The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-04-17

X 0 X u x:
FRIDAY, April IT.
oeLon.p SCHOOLS IN MEMPHIS

0iEhFHisy Ichh'f A pa - ~SS~s
Editor Gate: Many days have elapsed
since ! wrote anything for your paper.
Want of time is my excuse.
Many of your readers are aware that
came 10 this place some time ego to teach
school among the colored people of this
city. Perhaps they would like to hear
the result of my experiment. For the
benefit Of such, will give you history
of schools for colored people in Memphis
Previous to the occupation Of Mem
phis by tie Federal army, such school
was never thought of. One or two efforts
had been made to establish Sabbath
schools, but the opposition was so great
that they could not succeed. Some lew
colered persons, however, had succeeded
in learning to read and write little
The desire TO learn was very great. No
sooner had our army landed on the levee
than every book was called into service;
and old and young seemed to think that
their whole duty consisted in learning to
spell.
/ Immediately began to devote my
leisure time to the instruction of a few
who wanted to take lessons. From July
TO the first Of February | gave lessons to
some forty different persons, and had the
satisfaction Of seeing them improve very
rapidly.
Some time in July Sabbath School
was instituted at the Beal street Baptist
Church. This was the largest Sabbath
School ever saw. One day counted
the members of the school present.
There were two hundred and eighty
three scholars and twenty nine taehers.
think this was not more than an aver
age number during the summer and fall.
1 taught the Testament class. The
school was composed Of every age, from
seven to seventy. was the only white
person who attended this school,
During the fall two other Sabbath
schools were organized, and are in -four
ishing condition. Two or three very
small daily schools were opened, but the
incompetency Of the teachers prevented
them from doing any good, and their own
insignifcance secured them from inter-
ruption. There was also school taught
few weeks inside the 'contraband"
camp by q white person; but these per-
sons were fresh from the plantations and
had nothing to pay with, so that the en-
terprise was failure
On the 18th of February | opened a
school in the basement of the Beal street
Baptist Church. On the 18th Of March
the condition Of my school was as follows:
Whole number Of scholars, one hundred
and seventy Reading in McGuffy' 8
fourth reader, old series, thirteen; third
reader, FIVE; second reader, six; first
reader, fourteen; spelling in various
classes, according to their advancement,
one hundred and three; and twenty -four
yet in their letters. Fourteen were study.
ing geography and arithmetic, and two
English grammar. Thirty three were
writing. On this day the school war
dispersed by an armed mob After con
test of eight days, l re-opened the schoo
by authority of Gen. Veatch.
During the first two weeks of schoo
We had no serious interruption; yet /
storm was evidently brewing. On Thurs
day evening Of the second week shan
effort was made to burn the building.
Gay sham effort, because if the effort hat
been In earnest no power in Memphis
could have saved the house. The FIRE wa
built auder the seat in the pulpit, am
was large enough to scorch the ceilin
s'x feet high. and burnt long enough
burn . hole through the floor, and the
went out ; or rather put out by the pei
son klndling it. The object in maxim
the IRE, was to scare US out-the reason
Tor not burning the house, were that I'll
man who set the FIRE owned eonsiderab
property which must inevitably have bee
destroyed, and several Of his friends all
had property which would have bet
greatly endangered. On Monday eve
ing Of the third week, FIRE compar
hTought out their engine just as scho
Was dismissed and annoyed us BY thro,
ing water into the house, breaking out o.
window, and com pletely wetting Il
Whole school.
addressed note to the Provost Nh
shall. enquiring whether the colored pc
pie had right to have school or nc
and informing what had been done. !
Aspaied that the school was right a
feper, asd that it should be protected
- next day about l2 O'Clock four m
Aselpsd = soldiers, three of them carr
ing arms, came to the door in compa
VIII three well known secessio nis,s, a.
esquirsd for the teacher. l answered
Ekxfhe ell and WAS ordered, by one Of {
- y