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freedmen. While the planters here are generally disposed to have the freedmen educated, there are some contentious minds, and it only wants a slight touch to fire some smoldering hate against the school. Last night a colored boy told the man he was living with that he wanted to go to school. He gave him a cursing, and this morning said boy was missing from his employ. This enraged him, and he declares it is all my fault, and that I ought to be sent out of the country. If there was no Bureau here there would be no ghost of a chance for doing anything. Mr. Cole deemed it not advisable to take the school of Maj. Burton at Swan Lake, as the town of Rondo nearby, contains a very hard set. It is near 40 miles from this place, and it is thought desirable first to open a school here and let it's beneficial operations be known.

Tuesday evening, March 27,
Maj. Burton leaves tomorrow morning, and wishing to send this by him I must meet with you in an imperfect manner. After unavoidable delay I am to commence school tomorrow. As I look over this field, in all its physical and spirited interests, between the white and black race, my soul prays that God will sow forth laborers into this field. 

The freedmen here have contributed enough to get new seats made, and the school room will accommodate about 60. They will buy an acre of ground. I wish you to advise me to whom the deed of land should be made. I think of forming a school society, I want you to get an appropriation from the Bureau for a school building. I think a building 40x50 would be more too large for the number here. Can you let me have $600. If the Bureau make an appropriation is the land and building held in their title or by an organized association of freedmen. I wish you to advise me as soon as possible what may be expected from an appropriation as it will be the direct and positive lever with which to work here. When the freedmen can have a building of their own here they will be in a position to command respect which they do not now. It will at once place the work of their education in a new relation to the whole country around.
Yours truly
Geo. M. Haskell

Transcription Notes:
Edited: its George (Geo.) Haskell