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Miss:

If you are sure you can gather a good school at Elkton, and the people are ready for you to begin you can go there. If not we want you to go to Clear Spring. You must go to one of these places immediately, and open school, or we shall apply to the Society for another teacher in your place.  We cannot wait any longer for you.

Very respectfully, Yours,
D. G. Swaim,
Bvt. Maj. U.S.A., A.D.C., and Act. Supt. Ed.

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393

Bureau R.F. and A.L.
Office Supt. Education, D.C. &c.
Washington, December 7th 1869.

[[underlined]] Douglas  Mr. Thomas J. [[/underlined]] 
Piscataway, Md.

Dear Sir:

We have received your report. You ought to have written before and stated the condition of your school. If you cannot gather more than eight pupils, we must close the school, and send you to another place. You can say to the trustees and people that we cannot afford to supply them with a teacher unless they are willing to send their children to to school. We want you to write immediately and let us know what the prospects are.

Very respectfully, Yours,
D. G. Swaim,
Bvt. Maj. U.S.A., A.D.C., and Act. Supt. Ed.

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394

Bureau R.F. and A.L.,
Office Supt. Education, D.C. &c.
Washington, Dec. 7th 1869

[[underlined]] Williams  Rev. Chas. H. [[/underlined]] 
Elkton, Md.

Dear Sir:

We have received a letter from Mr. [[underlined]] Caldwell [[/underlined]] requesting us, in behalf of the colored people of Elkton, to send them a teacher.

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Now if the people of your place are all ready to open school, and can gather at least (40) forty pupils, and will pay the teacher's board and incidental expenses of the school, we will send them a teacher whose salary will be paid by a Northern Society, Miss [[underlined]] Whittington, [[/underlined]] whom Mr. [[underlined]] Caldwell [[/underlined]] mentions has written us requesting to be appointed as teacher at your place, and wants to commence on the 1st of January.

We have replied to that if she wanted the school she must go immediately and commence teaching — that we could not wait until the 1st of January. Please write and inform whether the people will accept the conditions.

Very respectfully, Yours,
D. G. Swaim,
Bvt. Maj. U.S.A., A.D.C., and Act. Supt. Ed.

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395

Bureau R.F. and A.L.,
Office Supt. Education, D.C. &c.
Washington, December 7th 1869.

[[underlined]] Jones  Miss Nancy. [[/underlined]] 
Damesquarter, Md.

Miss:

Yours received. The people are only required to pay your board and incidental expenses of the school and we expect those among them who are the best able to pay the most. You must admit all the children that come, and get up as large a school as you can.

Yours respectfully,
D. G. Swaim,
Bvt. Maj. U.S.A., A.D.C., and Act. Supt. Ed.

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396

Bureau R.F. and A.L.
Office, Supt. Education, D.C. &c.
Washington, December 7th 1869.

[[underlined]] Hammond  Mr. L. N. [[/underlined]] 
Sam's Creek, Md.

Dear Sir:

Yours of the 22d

Transcription Notes:
1) Note that in index to these fair copies, Douglas's surname is spelled "Douglass" (https://transcription.si.edu/transcribe/14600/NMAAHC-007675717_00354) 2) Also note that Dames Quarter is spelled as Damesquarter in record 395. -- Beth Fabulous working transcribing and reviewing! Especially catching those pesky periods after the "&c." so common in the 19th century and all those periods, commas, and abbreviations underneath Swaim's signature- these are tricky! - Caitlin, TC Coordinator