Julia [A. Wilbur] ALS to [Anna M. C.] Barnes, March 10, 1863

Mrs. Jacobs very handsomely to him, & when pleading for these
children said she "I have been a slave myself." He is a very reserved
& unapproachable man, but he listened to us quite as kindly as we ex
pected, & we obtained all we asked for. Monday P.M. we called on
the Pro. Mar. This I dreaded more than to call on the Governor,
but we composed ourselves & agreed not to cry if we could help it,
& went to the Office. I introduced Mrs. J. & Col. Wells condescended to talk
with us a little while. - Mr. Gladwin is contriving to have every room
at the "Freedman's (I call it) Home" rented. That is he tries to put one family in
to every room that must pay rent, $4 a mo, & then fill it up with others,
& in this way these 36 rooms wd. rent for $1800 a year. Why, it is oppressive
& extortionate. I cannot endure it in silence. It took Mr. G. to con
trive this. I [have?] seen that Col. Wells did not intend this, so I asked him.
But he meant to put those who were too poor to pay rent into as many
rooms as they needed, & when these were all accommodated, then
fill up the rest with those who are able to pay rent. I would not
object to this, - & I think I shall carry this point. When the coal
was taken up there, Mr. G. told then they must pay for it. I think
he means to extort every cent from them he can. But the Provost
said to us that rations & coal would be found them, so I think Mr. G.
will have to back out of that. There the guard have been such a
nuisance! 5 or 6 soldiers quartered right in the midst of these women
& chidlren! I asked Col. Wells to remove them. Those people need to be
protected perhaps from outsiders, but they themselves need no watching.
He says he thinks he will remove them entirely. There is always a guard of
35 men at the Slave pen which is near, & he says if these people are