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Vicksburg Nov 30th 1869

Brevet Major Gen.l A.C. Gillem
[[?]]

General
I have the honor to report, that in accordance with your request, I have visited Meridian & made inquiries about the School House for Freedmens recently built in that city & find that Major Norton made a contract with a carpenter (Mr. [[?]][Gangeon?]) to build a school for $1000. The carpenter first put up the frame on a Lot given by Mr. Ragsdale, to the Freedmen, for a School Lot. No deed had been given but Mr. Ragsdale was ready to make a deed whenever & Board of Trustee should be [[?]] to receive it. Mr. Ragsdale had given a lot to the col’d Baptist Church for a Meeting House, & after the frame for the School house was put up; Judge Leachman & other leading Members of the White Baptist Church persuaded Major Norton to have the building moved onto the lot Given to the col’d Baptist Church, to be used for a Church & School House. The design of the movers in this matter was to make it a Baptist School open of cause to others, but to be under the controls[[?]] of the Baptist Church & Teachers to be selected by them & [[?]] to use the Building for Church