Viewing page 279 of 282

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

per month for such expenditures as are referred to, would in my opinion make a considerable difference in the amount of useful duty performed by many officers. The difficulty in question would not be remedied by an increase in the regular pay, as whatever amount might be allowed it might still be obtained without the travel necessary to issue a proper discharge of duty, whereas the allowance should only be for the actual increase of expenses occasioned by that travel.
The general Bureau duties at Fort Monroe and Yorktown have been well performed and the offices are in good condition.
The school in the neighborhood of Fort Monroe are flourishing, and in particular the new Normal School promises to be mostly successful.
The condition of Elizabeth City and York Counties with special reference to the once swarming excess of the freed population, the decrease of [[?]]

Transcription Notes:
Transcription is finished, just needs a fresh pair of eyes to identify the [[?]]s in the last sentence.