32

79

humanity. While expressing his repugnance at the
mode of punishment, Col Osborne declares that it is th[e?]
intention of the Bureau to interfere as little as p[os?]
sible with the provisions of the Legislature to go[v?]
ern the people, unless authority given civil off[scan cut off]
by the Legislature is

Florida

In an advisory le[t?]
ter to Capt Curkee, of later date than the above,
Col Osborne admonishes that officer to treat the
natural prejudices of the Judges of Probate and Ju[s?]
tices of the Peace, agents of the Bureau, on the negr[o?]
question, with some degree of tenderness, the mo[re?]
so, an account of their having almost without e[x?]
ception undertaken the duties of agents in go[od?]
faith and with far more justice towards the
negroes than Col. Osborne had reason to exp[scan cut off]
Capt Durkee is however directed to be firm an[d?]
persistent in insisting upon and main
taining the rights and security of the free[d?]
men as citizens, and is urged, in fine, to
exert his influence in behalf of Equal jus-
tice to all; to give his advice when necessa[ry?]
and to cultivate pleasant relations be-
tween the freedmen and the white citizens

Missourie
and
Arkansas
Note will be found on
the next page

On the 8th inst,
the Bureau is in receipt of the General Report
for January 1865, of Brig General J.W. Sprag[scan cut off]
Asst

Florida

In a letter to
Major William Arthur, Asst. Comm'r
at Jacksonville, of date February 5th,
Col Osborne announces that he has re-

255