Viewing page 14 of 227

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

New York, May 22nd, 1865.

Major-General N.P. Banks, Commanding
Department of the Gulf, New Orleans, La. 

General:

I respectfully make the following request, accompanied with statements and references explanatory, viz.:

Having been appointed by you upon the "Board of Education for the Rudimental Instruction of the Freedmen of the Department," as more fully appears by the terms of General Order No. 38, Series of 1864, to which I refer; having labored assiduously and unremittingly in the execution of such parts of the Order as the changing military situation did not either preclude or forbid; having, with familiar knowledge of the subject, performed my duties thoroughly and faithfully; having accomplished large and important results in the face of obstacles that were deemed insurmountable; accepting the responsibilities of the office with the assurance that my services should be properly compensated; but having to this date received no pay or compensation for said services, or any part thereof, so rendered upon said Board of Education, under in obedience to your orders as Commanding General of the Department;-

I now respectfully request that you will approve the payment of my bills by the Quartermaster, or order some officer having competent authority to pay me, in the manner that others serving upon and under this Board have been paid, the sum of thirty-three hundred and sixty dollars ($3,360), which has become due to me for fourteen months' time and service from and after March 22, 1864. 

That these services were necessary is well known to yourself and to others who knew the exigency of public affairs, and the relative condition of the planting interests and laboring classes which then existed in the Department. 

That they were salutary for the present, and alive to the requirements of the future - and hence valuable, not only to the Freedmen, but to the Government as well, in judiciously inaugurating an educational system, that must be accepted by the State and engrafted upon its constitution, is admitted by all who know the facts of the case, and whose statesmanship can comprehend the importance of a measure that guarantees Free Education Forever to all children of this state, of whatever hue or color. 

That the amount of compensation I ask is reasonable will appear from comparison with the salaries of Messrs. Carter and McNair, who, for services less difficult and onerous, receive $5,000 per annum each - the one as City, the other as State, Superintendent of Public Instruction; and from an opinion touching this subject from that Christian patriot and gentleman, whose official position game him full knowledge of my labors:

Hastings-on-the-Hudson, Dec. 26, 1864.

My Dear Sir-

I only yesterday received yours of 20th inst., in which you ask my opinion as to what I consider a fair value of your services as Commissioner of education in Louisiana.

In reply, I would state that I consider the rate named by Col. Frisbee, your Chairman at the formation of Beard, $240 per month, a very moderate allowance for the faithful performance of services which required unremitted attention and large educational experience. 

Very respectfully and truly, your friend, 
James Bowen.

To Isaac G. Hubbs, Esq., Peconic, Long Island.

To this the General adds, "The Government owes you a debt for your services in Louisiana that money can never pay."

No questions about my pay would have arisen but for the nefarious acts of two parties officially associated with me. And this requires a reference to the formation of the Board. 

Provost-Marshal General Bowen had been charged with the duty of selecting three suitable persons to execute the provisions of the Educational Order about to be issued. He thereupon named Col. H. N. Frisbie and myself, and deferred to Gov. Hahn the selection of a third, who should be a resident Lousianian. The Governor named Prof. John McNair and R. H. Shannon, Esq. Both were eminently qualified, but not acceptable to the General, because they could not give to this work their undivided time. 

At this juncture, Lieut. E. M. Wheelock besought his friends Mr. B. Rush Plumley and Col. Clark, of your staff, to obtain this position for him, which they did. 

Col. Frisbie had been a Chicago merchant. Having passed with his regiment through the campaigns of Missouri and Arkansas, he became a firm friend of the Freedmen, and the Government's policy in making them soldiers. He was a straightforward business man. of good judgment, and fine executive abilities. He was willing to serve in this capacity, if thereby he could help to settle the national question of the Freedmen, which was next in importance to that of the Rebellion.

Lieut. Wheelock had been a village clergyman of the Unitarian faith in New Hampshire He came to the Department with a nine months' regiment as Chaplain. And having, as his men affirm, preached one sermon during his service, he was commissioned, on the regiment's return. Lieutenant in the C.D.A  He took an interest in certain affairs upon plantations, and later he was detailed as Inspector of the Seven Schools of the Commission of Enrollment, opened in the city for colored children. During this service of more than six months he visited one of said schools twice, as the Principal, Rev. Mrs. Frost, informed me, and others somewhat oftener. He also wrote an occasional report. 

I. G. Hubbs had come to the Department to establish such schools among the freed people as would quickly make them able to read a book or a paper, and write their names or a letter. He contended that the country owed this at least to the race that now, cut loose from a system of dependence, must enter upon a new career of existence. And, further, that such knowledge generally communicated and received, besides largely benefiting the recipients, would add one quarter to the value of this vast industrial element of the country. 

Mr. B. Rush Plumley was at a later day "counted in" this Board. He had held a fine place in the Treasury Agency, which he left for a finer that he did not get. He had given a princely party at the St. Charles. He had added to his great influence, which, not being required for himself, was said to be prudently farmed out among his friends. He was the reputed broker of that half million exchange of goods not contraband to be made in and beyond the Red River country. He was a great business man. And certain it is that, though he had been daily going to the front, two days after the battle of Pleasant Hill, he in some way came upon this Board with his friend Wheelock. 

