My advice to you, then, is that you remain. The rate of compensation must be such as you and your employer can agree upon. Undoubtedly, besides ordinary board and clothing, you should have some share of the crop, if no pay in money is given you. This is for the interest of the employer as well as your own. Although no contract be agreed upon, yet if you should perform valuable service on a plantation, with the owner's consent, you would be entitled to a reasonable compensation. But it is best that some terms be fixed. I am informed there are upward of 20,000 freed people in this county. I have been here twelve days, and not a single instance of violent or cruel conduct on the part of any of your number has come to my knowledge. This is greatly to your credit. People used to say you did not know how to use freedom; that if freed you would be indolent, violent, and cruel. It will greatly rejoice the hearts of your friends all over the world if you show that you are worthy of freedom. Be industrious, be charitable and kind in your feelings; be peaceable, forbearing, sober; cherish no spite. You now have the sympathy of all humane and Christian people. They often think of you and wonder what use you will make of liberty. You desire, of course, to retain that sympathy. Would you not also be glad to have their love and respect? I will tell you how you can gain their love; also their respect. It is by good behavior. There is nothing makes people so beautiful, whether they are white or black, as virtue. Adorn yourselves with that and you will have the affection of the nation. You may then feel sure of having all the rights you are entitled to. Liberty alone is not happiness. Self-control and self-support are required to make it pleasant. I again counsel you to be industrious, energetic, and orderly. Do no wrong to any person. Do no injury to any property. In due time, no doubt, your interests, which now seem to you unsettled, will be arranged in a wise and humane manner.

C. C. ANDREWS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Selma, Ala., May 11, 1865.

Colonel W. T. SPICELY,

Commanding Second Brigade:

COLONEL: You will proceed to embark your brigade as follows: Twenty-fourth Indiana on Joab Lawrence, Seventy-sixth Illinois on Peerless (on which also is a battery and the pioneer company), Ninety-seventh Illinois and Sixty-ninth Indiana on Tarascon (on which also is the Fifteenth Massachusetts Battery). You can have your headquarters on either of these boats. It is advisable to have the baggage and teams put aboard before the troops move down to embark.

By order of Brigadier General C. C. Andrews:

JNO. B. MITCHEL,

First Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
Selma, Ala., May 11, 1865 - 9.30 p. m.

Colonel W. T. SPICELY,

Commanding Second Brigade:

COLONEL: You will move with the transports containing your brigade immediately, if the weather permits, and proceed down the river