Viewing page 203 of 303

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

We [[strikethrough]] re [[/strikethrough]] Reported our School and our deplorable condition to Mr. Fiske, and he sent to us, Blanks to be filled out, which was corectly done and returned to him. there are A great many Colored People in this vicinity, who were formerly held in bondage [[strikethrough]] ty [[/strikethrough]] by the Rich men Living on the the Catawba River, and the [[W. N. C.? or H. H. ?]] R. R. they were Very Ignorant when we commenced teaching here. there wer About 40 [[strikethrough]] 8 [[/strikethrough]] pupils in the Alphabet, they, when Slaves, were not alowed [[strikethrough]] to have A Book, in their hands, they were Verberated [[?]], most Ridiculous and when, Emancipated, they were driven off without Bread Enough for 3 Day's Rations, most of them naked and most of them nothing to Eat, So, we having been Teaching Schools ever since 1865, for freedmen, these poor Colored people Called on us to teach A School for them, we Accepted their Aplications, Commen'd A School on the 2nd of Sept, 1867, and will close the same on 31 of March 1868.

Transcription Notes:
W. N. C. R. R.? Looks more like an "H" to me, but I do find a defunct railroad called Western North Carolina Railroad here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_Carolina_railroads -- Beth