DECEMBER 28, 1864:
The first schools open for Freedmen in the Sea
Islands of South Carolina. This daring experiment granted the newly-freed
slaves land and tools to work the land. Northern teachers came to the Sea
Islands to educate the blacks in the 3 Rs. In their wake, however, came
abolitionist Congregationalist missionaries who tried to woo the slaves away
from the Southern Baptist sect most of them knew. This caused stress between
the freedmen, the teachers, and the missionaries. W.J. Richardson, one of the
leaders of the education movement wrote a letter to a supporter, which reads in
part:
Beaufort
S. C. Dec 28, 1864
Rev.
M. E. Striety [ ]
Dear Brother,
Your letter of the 16th
. . . was duly recvd. . . . [O]ur first installment of Freedmen from Gen
Sherman’s army came in to Beaufort on Sunday eve 700 strong, [and] many more
are expected to follow. Most of them will be located out of town on the various
Plant[ations]. Whether they will enlarge our schools so that more teachers will
be needed is more than I can now tell . . . They are about to establish schools
on several of the “School Farms” under their own control . . . This transfer
will doubtless be best, where all parties can agree, rather than have strangers
come into these schools . . . Your construction of my call for teachers is
correct . . .
I hope to visit Savannah
soon and see what is wanting there . . . Sherman’s glorious march . . . fills
us all with joy and thanksgiving. I have seen numbers of his men and several of
the chaplains, they all speak of their march as a “pleasure excursion”. I think
Gen Sherman has an army of invincibles. His men have the utmost confidence in
him and are ready to do whatever he asks of them.
Our weather is like May
now. Frogs, Birds and crickets are singing to cheer us and the Thunder is
rolling in the heavens as I am writing. Strange Christmas weather you will say
Yours in love
W. J. Richardson
