14
i

“ At the lower camp we found that our teacher had been equally faith-
ful in the performance of her duties, but we were much disappointed to
see that the superintendent had built her a very small cabin, which, judg-
ing from its loose construction, will barely protect her from the winter
weather. We called at his house in orden to direct his attention to this;
he was not at home. We had, however, an irterview with his wife, and
from our conversation with her we were led to the conclusion, that if we
wish to do our work well, we must use our influence to induce conscien-

tious farmers and their wives to seek such situations as this man holds,

for unless those who have the care of these Government farms go hand
in hand with us, and with our teachers, we shall be able to do our duty
but partially, and throw discouragements in the path of those who look
to us as their true friends,

“The greater part of the Freed- people, i in these two camps, are earn-
ing money by cultivating the farms. They are inclined to spend it judi-
ciously. We, therefore, suggest, that our teachers here be furnished with
a stock of trimmings and a few other articles in order to form a nucleus
for a small store in case it should prove desirable to establish one here.
Now, they are obliged to send nine miles to Georgetown for needles,
tapes, and similar articles. We should not consider our report com-
plete without adverting to the obligations which we feel we are under to
our noble-hearted teachers, who are doing by far the heaviest part of the
work for us, considering our interests and the interests of the Freedman
“a8 paramount, and neglecting their own so far as to be sufferers cchoue
sickness and discomforts of many kinds.

‘“‘In our comfortable homes, let us remember them, and seriously ask
‘of ourselves whether we are doing all thai we might do to evince our
sympathy for them.

“In conclusion we would add that we thitik it advisable for our com-
_mittees, when they visit the camps under our especial care, to visit
also the camps in Washington, and acquaint themselves with the condi-
tion of the freed-people in that city, who are endeavoring to support
themselves without the aid of the Government. We regretted that the
inclemency of the weather prevented our doing this.

“It is well we believe for our Association to labor in the Government
camps at this time. We must not, howéver, forget that it is equally
our duty to obtain all the information we can, upon the various modes for
elevating the Freedman, in order that we may be prepared to work in
other directions, so soon as it is thought best for us to do so.”

A letter from one of our teachers at Mason’s Island gives
the following interesting information.
Eleventh month 23d, 1864.
‘Our day and night schools are progressing nicely and to our satisfac-
tion, having over- sixty children in attendance. Several women come