Freedmen's Bureau Records: J. Marshall McCue to
Thomas P. Jackson, August 13, 1867
Summary:
McCue conveys information pertaining to a conman roaming through Augusta County.
It appears as though the criminal has been "selling" plots of land to blacks
throughout the county under the guise of the Freedmen's Bureau.
Maj Jackson
Freedmen's
Bureau
13 Aug' /67
Mt. Solon
Dr. Sir
Thro' Mr. Paul I learned this morning of the dupes of some scoundrel who swindled them each to the
tune of $1.50 and caused them to collect about your office, yesterday in
expectation of receiving each 50 acres of land. I refer to the negroes to day I
had occasion to ride up near to Augusta [unclear:
Stn.
] & ascertained the impostor was along there by
[unclear: Alx] Huffman on Thursday or Friday last & engaged a
negro Reid & his son George to go up, with others. My informant learned
that he perhaps collected more than a dollar & half
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each of
these two boys & that he also proposed to tell them some kind of bonds
or series he called 8 percent bonds. He was in the neighborhood of Mt. Crawford some days before, playing the same game
& avoided our village, passing back of it, near the mountain, where he
would be less likely interupted & find more pliable dupes. He stirred up
several of those in Old [unclear: John] Strother, his one or two sons
& perhaps a son in law. Strother belonged to the old
issue, as the negroes call those originally free, yet
this scoundrel succeeded in getting his fee out of each.
It is a matter of great regret Sir, such a villian could not be caught & brot to [unclear: condign] punishment.
I could not find out his
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name or whither he was riding. He left the
home of the negro Reid, saying he expected to be at Churchville on Saturday.
At one time I thought it good policy to insert a card in our county papers, putting the public on their guard, in relation to him, but it may be the better plan to keep quiet but put some persons in each neighborhood on the alert, by which means he may be caught.
Mr Paul remarked to me you was anxious for his arrest, in which feeling I heartily sympathize.
Respectfully yours,
J. Marshall McCue
