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War Department
Bureau Refugees, Freedmen +c.
Washington D.C. Jan 19, 1865

Col. O. Brown
Asst. Comm for Virginia
Richmond, VA.

Col.

Much trouble arises on account of the difficulties of fixing just and equal rates of compensation for the labor of freedmen + refugees. I am disinclined to fix even minimum [[strikethrough]] maximum [[/strikethrough]] rates that should apply to all cases. The divinity of circumstances is so great that I believe justice can be better approximated by contracts approved by the Assistant Commissioners, Superintendents of freedmen or other officers on duty in connection with this Bureau. They must, however, satisfy themselves as to what is a just compensation for the different classes of laborers in the localities coming under their