Report-1851, April 15

Transcribed report on the activities of the Indian Manual Labor School by Thomas Johnson, Superintendent Manual Labor School to L. Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington City, dated Apr 15, 1851

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F.[ort] L.[eavenworth] Ind. M.L. School
April 15th 1851

Sir

   In compliance with your instructions of the 13th of Jan last, I have the honor to submit the accompanying documents No 1st+ 2d containing a full exhibit of our school for the quarter ending March 31st 1851.

   According to my understanding of the instructions, this form of Report is intended to supercede the necessity of forwarding to the Department accounts+ vouchers of our current expenses, This Report itself being the voucher which seems to be called for by our contracts with the Department.

   But if others are required they shall be forwarded immediately, on notification.

   As you will see on inspecting the Report, the number in attendance during the quarter, has been, in the Male department 42, in the Female department 39.

   The Department will perceive that according to general custom, so far as my knowledge of school extends, we have charged from the time each student entered the school to the end of the quarter.

   In justice to ourselves, we could not do otherwise, for an outfit of clothing is necessary, as the first item of expense in almost every instance, whether they stay to the end of the quarter or not.

   But our school is becoming much more uniform than formerly: + but few of the number named have been absent at all during the quarter; + those that have lost time, have only lost a few days.

   We have had general good health in the Institution during the winter – indeed we have not had a death among the students, or among those employed here, for about three years: – for which we desire to be thankful to the Author of all good.

Respectively submitted
Thomas Johnson supt.

Hon L. Lea Com-
Ind. Aff.
W. City –

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[Transcribed from microfilm roll MS981 frames 1371-1372 in the collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, (National Archives Microfilm Series M234, roll 785) by Roger Berg Jr., May, 1991]