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56 Montgomery Apr 23 1868 79 Pierce C. W. S A.C. Demopolis Dear Sir. I desire an answer to the following questions, 1st Is Demopolis presently occupied by the A.M. Association Is it the intention of the AM Association to occupy Demopolis during the coming year Has the association any claim upon this field, so that it would be discourteous in us to encourage its occupancy by another association? Have the schools in Demopolis been opened again by Mrs Drake and Miss Knight, or do they propose to open them soon. Rev Mr Atwater has been sent here by the FA Society of ME Church to labor as a teacher in Alabama, He is now in Montgomery waiting for assignment to duty. If a promising field can be assigned him, the association to which he belongs promises to send additional teachers to assist him, We can send him at once to Demopolis if the ground is unoccupied and if the Am Miss Assoc. has no claim upon it for the future, You will see at once the object of the above inquiries. Please assure fully & if possible by return mail as Rev Mr Atwater desires to enter upon his work. Very Respectfully Your Obedient Servt R D Harper Supt Education 57 Montgomery April 23 1868 80 Derry Rev Solomon Union Springs Dear Sir Your favor of the 20th inst is at hand, I regret that there should be any conflict about the occupancy of Union Springs In the interim which I had with you I understood you to say, distinctly that your object was the education, & elevation of the colored people of Union Springs & vicinity: that you were willing, should they desire it to teach a school in addition to your pastoral duties, until another & more competent teacher could be provided: & you would not stand in the way of anyone, I desired you to do what you could in organizing a school & stated the am't of assistance we could render, I also requested you to report to me what had been done, Subsequently Rev Mr Atwater arrived & desired to be assigned to duty. Having heard nothing from you, & believing that you would cheerfully receive & cooperate with Mr Atwater, I sent him to Union Springs, Knowing him to be a competent teacher & expecting to occupy the field fully, with two or three additional teachers from, the same association. I am surprised therefore to find that you sh'd seem to insist upon the occupancy of the house & the school, when a competent teacher had been provided & sent to the work, I certainly understood you to say that it was the interests of the colored people, and not not your own personal interests, that you wished to subserve. I hope I have not been mistaken in my impressions. My desire is to educate the freedpeople of this state. The arrangement of occupying Union Springs as contemplated, would have secured this object much more successfully than it is possible for you to do, for I presume you do not consider yourself competent to the great work of education. I desire your cooperation in this work but I shall never consent to sacrifice the
