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Bureau Refugees Freedmen & A.L
Office Sub dist Eastern Shore Va.
Drummondtown Va. January 31st 1867

Bvt Brig Gen O. Brown
A.A.A G

General

In Compliance with Circular No. 6 Series of 1866; from Head Quarters Assistant Commissioner State of Virginia, I have the honor to report that during the past month but little difficulty has occurred between the White and Colored Citizens of this Sub District.  At the close of the past year many of the Freedmen declined entering into new engagements for the present year; preferring rather to rent small pieces and tracts of land; and cultivate them for part of the crop, raised thereon; than to hire themselves out, they having the erroneous idea that if they hire themselves, they are no longer their own masters; but reduced again to the Servile condition of forced laborers; but most of the land owners are opposed to this plan and refuse to rent on such terms, and in some cases have asked