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Montgomery, Ala
Aug. 11th 1868

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Howard O. O.
Major General & Comr

General 
From the returns of the several Sub Asst Comrs of the Sub. Dists of the state of Ala. in reply to my Circular (Enclosed) of June 25th. 1868, I have the honor to present the following facts with regard to the condition and wants of the freedmen in the matter of Education.
1st.  The number of schools day & night at present organized & in operation throughout the State is 72. Most of them are day schools, and although suspended at present, to afford the more advanced pupils an opportunity to labor on the plantations, will be opened again about the 1st October Nov 
2nd  The returns show that there are 91 central points in the state where 145 new schools might be organized & where they are urgently needed, if school houses could be provided & competent teachers furnished.
3rd.  There are according to the return of the Sub. Asst Commissioners about 70,000, colored children & youth in these districts between the ages of 6 & 18 years to be educated. The census of 1866, estimating the proportion of Children & youth at 5/8th of the aggregate population would indicate the numbers to be not less than 200,000. These children & youth are entirely destitute of education, growing up in ignorance & crime unable to appreciate the value of instruction, and without any ability to 

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to help themselves.
4  The number of teachers required to supply the demand for the coming year is reported as 159. Doubtless a much larger number could be employed if school buildings could be furnished & means received for their payment So far as known to us only 26 teachers have been employed for the coming year We need urgently therefore, to meet the present demand at least 133 additional teachers
5 - The returns indicate that at most of the central points named, Northern teachers can labor in safety, There is however but too prevalent throughout the State a feeling of prejudice, & in many cases of determined opposition, to the education of the colored race & the employment of Northern teachers
It is believed by many that no lower depth of degradation can be reached than to come south & teach negroes
6.  There are very few points where teachers could be sustained by tuition fees along The colored people are very poor, since the close of the War they have been unable to accumulate anything. they have been thrown our of employment in many cases for exercising the rights of freemen & multitudes of them have been cheated out of their [[?]] bought earnings through the dishonesty or bankruptcy of their employers still they are very designing to secure the benefits of their education for their children & will pay in most cases from fifty cents to one dollar per month for the coming year.
7th  The average monthly compensation for teachers in the judgement of the Sub. Asst Coms should be $50.00 In some rural

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