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Wise Farm Princess Anne Co. Va.
July 31st 1866

Capt Wm. Austin
Supt R.F. & A.L.
First Dist of Va

Sir
I would respectfully report that the condition of Bureau Affairs in this County is not as good as might be desired, work at the present time being dull, which bears very heavily on the freedmen, the compensation at best only sufficient to enable them to live from hand to mouth, so when work fails they besiege me for assistance. I have put them off so far with gifts of clothing which I happened to have on hand rather than increase the ration list. during the latter part of June and the first of July I succeeded in diminishing the number of rations drawn 400. I think there will be a great deal of suffering the coming winter amongst the colored people, their contracts look very fair at first (the same in almost all cases verbal) but in the end result in the employee being in debt to the employer more or less.

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