Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-24

Cendiiion q TIC csnlERbands IN Kanras.
We ere permitted to publish the following
letter received by a citizen Of this CITY from
gentleman acting under Tie direction of
she Sanitary Commission in the West Ths
writer hss visited almost every point In Kan
aas, and & we'll qualified to speak Of the con-
dition Of the poor unfortunates who have
aed thithar from the land Of slavesyi
LRAvEHwoRTH, March g. 1862.
DHAR SIR -Contrabands are still focking
into Kansas. Their sufferiRgs and destitu.
ton are beyond description. Cannot soma-
thing be done for themG They need every
thing TO make them comfortable. They come
IN here day and night and bring nothing with
them 10 supply their wants, or start farmln ?
or any other business They might 60 into
farming to good advantage 10 Kansas at this
time, as 30 large part of the men are in the
army. Thousands Of farms must be neglect
ed this season, if not worked by cOntrabands.
am satisfied that many teams and much
property has been taken with the contra
bands, hut the property is generally used up
by the JsyhaWh ers, who make Il business
70 plunder Missouri farmers, and only help
the slaves out 10 get the slaves TO help them
rob theirzmss.ers, and then the poor slave Is
cast Of with empty hands to start in the
world IN the midst Of strong prejudices. But
am departing rom the object of this let
ter.
l cannot make you understand or realize
the real suderings Of the cOntrAbands here,
unless you should 90 into the miserable
houses where they live. l have been In
houses with thirty or forty packed in a single
room. Coming as they must In the night
and stealing away, as they still have to do,
for even our Northern troops viii stop them,
and have IN many instances, they are much
exposed, and many have frostbitten feet, and
have suffered 50 much exposure thatnumbers
are sick and some dying. DR.. @. R. Ander-
son is giving almost his entire attention to
the relief of the sick among them. Measles
and typhoid fever are the prevalent diseases.
Oh what blessing few Of the necessaries,
to say nothing Of the comforts Of life, would
be to them.
There is great suffering in Kansas, as well
among sick soldiers and refugee Indians as
among the poor and wretehed contrabands.
But you will remember that the Sanitary
Commission and Soldiers Aid Societies are
doing what they can to relieVe the suffsIings
of the sick and wounded soldiers, the Govern
ment is helping the destitute refugee Indians,
bnt little or nothing is being done for the
poor miserable black men, women and child
rem who have just escaped from the house of
bondage. I ask you again, cannot the
Christian people of Ohio do something for
them2 They must be aided in getting food
and clothing, as well as be taught to labor.
The friends here ars doing all they can for
them, but they cannot at present relieve the
wants Of five or six thousand destitute men
and women. Teachers are greatly needed
among these people. They ought to be in
duced 10 leave the frontier and 90 back into
the country, where they might find employ
ment. am glad to see the slave made free,
but when be & free, then the philsnthropiss
has work to doto help him to start in the
world. Can you come out aud help them ?
Yours for the suffering, J. r. BRoWH.
P. S-I could do something for the poor
destitute free men if my time were not Who'll
~ occupied doing what can for the sick
soldiers aud refugee Indians.