Viewing page 77 of 245

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

323

Lieut H.K.W. Ayers
A.S.A. Com-

Sir: Your communication of the 12th ult. accompanied by a petition of freedmen for a teacher is recd. and has been referred to me. I will answer by letter. You seem to labor under an entire misapprehension viz: that it is the Bureau which supplies teachers for schools. The fact is it has never supplied one and cannot, having neither funds nor authority of law for that purpose. Its work, in respect to education, is confined to a superintendency of the schools and to aiding in providing school-houses where a teacher has been provided by charity or by other means. The teachers are provided by the charitable associations of the north, but they have already in the field all and more than they can support, and they negative all our applications for more teachers. No person, with authority has held out the promise to the freed people that the Govt. would supply them with teachers. We are very sorry for their  disappointment, but very helpless at the same time 

Very Respy 
RM Manly 
Supt Education