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Office S.A.C. B.R.F. & A.L.
Liberty, Nov 2.1867

Lt J. P. Richardson.
A.A.A.G.

The white people as a general thing are opposed to the education of the freedman and  are doing (secretly) all in their power to counteract my efforts.  The freedman themselves show no special desire to send their children to  to school, their heart is not in the matter. 

I account for this in three ways. First what is told them directly of the nonimportance.
Second, the failure of the entire crop has disheartened them.  Third - The negro preacher of which I have in this Dist nine or ten, not one of whom can read or write.   They are fearful if the people learn to read & write they will find out what nonsense has been preached to them for religion.  I am informed that they (the preachers) have advised their congregations not to spend their money for schools, but to give it to the church. 

A donation of a lot (one acre, was made) by Mr James Wrigley to the Bureau for Freedmans school purposes.  Lt. Kirkman Supt of of education, authorized me to say if the freedman would subscribe Five hundred dollars