DAPNE, ALA., 4/20/17.

_Sir:_ I am writing you to let you know that there is 15 or 20
familys wants to come up there at once but cant come on account
of money to come with and we cant phone you here we will be
killed they dont want us to leave here & say if we dont go to war
and fight for our country they are going to kill us and wants to
get away if we can if you send 20 passes there is no doubt that
every one of us will com at once, we are not doing any thing here
we cant get a living out of what we do now some of these people
are farmers and som are cooks barbers and black smiths but the
greater part are farmers & good worker & honest people & up to
date the trash pile dont want to go no where. These are nice
people and respectable find a place like that & send passes & we
all will come at once we all wants to leave here out of this hard
luck place if you cant use us find some place that does need this
kind of people we are called Negroes here. I am a reader of the
Defender and am delighted to know how times are there & was to
glad to, know if we could get some one to pass us away from here
to a better land. We work but cant get scarcely any thing for it
& they dont want us to go away & there is not much of anything
here to do & nothing for it. Please find some one that need this
kind of a people & send at once for us. We dont want anything but
our wareing and bed clothes & have not got no money to get away
from here with & beging to get away before we are killed and
hope to here from you at once. We cant talk to you over the phone
here we are afraid to they dont want to hear one say that he or
she wants to leave here if we do we are apt to be killed. They
say if we dont go to war they are not going to let us stay here
with their folks and it is not any thing that we have done to
them. We are law abiding people want to treat every bordy right,
these people wants to leave here but we cant we are here and have
nothing to go with if you will send us some way to get away from
here we will work till we pay it all if it takes that for us to
go or get away. Now get busy for the south race. The conditions
are horrible here with us. they wont give us anyhing to do & say
that we wont need anything but something to eat & wont give us
anything for wha