Book excerpt: Abbott's book deals with the Freedmen's Bureau, the agency that faced the main challenge of defining the meaning of freedom for four million slaves after the Civil War. He records the difficulties that resulted from the urgency of the needs the bureau sought to remedy and the issue of whether the bureau may have used its position to further the cause of Radical Republicanism. Originally published 1967. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.