He was at once ready for business, and discussed with me the matter of finances; how I proposed to obtain title to lands for school sites, which planters refused to sell, and which might revert when military occupation ceased, as military authority was not the right of eminent domain; and, further, the material, books and supplies for school houses and schools. 

On my motion he was made Chairman, and as our first act, this matter of books, etc., was referred to me with power, with a request that I would at once go North and arrange for our wants. 

Having no funds, or means to buy with, I asked for a Certified Paper, whereby our existence as a Board might be made known, and my authority to act for the Board be indicated. The following paper was written, without full concurrence. 

Board of Education for Freedmen.
Department of the Gulf, New Orleans, April 12, 1864.

Sir-You are hereby authorized to proceed without delay to the city of New York, and there purchase books, charts, slates, and other stationery required to supply the schools of the people of color, established under Order No. 38 of Major-General Banks, commanding Department of the Gulf, said purchases not to exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars. You are to make inquiries upon what terms contracts can be made for the future supply of said articles, and report to this Board. By order of the Board.
B. Rush Plumley, Chairman. 

To Isaac G. Hubbs, Esq., New Orleans.
The duty and authority thus transferred to me is more fully set forth in Sec. V., General Orders No. 38, which commands the Board:

To purchase and provide the necessary books, stationery, and apparatus for the use of such schools; and in addition there.o to purchase and provide an outfit of a well-selected library, etc. for each freed person in the several school districts who is above the age of attending school duty, at a cost to each, including a case to contain the same, not exceeding two and a half dollars, which sum shall be included in the tax hereinafter provided, but shall be deducted from the laborer's wages by his employer, when such books are furnished. 

See, also, Sec. 5 of the "Request," approved by you Feb. 25th, 1864, which, being the basis of the order, is also explanatory: 

The Board of Education shall cause schools to be conducted on Sundays and appointed evenings of each week, for the laboring classes of freedmen, and require their teachers to give them instruction whenever it is practicable. They shall provide each laborer with an outfit of well-selected books, viz., primer, speller, reader, arithmetic, writing-book, slate, account-book, Testament, ink. pen and pencil, Declaration of Independence, President Lincoln's Proclamation of Freedom, and General Banks' Orders relating to labor and schools. 

These parts of your orders made my duty as to books and "Libraries" reasonably plain. 

But I reached New York at an unfavorable crisis. The civil and military administration of affairs in Louisiana was being severely criticised and denounced by our leading city Journals. As a matter of prudence I therefore limited my purchase to one invoice of $1,746.62. And, as the price of books had twice advanced, and promised to go much higher, I made a contract with Messrs. Barnes & Burr, by which I secured for six months the right to order all books that we might require for our schools or libraries (to which I added three volumes) on the low prices of my first invoice, deliverable as we might want and order them, but only on the order of the Board of Education. I refer to said invoice upon our books, and said contract on file in office, and to the statement of account herewith copied:
Mr. Isaac G. Hubbs, Department of the Gulf, 
To Barnes & Burr, Dr. 

May 10. Books as per Bill..........$1,746,62
May 10. Books as per w. & T .......$217.86
Copy of Order on Letter Bk.-June 3. Books as per Bill..393.39
Copy of Order on Letter Bk.-June 8. Books as per Bill,..376.10
Copy of order on Letter Bk.-June 23. Books as per Bill....334.14
Copy of order on Letter Bk.-July 15. Books as per Bill....71.50
Copy of order on Letter Bk.-Aug. 10. Books as per Bill....1,384.55-$4,524.16

This, with my directions as to the manner of putting up the libraries, which would cost at New Orleans $2.02, whenever we should order them, and the grant of 7,500 volumes of Gospels, which I solicited and obtained, as appears in this letter, is the limit and extent of my procurement of books and libraries for the Board of Education.
American Bible Society, New York, May 14, 1864. 

Mr. I. G. Hubbs, of Board of Education, Department of the Gulf. 

Dear Sir-Enclosed is a memorandum of the grant made by the Board of Managers of this Society for the Board of Education which you represent. We trust that these volumes of God's Word will soon be in the hands of the Freedmen, with God's blessing on their use. Yours, respectfully, 
William G. R. Taylor, Cor. Sec. A.B.S.

After consulting with various influential friends of the Freedmen in New York, and under advice of the late William Curtis Noyes, Esq., consulting Hon. William Whiting, Solicitor fo the War Department, and others, at Washington, I returned to New Orleans.

My associates were not working harmoniously. Mr. Plumley would "act as Chairman, or not at all." He had left the office entirely. Col. Frisbee had come from "the front." He was doing what he could under great embarrassment. But he found Lieut. Wheelock morose and reticent, while his minutes and records as Secretary threw little light upon the progress and business of the Board. The Lieutenant was, indeed, busy. He had enlarged the scope of his vision, and though driving a