 Schools began opening in the fall of 1863.On August 27, 1863, Hanks was appointed by Major General Nathaniel Banks, along with Colonel John S. Clark and Major B. Bush Plumley, to a commission to regulate the enrollment, recruitment, employment, and education of blacks in the Department of the Gulf, of which Banks was the senior commander.With the support of Major General Nathaniel Banks, in November and December 1863, Hanks embarked on a publicity campaign to eastern Union States with the goal to raise money for the education of former slaves in Louisiana.