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Bureau Refugees, Freedmen, and Abd Lands,
Asst Supt. Counties Jefferson & Berkeley
Harpers Ferry W Va. Oct 31st 1866

Genl
I have the honor to report the condition of Affairs in these two counties not as favorable as might be desired The Election which has just passed has kept the people excited and party spirit has run high One might inquire why this should effect the status of the negro It has, as I will proceed to show The radical party of this State is accused by their opponents to be in favor of negro suffrage, for the reason that unless they gain this addition to their numbers they will be swept from power The increased Union majorities in the western counties show plainly that they are independent of any assistance from the negro vote, but in these two counties and several others the conservatives have nearly carried the election, and that in face of all the opposition that could be brought to bear by the Board of Registration It is a lamentable fact, that the representatives of the radical party in this county are men who can neither command the respect nor good will of their neighbors, many were secessionists at the breaking out of the war but got on the other side just in time to save their bacon. It was asserted in my presence by a gentleman who was a surgeon in our army, and who was on duty here a long time, that there were not six men in the county who could take the test oath. As the radical vote has greatly decreased they are now accused of truckling to the negro in order if the constitutional amendment is carried they can rely on their votes to return them to power. Continual argument has brought the matter into a prominence that is not warranted, and all sorts of stories to the prejudice of the negro are afloat, until the climax was reached in the report that a prominent Radical in Charlestown was drilling the negroes I believe it to be false, but it is well known that any story never mind how absurd

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Heading unfinished, Unknown wording in body ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-03-07 16:17:22