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a row. Whiskey is the curse of this County- white & Black drink to excess. There is no such thing as Temperance in the County-. The Blacks with hardly an exception drink, many of them untill they are unfit to be in a crowd. & only too ready for a disturbance. There is at present no foundation to work upon for the arrest of this evil. There is not a House of worship or school House in the County for the Colored peoples individual use. It is my belief that a temperance movement may be started by leading Colored men in the County as soon as there is some place to meet for the purpose of organization
Untill then it is a serious question whether the preservation of Law & order in this County will not require an order closing all drinking places on Public occasions. untill after the elections. Several cases have come to my notice of Colored men employed during the summer of 1865 who have recd no pay. for their Labor. One of those was a contract hiring the man by his owner "so called" to a man named Sweet. The man was kept under this slave contract by Sweet during the whole of the summer of 1865. The late owner gave the negro the contract. Sweet admits the debt, promises to pay but as yet is not ready. Other instances have come to my notice under the administration of Lieut Chance where it is claimed that the employers refuse to pay a penny for the summers work of 1865. Such cases cause bad feeling & it seems to me should be investigated into & right done in the premises if possible. Schools are needed in the County above all things else. The Colored people will build the School Houses locating them on land owned by.

Inside sheet.

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-03-18 18:06:52