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was ordered to carry out - told that the negroes were free & must stand towards their former masters as strangers.  That three courses were open to them to adopt: - to hire themselves to their former masters; to hire themselves to somebody else, or to report to him & he would put them to work on some one of the govt farms he meant to establish in different parts of the county - That the govt wages to men on these farms would be $7. a month & rations.  After replying to some questions addressed to him he vacated the chair.  It was then proposed that the citizens should hold a meeting. (The American people are fond of public meetings).  Major Bailey offered no objection to it - he remained personally present during its sitting, pronounced the rates of wages recommended not only fair, but, under the circumstances, liberal & more than he expected, and heartily sanctioned everything that was done.

Results have proved that the rates were most liberal.  Precarious labour cannot be remunerative when the important months of April & May are totally lost.

I respectfully submit that the Asst Commr has been misinformed as to the character & objects of this Public Meeting - That no such thing as feeling was manifested therein, & that his enquiry "whether any change has taken place in the feelings of these people with regard to the employment of freed labour" is not pertinent to the facts of the case.

Yr obdt Servt,  D.S. Hicks -