the peace decided against Lynch, giving the cow &c to Fund as Admr. of Frank Lynch. I took an appeal to the County Court & it affirmed the judgment of the Court below, & Lynch surrendered the cow to Fund. I then acted as counsel for Lynch & Maj'r. W J. Davis for Fund.