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Bureau Refugees, Freedman &c
Hd.Qrs. Sub Dist Roanoke Island N.C.
July 7th, 1866

Col

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of June 27th.  I cannot send you as favorable a report as I should desire.

I have been among the people thoroughly and very few, indeed, express their willingness to go off the Island at the present time;  Their excuses are various, some wish to stay on account of their gardens, others that they can get no employment & others that they will be ill treated in the main land.  I know of my own knowledge that every Colored person on the Island who is able to work can find plenty of employment if they will go where it is in the upper counties.  There is but one way that I know of to clear the island which is to force them off.  If they