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Surry Co. Va. Sept. 10th 1865.
To His Excellency Gov. Pierpoint
Dear Sir,
We, the undersigned citizens of the Counties of Isle of Wight and Surry, would most earnestly call the attention of your Excellency to the fact that recently parties of armed negroes from the North Side of James River, extending from Newport News to Mulberry Island, have been committing depredations on the inhabitants of these Counties Killing and carrying off stock &c. On the 25th if the past month, nine of these negroes -all armed- manning 3 boats landed in Isle of Wight.
  
During the war our peoples suffered severely from these parties, large number of whom escaping from their owners, found a safe retreat on the Peninsula; from there they visited the south side of the river, robbed and plundered the Citizens, and in some instances, committed outrage on helpless females of too revolting a character to mention; these negroes are now at large and can be identified by a number of respectable witnesses. They were not connected with the Federal army.
 
But now that peace has come and our peoples have in good faith  subscribed themselves as loyal citizens to the U.S., they have a right to expect that protection which the government owes to the inhabitants of any part of This Union; and on the authorities of the general government have reserved to themselves the entire control of that class of