Viewing page 117 of 239

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Office Asst Supt of Freedmen
Dinwiddie C.A. Va.
Feb. 28th 1866 =

Col O. Brown
Asst Com State of Virginia

Colonel

In obedience to Circular No 6 Hd. Qrs. Asst Commissioner State of Virginia dated Richmond Va. Jan. 29th 1866, I have the honor to make the following Report of Freedmens' Affairs in the County of Dinwiddie.

To a casual observer, or to one who felt but little interest in the matter, I presume everything here in this relation would look bright and promising.  There are but ten Freedmen who draw Government rations and these are all old and infirm; most of the young and able-bodied are working for the whites at either renumerating wages in money or for a share of the crop; there are no apprehensions of insurrection and, in general, mutual good feeling exists between the whites and blacks; many trivial cases have indeed been presented to me, but few differences have been considered worthy of a hearing before the Freedmens' Court and of these some were withdrawn and the remainder easily adjusted; and, since my arrival in the county on the 18th of last January, there had been no established charge of abuse [[strikethrough]] been [[/strikethrough]] brought by any Freedman against any white citizen, and during that time I have placed but one Freedman in confinement.

Such is the superficial view, but to one who feels a deep interest in the welfare of the country and the future prosperity of the Freedmen, and who seeks to understand the true state of affairs, things do not look so promising.

Just freed from slavery, and infatuated with the new and dazzling idea of liberty, many of the blacks have settled on miserably poor lands in the fallacious