Brooksville,
Mr. C. Thurston Chase
Superintendent of Schools.
Sir I have the Honor to Report that by and under a written permission of Judge P.G. Wall Special Agent in Bu.R.F. & A.L. and also from ‘E.B. Duncan Com. for Schools Freedmen for State of Florida’ I commenced a School at Brooksville for Freedmen with fifteen scholars for three months and continued the next three months with eighteen Scholars: because the people did not pay, the School was discontinued until about the 15th July last. I Recommenced and taught one month having from ten to twelve Schollars. I have further to Report that I received Eleven dollars on the first two months School, and nothing Since. You will see from this, that it is impossable to keep a School here and depend upon the people for pay. they are indifferent and in many cases unable to pay. I bring this matter to your notice hoping Some arrangements may be made to pay me the amount due on these Schools less Eleven dollars being all I have ever received or am able to collect from those whom its services were Rendered.
My Health being at this time very bad. I shall have to leave and go to the Springs on
Sept. 23rd 1867 Morgan Chapman
(colored)
I certify that Morgan Chapman who makes the withier Report did teach the Schools he represented to have taught. I attended one of his examinations and was satisfied and please with the progress of his students. All other facts reported by him I believe to be true and would recommend that he be paid a reasonable sum for the deficit remaining due him.
P.G. Wall
Acting Agent &
Sub Superintendent of
Schools for Freedmen at Brooksville
** This letter was from one of the African American
teachers, Morgan Chapman, who had taught at the Brooksville Colored School;
which was not a Bureau sponsored school meaning it was self supported by the
freedmen of the area. This teacher
taught for a period of time with no pay and since he was in bad health was
trying to obtain some money from the Freedmen’s Bureau so he could travel to
