Freedmen and Union Refugees Department of the Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair.

  • Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair (1864 : Saint Louis, Mo.)
Date:
[1864]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Freedmen and Union Refugees Department of the Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    FREEDMEN AND UNION REFUGEES' DEPARTMENT OF THE ississippi Yalle-y Sasiiary !Fa£r< The object of this special department is to provide means for suppying the wants ot those large numbers of persons whom the military measures of the Government have made free, but who are, for the present, homeless and des- titute; and for the Union people whom the re bellion has driven from their homes. Our armies are largely re-enforced by enlistments from among the freed men, but considerable numbers of the men who offer themselves are rejected by the medical examiners, as physi- cally unfit for the service, and very large num- bers of women and children are left without any adequate provision. The policy of the Government in the treat ment of these people iB humane. Officers are appointed to have supervision of the camps and places in which they are gathered ; encourage- ment is rendered to all who are able to find em- ployment as servants or laborers; and in the south, an extensive system of employing them on the abandoned plantations has been in- augurated. It is not to be expected that all these arrangements can be worked so perfectly that there will not be much suffeiing and destitution to be relieved by voluntary charity. So our Western Sanitary Commission have found; and, with characteristic humanity, they have prompt- ly undertaken this necessary work. They have agencies already established, through which they have so beneficently ministered to the soldiers; they have the confidence of the mili- tary authorities; they have full knowl- edge of routes, of localities, and of the most economical and expeditious methods of conveyance and disbursement; they are men of tried and approved fidelity, - humanity, and wisdom. It is difficult to see how those humane persons who desire to con- tribute to the relief and improvement of the freed people, cas entrust their gifts to a safer or better management. It should be understood that the measures supervised by the Western Sanitary Commis- sion, embrace not simply the supply of the present bodily wants of these people, but the maintenance of schools, the encouragement and assistance (which they so much need) to decent and virtuous family arrangements, and what- ever is practicable, that tends to their advance- ment in civilization, and in fitness for the en- joyment of liberty, with advantage to them- selves and safety to the community. For the Union refugees, it would seem that no other plea can be needed, than the sim- ple statement that they have been deprived of all their property, and been driven from their homes, simply because they would not be rebels. We have all had to make sacrifices in this war for the Union, but what possible sacrifices can we have made, whose homes remain to us, which deserve to be mentioned in comparison with those which have fallen to toe lot of these impoverished and homeless Union refugees.11 It was a happy suggestion to the executive committee of the Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair, to institute a department through which provision could be made for these two classes ot sufferers, in connection with the provision which we all love to make for the sick and wounded of the republic, and most prop- erly did the executive committee unanimously adopt the suggestion. The Bpecial committee having charge of this department have issued a circular, which we publish below, and we respectfully and ear nestly request the publishers of papers friendly to these objects to copy the circular, and so much of this appeal as may be convenient, and to commend the enterprise to the favorable con- sideration of their readers. It should be noticed that this is, so far as known, the only one of the great Sanitary Fairs which ha*, in iU.ii ed a department of this kind. (Those, therefore, who have opportunity to con tribute for the relief of soldiers through other Fairs may find this the available channel of their charities towards freedmen and Union refutrees. We earnestly entreat all to whom these words may come to take prompt measures t<*render such assistance as they can to this unique and interesting enterprise. FREEDMEN'8 AND UNION REFUGEES' DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SANITARY FAIR. [Circular ] St. Louis. Mo., March 17, 1864. The war for the Union has shaken the prison of slavery to its foundations, ami is to riemolisn it ut- terly. Many millions of slaves are liberated. The nation has accepted the able-bodied men among them as soldiers, and they are surpassing all expec- tations by their good conduct. The families of these accepted defenders of the