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Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen & Abandoned Lands
Hd Qurs. Asst. Supt. 8th District of Virginia
Christiansburg, Montgomery County Va. 
July 25th 1866.

Bvt. Brig. Genl. O Brown
A. A. A. G.
General
I have the honor to make the following report relative to the affairs of the Bureau in this Sub. District, comprising the counties of Montgomery, Pulaski and Giles in the 8th Dist. of Va. during the Month ending July 25th 1866.
The Freedmen generally are working under contract, securing Small compensation for their labor, and I find on investigation, that all most universally the contracts are Simply writings drawn up by the Employer, without complying to the Form of Law, and in almost every instance there have been no witnesses to the agreement.  If the Freedmen make objection to this mode of procedure, they are immediately refused employment, and State that they are obliged to accept the terms of those employing them, or go without work.  Others are working under verbal contract, and State that they are unable to obtain employment in any other ways.

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