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Richmond 7th mo 27th 1868
To R.M. Manly Supt. of Education

Esteemed friend

I have the duty to inform, that our Association having established a flourishing school, on the 1st of last mo. in Isle of Wight Co. 12 miles from Smithfield at Joshua Bailys Church so called; that by the malevolence of the residents they have set fire to the building and burned it. This is evidently the fact in the case as I was informed by the teacher Julia M. Shore that Peter F. Crocker and John Jones of that locality had previously threatened to burn the house.

The school is now being kept under a beautiful tree in fair weather and in an old kitchen when it rains. The colored people are intending to put up another house immediately feeling very thankful for the aid the Bureau had granted to fix the one destroyed, as it was not expended when the building was burnt.

I hope some means may be devised for the security of the county school houses

Thy friend
Samuel H. Jones Supt of Friends'
Freedmen Association of New York