Burke Mills Va
August 20th 1867

WT Jackson
Sir.I have just Rec..d your letter this evening and hasten to reply. At the time ____ to Gen Schofield I did not know that you were established at Staunton or I should have written to you instead. I have no complaint to make of an official, either Military or Judicial as I believe they are all prompt executing the law when called upon. That which I complain of as being intolorable is horse stealing and the trouble is to get officials on the task in time and not in any want of on their part. In some neighborhood in Augusta County the citizens are forming themselves into rigilances committees for their own protection against this nuisance, and we were about doing the same, and I had written to the Genl as one of the Committee for instructions not wishing to go into an arrangement of that kind ____ with the sanction of the Commandment of this Dis of horse stealing has highly become intolerable here a short time since there were five horses Stolen from this immediate neighborhood in one night from different persons that time that would, necessarily have been consumed in getting officials would have enabled them to make their escape but by pursuing them at once. They were over taken in the north mountain and the horses recovered. But for want of arms the theives escaped which is to be regreted by every law abiding citizen. Since then there have been other horses stolen in the nieghborhood no doubt by the same individuals so that no one was safe at any time. It was with a view to break up this land of marauders that the letter was written and not designing to call in question the promptness of any offical whatever (Scratched out writing) Hoping this explanation may be satisfactory.

I Remain
Yours
P.F. Earmary

P.S. Please excuse my writing with pencil as I was anxious to answer at once and was out of ink.