Title	C. E. Compton to Oliver Otis Howard, December 27, 1869
Record type	Correspondence
Creator	Compton, C. E.
Date of creation	1869-12-27
Series	Records of Superintendents of Education M1000
Description	This letter discusses the conditon of the Tennessee Manual Labor University.
Additional notes	Series M1000, Reel 2, [Frames 170-177]
Excerpt from record	"Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Office Superintendent of Education Nashville, Tenn. December 27th, 1869 By Way Gen. O.O. Howard Commissioner Bur. R.F. and A.L. Washington D.C. Sir: I have the honor to report that in compliance with donations received from War Department, Bu. R.F. and A.L., Washington, Dec. 16th, 1869, I have visited Rutherford County, Tennessee and respectfully submit the following remarks on the conditions of the Tennessee Manual Labor University. The previous reports from this office concerning the affairs of this institution are correct in every particular and at the risk of repetition the same will be embodied in this in order that a full history of the case may be shown without reference to other papers. About December 1866, a negotiation for the purchase of three hundred (300) acres of land, near Murfreesboro, Tenn. was [illegible] into [illegible] one Rufis Lowery and others and Mipem[?] Tompkins, Callie and Wilkes of Murfreesboro, Tenn. The ostensible object of this purchase was to found an institution by the colored people for the improvement of their own race to be known as the Tennessee Manual Labor University. The price agreed upon was twenty ($20.00) dollars per acre (#6000.~) cash. As the Instance of Mr. Tompkins, the owner of the larger portion of the tract, it was afterwards [illegible] that the owners would accept an inaccurate payment of #600~ and wait six months for the balance, as agreement to this [illebigle] was signed by all the parties. The #1500~ was paid sometime [illegible], January or February. [Illegible] price which time no further payment or payments have been made and I am informed by Mr. Tompkins that unless the amount so long overdue upon this property is paid to the several parties interested before the next term of the chancery court to be holden at Murfreesboro, Tenn. during the month of April 1870 that a deam of sale will be asked for and without doubt granted and the land will be sold within thirty days hereafter for the benefit of the creditors. This land is located in the immediate vicinity of the National Cemetery, in fact it nearly or entirely surrounds it. At the time of the purchase there was upon the land a small building [illegible] by the U.S. Quartermasters Department for the use of the Superintendent of the Cemetery. Here were alas some eight or ten huts for the use of the laborers employed in the preliminary work of laying out the grounds and moving the bodies thereto; keeping the unction of a very small building at a trifling expenditure, in the rear of the Q.M.S. house refund to about nothing has been done towards providing any improvements, in respect [illegible], to the place. These buildings are all now in a very delapidated condition, and keeping the one used[?] by for the Superintendent [illegible] many[?] huts or shanties which are totally unfit for human habitation. At the time of the purchase, Mr. Tompkins had arranged for the fencing of the tract belonging [illegible] and the necessary quantity of boards and posts had been delivered; the makers agreed to take this lumber and become responsible for the payment of its value- this payment they failed to provide for and as a result of such failure Mr. Tompkins was compelled to pay the amount to the party contracting the delivery of the same. Some of this lumber was used for fencing, much of it however was divided from its proper purpose by being used for floors, ceilings and doors to the huts while to the present time the farm is insufficiently fenced, in fact a large portion be entirely open. The value of the production of the farm for 1868 amounted to about #2700~ the whole of this crop was entirely consumed by the occupants thereof before the close of the year. One Elder Watkins in 1868 d[?]a loan through the Northern States collected the sum of #1100~ of this sum less than #200 was [illegible] to the association #908 and over having from [illegible] or commissions and alleged traveling expenses. In addition to these sources, a large quantity of wood was cut and dispensed of from the farm during 1868 and no account taken [illegible] of the [illegible]. During the past year 1869 the farm has been operated upon i[?] the land being let out to several individuals who for the use of the farm[?] were to return to the [illegible] one third of the net product; the season has now closed and not a penny’s work has been realized by the manager or the other hand they are worse off than were on account of the many debts, contracted in this official capacity by the superintendent in charge of the place until September 1869. Under the administration of General Carlin an Asst. Commis. for the state of Tennessee the Bureau [illegible] a school house upon this property at an expense of about #500~ this school was attended only by the children of the immediate neighborhood until the month of October 1869 at which time the school closed in consequence of the teachers leaving for their homes in the North. This school was under the supervision of the Freedmen Union Commission their salaries having been paid by this society. I cannot recommend the appropriation of any money under the head of “construction” as the school-house already provided by the Bureau is amply sufficient for the wants of the neighborhood at present and will be no doubt for a year or two in the future. I do not feel warranted in asking for funds for “repairs” except it shall be for a very limited amount for the present building is a good one of its kind and a small sum only is needed to make it comfortable for the winter months. Under my instructions I could recommend, however, that the [illegible] accounts of the Freedmen Union Commission for this school, during the periods it has been sustained by them, should be paid in order to assist this society in maintaining their corps of teachers in the field. In this case the benefit desired would be in the interests of the B[?] Society of the North and not for the “Labor University” unless some special agreement should be made [illegible]. I would be only too glad today report the commissions anything which would show this projected enterprise in a favorable light but an aquaintance of more than six months with its affairs only strengthens my belief that under its present management it has proved a failure, and a failure entirely beyond [?]itation. Its affairs have been foolishly and recklessly mismanaged from the time of its incorporation to the present. I will not say from design on the part of those in charge of it for I believe they [illegible] will and have the interest of their profits in view, but they do not possess the ability or capacity to can[?] such an undertaking to a successful and …[ellipses actually in place in the letter] This mismanagement has [illegible] in a loud and outspoken opposition on the part of persons who were once in strong sympathy with the object, and I do not believe that the sum of #500 could be collected today in the state of Tennessee through perhaps the anticipation but [illegible] of time or [illegible] thousand. In a word I am of the opinion that it would not be judicious to appropriate any money to this institution while under its present management. Very respectfully Your obedient servant C.C. Compton B[?] Dept. of Education Tennessee"
Geographic location	Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Rutherford County (Tenn.)
Names that occur in the record	Howard, Oliver Otis Tennessee Manual Labor University Lowery, Rufis Tompkins, M. National Cemetery Watkins, Elder Carlin, W. P. Freedmen Union Commission
Subject (LC)	African Americans--Social conditions African Americans--Tennessee--Social conditions--19th century Freedmen's schools and textbooks Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Race relations Racism Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)--Tennessee--Rutherford County. Rutherford County (Tenn.) United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands
Coverage	1860-1869
Contributing institution	National Archives and Records Administration
Medium	Microfilm
Bibliographic citation	[Document title, date]. Records of the Superintendent of Education for the State of Tennessee. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1870. Series M1000, [Reel number, Frame number/s]. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
Copyright status	Public domain
Collection name	Freedmen's Bureau Records