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Office Asst Lunidt
Bureau R. of 2 A. L.
of Armsville, Va. April 4th 1866

Capt Stuart Barnes.
Lunidt 2nd Dist Va
Capt
In compliance with an endorsement from your office of April 1st 1866. I have the honor to report that on the 14th day of March. I and my orderly started from Farmville in pursuit
of some notorious horse thieves. who had been robbing and plundering the neighborhood they being freedmen I felt it my duty to arrest them if possible while on the road, and on the trail of these theives [[thieves]]. I met a freedman Suspecting he might inform the parties I was after of my whereabouts. I told him not to proceed any further. until my return. we left him and rushed on a mile when I again discovered him ahead of us. I again ordered him back but he Still persisted in going on, and when we arrived at the rendezvous of the horse thieves. he was there ahead of us and the parties had flown, enraged and mortified at his villainy. In informing the parties of my approach. I lifted a whip and Struck him. not brutally as he states but merely a lash- being well aware of the impropriety of the act. I can offer on excuse but my feelings about the moment,

Very Respectfully
D. I. Connolly
Bvt Asst VRC
Asst Supt F B

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