Letter from Daniel Locklar, Free Man of Color, to Governor Zebulon B. Vance (The letter writer possibly was a Lumbee Indian and not an African American.)
Laurinburg Richmond Co N.C.
July 28th 1863
His Excellency the Governor
Sir—if your highness will condesend to reply to my feble Note, you will confer a great favor on me, and relieve me of my troubles. My Case is this I am a free man of Color, and has a large family to support, there is a man living near me, who is an Agent of the State Salt workes appointed by Worth, or is said to be, he took all we Colored men last winter to make Salt. he is now after us to make Barrels for the State Salt works. Comes at the dead hours of night and carries us off wherever he thinks proper, gives us one dollar and fifty Cents pr day and we find ourselves. I cannot support my family at that rate and pay the present high prices for provisions, I can support my family very well if I were left at home to work for my neighbors they pay me or sell me provisions at the old price for my labor, this agent says he has the power by law to carry us wherever he pleases and when he pleases, if that be the law and he is ortherized by law to use that power, I am willing to submit to his Calls, for I am perfectly willing to do for our Country whatever the laws requires of me, but if there be no such law and this Agent taking this power within himself perhaps speculating on the labor of the free Colored men and our families suffering for bread, I am not willing to submit to such, please let me know if this Agent has the power to use us as he does
