Letter from Merriman Howard (written on House of Representatives letterhead) to O. O. Howard at the Freedmen’s Bureau, March 18, 1870. (Freedmen’s Bureau Records, Headquarters Records, Registers And Letters Received (M752), Roll 68, Letters Received, Jan-Aug 1870)
State of Mississippi,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Jackson, March 18th 1870.
Major Gen. O. O. Howard
Washington D. C.
Dear sir
I have the honor to ask if it would be proper to memorilise the Congress of the U. S. to order the sale som of the School Sections lands in in this state in order to rase money to locate Schools in the proper localitys as those are large sections of lands in this state of which the colored Schools dirive no profit at all, this lands are in part cultivated by planters and those who stand in need of schools has ben deprived of its blesing by the present holder of said land now I want enough of said land sold to rase money to by or build up a good graded School in Jefferson County to be called the Howard university I may ad that the colord people has never had any of the benefits of public school funds and further state that the agents refuse to send teachers to the country where No. 1 schools is ? upon plantations the school in my town has carried on succesfully for the last three years very succesfully and suported in part by my self but is now suspended for the want of menes as the amount pade to Teacher by buearu being in sufiesint to suport the teacher I cant tell how our new school system will work you will prehaps be asstonished when tell you thare is not a school house in my county ownd by freedmen the to poor to build we have turned out a large number of scholars who have leard to read & write & siphar inclosed pleased find description of a splendid property for sael My white friend will rase me $4000 four thisand dollars in cash to help pay for the place please let me here from you at an early date and beleve me your homble servent
M Howard M. H. R.
The within discribed is owned & offered for sale for school purposes only by the Hon Phalander Balch. he is a member of the Lower House, Rep=
A Description of the House
69 feet by 54 ft 2 Galerys 69 ft by 14 ft one 10 ft by 34.
A hall runing through the house from East to west 10 by 69 ft one from North to South 12 ft by 54. the front part of the house has one large room Each side of the hall. three rooms one above the other. the two lower rooms on each side of the hall sufficiently large to accomidate 75 Pupils the third one above suitable for bedrooms, 4 large Cisterns on the place a fine building suitable for a chapel, one hundred and 25 acers of land, 25 timber. Every thing about the premises, can be put in fine order with very little expense.
said property can be had for the of 25,000 dollars one half cash the balance on five years time with interest at 6 per cent anually
I have a cash donation in hand of 4,000$ Providing we can get assistance from the Education department.
To references as to who I am I would respectfully refer you to Senators
H. R. Revels
Sen. Ames
Cong: L W Pirce
” Geo McKee
elect from Miss
M Howard