Augusta County: John Scott to Samuel Hunt, June 30, 1866

Here I raise my Ebenezer!

Our years work is done, and I leave these poor people with sadness for there is so much left yet to do. I think every child in my school was sobbing as the last stroke of the bell told us that our school days were over and some followed us down the street crying so that you could have heard them across the street. But alas! They do not understand or value the the work that is done for them and Beside this all the prejudices of a heathen people in many respects still exist. The old people don't like to have a church Choir sing unless all "[unclear: Professers]" They are so religious that they cant sing educational songs, and yet can fight and devour one another.

The short nights have obliged us to drop our last 5 night schools and our average has been light for the same reason but the work is none the less important.

We have had a public "Exhibition" by the scholars could not have been excelled by any white school at the north so far as the Declamation is concerned.

When we look back 8 mo. When our schools commences and behold a wild set of people who could read none except in a very few instances and write only in one or two and now find the whole 450 spelling and nearly all beginning to read--75 at least--capable of commanding the 3^rd reader and many actually reading it. 20 or 30 able to begin to write letters and school without a library or scarcely a song to say nothing of religious books for teaching as the spelling book was used and now having its library and Bible lesson.

When we see the improvement in Manners Dress habits of Temperance etc etc. We thank God that our labor has not been in vain