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[[stamp]] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES [[/stamp]]

[Ed. Form, No. 4.]

Sub-Assistant Commissioner's (or Agent's) Monthly Report on Education of Freedmen, and Refugees in Sub-District Mobile, State of  Alabama in charge of Bvt. Maj. James Gillette for the Month of April 1868, [in accordance with order contained in Circular No. 5, Bureau R.,F., & A.L.]

1.  Name of your Sub-District? Sub District of Mobile

2.  Whole number of Refugee or Freedmen's Schools in the District? 9
Day? 9
Night? 0
Sabbath? Unknown

3.  Location of Schools? All located in the city of Mobile except one in Baldwin County.

4.  Whole number of Teachers? 20
White? 9
Colored? 11

5.  Names and post-office address of Day-School Teachers? Misses Mary Stanly, Sarah G. Stanly, Eliza Etheridge, R.A. Allen, Susie Cobley, Amelia Rockafellow, Sarah Mahoney, Mary Cooley, Mr. H. Howard and Mr J. Squire - all addressed at Mobile, Ala. Lock Box 1190. Am. Miss. Asst'n. Supt. G.L. Putnam Mobile Ala. Matilda Tucker, Elizabeth Williams, Jeanie Patterson, John W. Thomas, Stephen Dallas, John W. Henderson, addressed at Mobile, Ala. care of Bureau R.F & A.L.

6.  Whole number of School-houses for Freedmen in your District? 9
Their condition, capacity, value, and by whom owned? Will be able to state definitively next month. March report gives all the facts now known.

7.  Number of your visits to Schools?
Day?
Night?
Sabbath? About once a week.

8.  Number of educational meetings held by you during the month? None
Where? Nowhere Mr Langston came to Mobile to hold an Educational meeting but the politicians desired him not to speak and he declined.

9.  Number and names of places, now destitute, in which Day-Schools might be organized? There is room for two or three schools in Baldwin County, and in the Southern part of Mobile County: a school is needed at Whistler Ala.

10.  Number of pupils (estimated) who would attend such Schools?

11.  Amount which would probably be raised by the Freedmen, for school purposes, in each destitute neighborhood? The freedmen in the rural districts have no money and can pay no tuition.

12.  What efforts are you making to secure the support of schools by pupils, parents, boards of education, or the State government? Effort will be made next month to secure to the colored schools their share of the School fund of Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

13.  Whole number of additional School-houses, for Freedmen, now wanted in your Sub-District? Can't say until next month.

14.  Could you organize your Sub-District into School Districts, each with a School Committee pledged to carry on schools therein? There is not enough public spirit in this city to work upon. People are not willing to work much in a philanthropic or educational way. Even Northern men grow inert after living here a few years. It is best as it is. Let the work be done by Northern Societies until a State School Law is put in uniform operation by a paid force of officers and teachers. The Agents sent here by Northern Societies should be changed at least once in two years, as they become worn out or discouraged in that time.

15.  [[strikethrough]] To what extent would help from without be needed in such cases? [[/strikethrough]]

16.  What is the public sentiment as to the education of the Freedmen and Poor Whites? Very few in Mobile oppose education. But in the rural districts is in proportion to the prevailing ignorance.

17.  Are Night-Schools for Adults needed in your District? Yes.
In what way could they be carried on? If a competent teacher were to advertise a good night school, pupils enough could be secured to compensate at $1.00 per month.

18.  What more can this Bureau do for educating the children of Refugees (or Poor Whites)? They are admitted to all schools in this district. There are no complaints.

19.  How long will Northern charitable aid be needed for Freedmen and Refugee Schools of your District? Until the State Government assumed care of schools, and after that time unless financial difficulties are removed.

I hereby certify, on honor, that I have given personal attention to the matters herein named, and that the answers given are, according to my best knowledge and belief, correct.

James Gillette
Capt. 15 Inf. Bvt. Maj. U.S.A. Sub-Asst. Com., Bureau R., F., & A.L.

Transcription Notes:
not complete ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-01-07 09:24:38