Republic are. homeless; are unused to the responsibilities of freedom; are destitute of all things They must be fed; they must be protected instructed and as rapidly as pos- sible guided to positions ot self support, and taught the methods, the moralities and the happiness of virtuous homes. For the time being, large sums of money and much benevolent labor are needful for these ends Voluntary associations have been or- ganized , and have earnestly and harmoniously co- operated iR this work. Such are the Freedmen's Aid Society of St Louis: (at first called the Con- traband Relief Society) the Freedmen 'a aid Society, of Cincinnati, and simdar associations at the Bast. The Western Sanitary Commission, in the prose- cution of its noble work for the army and navy, has been brought in direct contact with the multitude of freed people who have taken refuge within our army lines, and has providentially found itself able to act most efficiently and comprehensively in co-opera- tion witn the Government, and with the voluntary associations, for the benefit of these poor people. The President of that Commission, .lames E. Yeat- man, Esq., has lately made investigations, and has aided the officers of Government in the improve- ment ot its methods for employing, protecting and elevating the freed people, which are engaging the interested attention of the benevolent in au the laud. There are also thousands of homeless whites, made so by the rebellion. These Union refugees are in great numbers, and in utter destitution, at different places within our army lines, especially in St. Louis. They have oome from Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and many ot them have endured hardships almost incredible in escaping from the homes out of which they have been driven because they hated treason and were hated by traitors, t-ireat nu afters of this unfortunate class of 1 oval citizens have been clothed, fed, sheltered and forwarded to their friends in the loyal States, ov -etumed to their homes as oar military lines have been extended. In this work the commission havetected partly as agents of the Government, and partly with funds entrusted to them for such uses Tue demand tor aid to the Union refugees will be necessarily of short duration; and if the freed people are but treated with justiot, generosity will not long be needed. But for the current year, during the transition period, there is more .nan enough to do, and all the funds that tbe largest philanthropy can spare will find profitable employment In elevating four millions of slaves to the condition of freemen, all the zeal and liber- ality of a christian community will And room to work These statements are made to show that this special department of relief has a legitimate place in the Mississippi Valley Sanitary Fair. By unanimous consent «f its Executive Committee a special department has been assigned to the inter- ests of freedmen and Union refugees, and a commit* tee has been appointed to take charge of this depart- ment, in the reception and disposal of goods, and for all other purposes connected with it in the con- duct of the Fair. Contributions of money, of arti- cles for sale in the Fair and of such as can be di- rectly used, are most earnestly solicited. Ail packages must be specially directed to The Freedmen's and Union Refugees' Department of the Missinsippi Valley Sanitary Fair, and donors will be careful to designate clearly whether their contri- butions are for lreedmen-' or for refugees, or for both, at the discretion of the Western Sanitary Commission. Alt contributions will be sacredly appropriated to the object indicated. COMMITTEE. Gentfemen— Rev H a.. Nelson, D. D.. Rev Henry Cd%.' Rev. Wm G Eliott. O D . Rev W H. Corkhitl, Rev T. M. Post, D D . Rev G. Ander- son, Wyllys King, A J. Conant, Jas. E. Yeatman, Brig Ge«. W. A., pile. Hon. F. A.. Dick, Lucien Eaton W C. WUcox J. H. Parker. Ladies—Mrs. C. B Fisk, Mrs Lueien Eaton, Mrs. Henry Johnson, Mrs C. C Bailey, Mrs. H. A. Nel- son, Mrs. H. Kennedv, Miss A 8 Forbes, Mrs Haeussler. Mrs. Crawsbaw, Mrs J. U. Parker. Mrs. Welts, Mrs. Washington King, Mrs W. T. Haz- ard, Mrs. Enoa Clarke, Mrs Truman Woodruff, Miss L. P. Allen, Mrs. Wm. McKee, Mrs. L. Brawner, Mrs N. 8tevens. Mrs. J. S. Thomas, Mrs Cooli<ige, Mrs. Dr. Hunter. Note —All goods and packages, of whatever kind should be distinctly marked with the name of the donor and place from which sent, and directed James E. Teatman, St. Loeis, Mo . (For M. V 8, Fair. F. & U R. Department) And bill of lading or other proper notice should, at tbe same time, be sent by mail to Major Alfred Mackay, Correspond- ing Secretary, &c , St Louis, Mo., Committee Rooms, No. 10 Lindell Hotel Donations of money are specially solicited, and should be sent by mail or express to Samuel Oopp,, Jr., Treasurer. &«., St Louis with sueuulo direc- tions for F. & U. R. Department. N B. I his is believed to be the otiiv fair which j^ssuaba eparuutitn.