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evident that a considerable quantity of liquor is used among them.
There appears to be a lack of confidence on the part of the Freedmen towards the white citizens, engendered, I think, by the bad faith of many of the latter in dealing with them, and that such distrust should prevail is a matter of no surprise to me, seeing, as I do, the daily efforts of unprincipled men to take advantage of their ignorance to deprive the laborer of the fruits of his toil.
All the Freedmen to whom I have broached the subject, manifest much interest in everything relating to their political privileges and many of them are well informed upon the subject: with all there is a determination not to be "coerced" in the exercise of the elective franchise.
Notwithstanding the fact that a very general animosity exists on the part of the white citizens toward the Freedmen by reason of the way in which they voted, I have heard of but one or two instances of Freedmen being discharged on that account (and these indirectly and with no names given), this I believe to be owing to the fact of there being no surplus labor.
I regret being able to report but one school room in operation in this Sub-Division, which is the one located at Burkeville. The School building at Lunenburg Court House is still unfinished and no teacher has as yet been secured. The School at Meherrin Depot, Lunenburg County, is temporarily closed for want of a stove and I fear that the Burkeville School will, ere long have to be discontinued for the same reason, there being no stove or other facilities for heating the building.
I am, General,
Very respectfully your obd't serv't
N.G. Rutherford
Lieut. 45th U.S. Infantry;
U.S.A. Commr.