The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-05-05


came in Slowly and sadly they dra eyed
along through the streets. Mules and
oxen gaunt aud famished, wagons loaded
with children whose weary, despairing
look will haunt me | believe as long as l
live, with a mother or two in each trying
to soothe the little ones crying with
hunger and fatigue, all clothed in the
dirt colored homespun they always wear,
worn to rags aud tatters, leaving them in
many cases almost naked. saw one
boy, about ten years old, lying in wag-
on, apparently dead, stark naked, save the
poor amount of what might once have
been a wastcoat wrapped about his abdo-
men: Hundrode Of them had not rags
enough to be decent. As If nature SYM
pathized with them in their misfortnnes
the shades Of night came on as they pas.
scd through the city, and partially screen.
ed from the crowd of gazers this sndden-
ing, sickening sight.
The little that l could do for these
poor people that night did. Anticipat.
ing a need, had drawn on the commits
sary heavily for bread, and had large
amount on hand. had the ambulance
Of the Western Sanitary Commission
loaded with this bread, and taking along
half dozen kind hearted soldiers, We
went the whole length of this wagon train
and gave to each family loaf or two. 1t
wus but a little thing to do, but the ca
gerness with which they took and eat it
told how grateful it was to them. as
sure you l never was more happy than
tha. night amid all that wretchcdness,
giving bread to those hungry creatures.
That night they lay on the levee in their
wagons and on the ground. Many who
came from plantations this side Of Jack
son were without conveyances, having
walked in, bearing their "etfects' on
their heads
The next morning the authorities un-
dertook to place this quonlam merchan-
disc on board the boats that were waiting
to remove them to their future camps.
To this many demurred, and elud'ng the
guard, scattered into the city. Some
Two or three thousand, however, wsre
removed, part to Davis Bend, aud the
remainder to Oswcgo Landing, just above
Milliken's Bend. The next day, in com.
pany with Mrs. Harvey, Of Wisconsin,
and Miss Dart, a teacher from New Eng.
| land, | went to Oswego with quantity
of old clothing furnished by the National
! Freedmens' Relief Association Of New
York, for distribution. Here l could
not but mark the change that had already
eee4mea eee4m aayes s,,hesg eRtlr uIsthN tAsAh Ahhlt4y
tattercd and homeless condition wal
enough to draw tears from heart of stone
many were cheerful, and gave evidence
that with very little comfort they wo'c {
be happy The endurance Of the negro
has always been a marvel It was never
so much so as now. 1t is his difference
from the white man in this respect tha,
is to save him if he is saved, in this grea,
trial.
To all the most destitute, or rather The
most torn aad naked, for all are destitute
we gave some of the more necessary arti
ces of clothing. ! only wish that the
donors of those articles could have wit
messed the distribution. DO not know
where on the face of the globe, out Of ths
Southern Confedcracy, thousand peo
pie could be got together that woull
present to charity so strong an appeal a.
these. l wish | could send to ever,
northern home of plenty photograph
of these bare footed, ragged, half uake'
creatures, as they appeared to me tha
day. Then to think of their lying OF
the ground at night without bedding, o
blankets, or cabin to shelter them from
the wind or storm. A long shed, opel
on all sides, affords the only protection
from the weather. | suppose they ar
not to remain there long .imc--certai
it is they will not, for if the planters d
not take them away, death " ill, and that
too. before many days.
Camp life and few rations may be tn
best thing that can be done at first 70
E the freedman; but if the ostensible oh
ecs was to kill him, nothing could b
more effective. la every camp that
have visited, or that can hear from
small pox is raging fearful|y, and cthe
diseases induced by this unnatural life
prevail proportionately. Stopping 0
Pavpaw Island tho other dry few mil
( utes, in the very first hut entered lay
+ negro, just dead. And SO it is every
r where where activity and habits Of in
n dustry are not cultivated. Something
o however, is being done, and many ar
already at work, l was particular
, struck the other day, by the bapp
. change noticeable in the condition Of ,h
negroes directly across the river fro'
o this city. When visited them in con
pany with Mr.. Yeatnan several week
q ago, Incidence was the rule, and sicknes
. very common; the other day being calle
! over there on business, | saw that the
h were almost all at work, men and wome1
9 in field and cabin, and almost all wer
4 well. Instead of their little huts, the
). have put up quite omfortable cabin
s and already there is an air of thrift Gil
something homelikc about their village
g knowledge founded on Faith.
e knowledge can only demonstrate az
oct. bl;eh Itsolf. ovorr kponIoj,o l. cupp