For the first time I
wrote to my old Miss telling her I was in Lexington in Chandler
School. She answered with sweet words about my going to school,
and said the boss had spoken kind things about me before he
passed away.

The kind teachers of Chandler did their best to unfold those
twenty-seven years of ignorance. I had almost to bite the dust to
stay in school but I stayed there. I have studied many days
hungry--walking the streets afternoons trying to find work for a
little to eat.

Since I have been in Lexington I have often been asked, "What do
you want with so much education?" Out of those same lips I have
heard other students praised for going to school. I did not let
this discourage me. Dr. J. E. Hunter, Rev. E. A. Clarke, and
Kelly Robinson will ever have my heart-felt gratitude for the
kind words of encouragement they gave me. We little realize what
a word of encouragement means to one who has lived the life I
have.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] This narrative was obtained by the editor. It relates an incident
which took place between Wrightsville and Dublin, Georgia, in 1903.
There is abundant evidence that many other cases of this have been and
may be found in the United States.

COMMUNICATIONS

This letter contains at least one important fact showing the
development of racial relations in the United States since the
establishment of the independence of this country.

February 8, 1916.

MR. C. G. WOODSON,
EDITOR, THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NEGRO
LIFE AND HISTORY,
2223 12th St., NW.,
Washington, D. C.

_Sir_:

Referring to your letter of the 4th instant, in which you express
a desire to be furnished with information showing the number of
negro soldiers who served in the Revolutionary War, their names,
if possible, and some information concerning the regiments in
which they served, and in which letter you also make inquiry as
to whether such records are accessible to some member of your
staff for making the necessary research, I am directed by the
Secretary of War to inform you as follows:

A cursory examination of the Revolutionary War records on file in
this Department has resulted in the discovery of information here
and there concerning the services of colo