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118[[?]]

59

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands,
Headquarters, Eighth Sub-District of Virginia.
Wytheville, Va., Nov 30. 1868.

Bt Capt Will A. Coulter
AAA Genl

Captain,
I have the honor to report that Civil Justice in small cases, assaults & batteries breaches of the Peace &c is generally impartially administered

In cases of more importance however it is easily seen that the old feeling still exists. A Mr Johnson radical & thoroughgoing union man had a case in Court where the decision was outrageous. So much so that his Rebel Counsel in open court declared his regret that five magistrates could allow their prejudices to carry them away to such an extent as to absolutely ignore all the evidence & every principle of law bearing therein.

Civil justice towards union men & negroes of prominence in important cases in my opinion will be administered with tolerable impartiality as long as there are Bureau Officers to make the necessary investigations and their Courts to retry them

I am Captain Very Respectfully Your Ob Servant
H G Thomas Bt Brig Genl Capt 2d Infty S.A.C.

Transcription Notes:
NARA microfilm numbers for this project have four digits, and the last digit on this page is illegible, so it is transcribed as 118[[?]]. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-05-15 14:50:45