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P 56. V1. 1868

Bureau R.F. &. A.L
Office 1st Div. 11th Sub Dist Va.
Farmville Va. July 31st 1868

Bvt. Brig. Genl. O. Brown
Assistant Commissioner State of Virginia
Richmond Va.

General:

In compliance with cir. 10 Series 1866 form Hd. Qrs. Asst. Comr. State of Virginia, I have the honor to report on Civil justice in this division comprising the counties of Prince Edward and Charlotte; There was no crimnal or other business involving colored persons transacted at Charlotte Court House this month. 

At Prince Edward Court there was three colored men tried for stealing  One was acquitted, one was fined, and the third, "Beverly Johnson" was sent to the Penitentiary for one year, his case was continued from the last term of the court by reason of the jury not then agreeing on a verdict.  He was charged with stealing meat out of the smoke house of "Sims Allen"   I was present at his trial both times, and I did not hear anything proved in evidence against him that I thought would justify his conviction  One of the parties in the robbery was a relation of his and lived in the same house with him, and some of the meat was found in the garden belonging to the house, that was all could be proved against him, but they found him guilty and he is now in the Penitentiary although he proved that he was not away from home that night,