Freedmen's Bureau Records: N. C. Brackett to R. M.
Manly, January 1867
Summary:
Brackett reports on the schools in the Shenandoah Valley. He notes that evening
school attendance in Staunton has dropped slightly.
Chap. R. M.
Manly:
Supt. Education Richmond,
Va.
Jan. 1867
Staunton Va
Chaplain:
The schools in my district have all continued with their usual prosperity and about their usual numbers during the past month. The building in which the school is held at Lexington, is retained by a very uncertain tenure. What we are to do after the 20th of this month is not yet certain.
The number of pupils in day school is one hundred and twenty seven, average attendance at night school ninety seven.
The schools at Staunton all [unclear: function] prosperous, some that the attendance at evening school has not been as large as usual, the number of colored pupils at the day school has been one hundred and eighty four, number of white forty nine, average attendance at the evening school forty nine.
The numbers of pupils at Harrisonburg is not as large as I anticipated before starting the school, but I regard it as one of the most encouraging fields of labor in my district.
The white people of Harrisonburg [unclear: manifest] a better spirit than in any other part of the Valley. The number of pupils in the day school is seventy two, average in evening school sixty three.
Front Royal has forty one in day school and average thrity six in the evening. Martinsburg & Shepherdstown remain about the same as last month. Harpers Ferry has lost a little. Many of the colored people are moving away. We have withdrawn one teacher from Martinsburg, and one from Harpers Ferry and sent them to Charlestown since the Holidays. We intend to open a school at Woodstock as soon as a room can be furnished. We would also open schools at Waynesboro and Brownsburg if we had suitable rooms for them.
Very Respy
N. C. Brackett
