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William J. Fowlkes writes from Lunenburg County, Virginia to Paschal Fowlkes with post-war updates and health news following the end of the Civil War, including "demoralization" of freedmen. "The greater portion of my former slaves staid with me last year and made a crop, but some of them seemed so little inclined to work, that I concluded not to hire so many again, so I did not employ all this year. Most of them are scattered all over the country.... I think our situation in regard to having some system of labor is very bad as yet, but I am in hopes it will not be so much longer. They may do better next year or they may do worse; if the latter I think they will be forced into measures after awhile by starvation. So we must not despond but look on the bright side as much as possible."