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or in every possible way that they could imagine, are now in search of hands for the year with very poor success. When application is made at this office for information as to what they will do for help to work their farms, they are informed that on account of their treatment of Freedmen during the past year, that the Bureau will in no way try to persuade Freedmen to work for those people who do not act fairly with them, and use means to obtain labor on their farms at a reduced price, by over charging Freedmen for what they may obtain for their families.

Some of the Whites endeavor to still retain the Children of those who were formerly their Slaves, under the pretext of having them bound to them by the Court, and on investigation such is not the case, but merely to retain the service of the children, and to intimidate their parents, who left their former owners.  In such cases I have demanded the children and obtained them.  In some cases the Farmers have endeavored to present bills for the support of the children during the absence of their parents, who have been unable to come after them, and thus try to retain the service of the children, who have now arrived at an age to be of some service or value to them.  In such cases I have informed them that if such action was continued, that they would be held strictly responsible for the same, and that it

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-03-11 10:35:12