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Bureau Refugees, Freedmen and 
Abandoned Lands, Head Quarters Sub 
District, Meridian, Miss Dec 16th 1867

Merritt Barber, 1st Lieut and acting Asst. Adjutant Genl. Bureau Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Vicksburg Miss

Sir
I have the honor to report that a freedwoman (Hannah Williams) a resident of Meridian Lauderdale County Miss. Complained at this Office on the 11th inst. that A.G. Horn (a citizen of this place) was trying to defraud her of her just wages

The action taken in the case was as follows viz,

Mr. Horn was summoned to appear at this office on the 11th inst. to answer the charge referred to. Agreeably to summons the Defendant appeared with witness complainant also present. After a thorough investigation of the case the freedwoman was found either insane, or so thoroughly ignorant of knowledge of the charge, that her testimony was not accepted and as she had no witnesses in the case was dismissed for want of evidence. 

After the case had been dismissed, and the Defendant being apparently satisfied with the decision rendered, the complainant was incarcerated upon the charges of Perjury in the case herein mentioned by the Defendant (A.G. Horn)

I visited the Office of the Honorable Mayor (Wm Cathey) and demanded the release of the prisoner (Hannah Williams) freedwoman giving his Honor the Mayor a complete history of the case informing him that it had been tried before the Agent in charge of Bureau Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, at this place and that his decision was final from the fact that the Defendant expressed no wish to carry the case further. I understand that an appeal should be made properly through this Office to the Assistant Commissioner at Head Quarters and cannot be transferred to the civil authorities 

I would respectfully state that Mr A.G Horn is the Editor of the Meridian (tri weekly) Mercury, and is a contempory of McArdle Frantz, and other bitter opponents to reconstruction in this State, and that I firmly believe his object to be the total ignoring of the decisions of the Bureau, Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands and to bring the opperations of this Office into discredit

I respectfully submit the above for your consideration and orders

I have the honor to be Sir 
Very respectfully
Your Obedient Servant
Andrew Thomas, 
Agent in charge, Bureau, Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Sub. District, Meridian Miss.  

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-06-26 09:42:19