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useless, the commonwealths attorney for the county is an imbecile, and the few competent men in town are unwilling to accept office.

The presence of U.S. troops is of no benefit to the place:  they are from time to time seen intoxicated, or partially so, in the streets and some difficulties have occurred in which they have been involved.

But I should be glad of the appointment of Maj Putnam as provost judge, or as head of a freedman's court in order to insure speedy action in criminal cases, and some punishments when such should be ordered.  I would submit whether authority could not be given him to stand before instead of behind the civil authorities of Hampton, or, at least, to take charge of all persons committed to jail, the expense of keeping prisoners to be charged to the county.

In and about Yorktown and Williamsburg all is quiet, and, for two years, nothing has occurred to justify the presence of more than half a dozen troops at those points.  It is desirable to have a Military Commissioner man these points to interfere

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-12-01 10:21:53