rest in this work, I am

Yours very truly,
C. G. WOODSON,
_Director_.

The tables to which Dr. Dickerman refers were sent to the editor with
a letter, both of which follow:

140 COTTAGE STREET, NEW HAVEN, CONN., July 14, 1917.

DR. CARTER G. WOODSON,
1216 You Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

_Dear Dr. Woodson:_

In preparing a chapter on The History of Negro Education for Dr.
Jones, of the Phelps Stokes Foundation, I made a study of the
Ninth Census and prepared a table of figures which I suggested
for publication in a foot note. But my manuscript was so long
that it was thought best to eliminate about a third of it and
this table with much besides.

I have therefore thrown this Census study into form for
publication in an article by itself. If you like you may have it
for _Journal of Negro History_. Of course the Census is not
infallible and the Ninth Census has been especially charged with
inaccuracy. But it certainly has some meaning, and I think the
confirmation of your conclusions is worth noticing.

If you do not wish to use the article please return it to the
above address.

Very truly yours,
G. S. DICKERMAN.

THE NINTH CENSUS ON NEGRO ILLITERACY

The treatise of Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson on _The Education of the
Negro Prior to 1861_ offers an impressive array of evidence to
show that there were many more Negroes than have usually been
supposed who had some literary knowledge while still under
slavery. Other evidence bearing on a subject of so great
importance cannot but have interest for historians of that period.

Some of the statistics in the United States Census of 1870 are in
point: Figures are there given for the colored men of voting age,
that is for those over 21, who were unable to read and write.
There are also given the total numbers of colored men of voting
age in the several States. Subtracting the former from the latter
will then give the number of those able to read and write. The
results appear in the table presented below:

COLORED MALES 21 YEARS OF AGE AND UPWARD IN 1870; WITH REFERENCE
TO THEIR ABILITY TO WRITE