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the county I have seen one of them Genl Tolliver he says he was a Negro breeder that he lost 80,000 dollars by their freedom leaveing him almost a pauper. I shall take a look at his farm, he may loose that So far as I can learn there has not a contract been made between the white & colored in the county the Black remain with their masters just as they did before the war Virtually slaves as then. Many of them have been driven away from home of late by their Masters & told never to return since they have got in their crops (the whites) & got the hoeing all done &c & not much to do till harvest they now tell the Blacks to leave many came to me yesterday with this complaint. I made up my mind to send them back & sent word to their masters that they must allow them to come back & also that they must take care of them properly. that they would not be allowed to send these people away with out paying them for what they have done the past spring & then I shall not allow them sent away unless suitable places can be got for them to live, does this course meet your views please answer we have nowhere to put these people at present, the old masters really all say that if they have to pay wages they want the colored people to leave that they are not able to pay wages that they have no money nor anything else to pay with, it is a fact that

Transcription Notes:
1.19.2024 - Transcribed per guidelines (spelling transcribed as is) and marking for review ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-01-21 00:38:14 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-01-21 21:18:10