Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-10-14
AMERICAN Union C0NlIIS-
AISAN

Permit Us, Kind reader, to call Your most
serious attention ts the welk of the great
national CHARITY, 5l.at j. sought to hc pro.
NOTED by this Commission NlIat is done
by this Commission in behalf Of refugees
and Others who have been rendered dc,ti-
tutc by the war, is gratuitOus -- lhcse persons
beng unable either to buy or insure. pay
ment for what they receive. 1t is an nation.
al organization. 1t has the approval OF the
Government Like tho Christian and san
itary Commissions. it has been cutlcd into
beng 10y the emergencies 0t war
Members of the C"H,nission from Bnlti-
morc have visited vaCinus dcsolatetl portions
of the South and from perscaal observation
they assure us that thc condition uf things
is well calculated to call forth our deepest
c0mmiSScration. II demands a lihersIity
commensurate with our ability. We are
also in the daily receipt Of letters from min
listers of various denominations, and Others
IN the South, which excite the most fearful
apprrhc'asiuns OF distress daring the coarino
winter, unless Timely eioyts are nade to
avert such Il calamity.
The Rjchm0Hd MpH|ic, Il loyal and tr2st
worthy paper says: "fne poverty aad su..
ferlngs OF the people in Virginia, great
enough already to melt the strrnest nature.
Ind lair To assume propositions of horror in
approaching winter which it curdles the
hlvod to contemplate. Money
Is scarce; the means of subsistence is hiuh
the wheat crops throughout the 'Seuth is
comparatively a failure, and though the
corn cr"pis unusually tine for the area
cultivated, yet the area, owing to the OBJ
struction to- planting from varinus Causes,
Is exceedingly limited. 1t makes The heart
bleed IT, think OF the suiierings whicl it
some efficient measures are not adopted for
Iclict, may he the terrible lot of thousands
OF our people when the rigOrs of winter shall
.agSrNvate the herrors Of the present drstitu-
tom" ......'
"A letter from Rev. G. A. Raymond, Judge
OF the United States Military Cour. of the
District ut the Peninsula of Virginia, to @.
:. Griffith. Esq, President of Mar, land
Union Commission. says: Perhaps, in no
part OF the South has there been more gene
raj deprlvatlons, and consequently there are
now but few portions of the whole country
whose future Is more gloomy than the coun-
ties above US. This is not because this has
been IA succession Of battle-helds merely. but
from the fact that, at the beginning of the
war, uuder the influence of simple panic.
nearly the whole peninsula was uhandoned
Old men, widows, and yOung-al fled from
After an absence OF four year, years OF un.
parallelled want and suffering, the survivors
have returned to find their houses occupied
10y others, their stock consumed, their per-
sonai ELECTS aud implements of husbandry
destroyed = Many are widows,
many orphans, and the winter, with its
seventies IN prospect, threatens accumula-
ted misery. They need every thing, bedding,
wheat lnr seed, and implements" /
Persons and families in great distress are
daily making application at the office OF the
Commission, in person, for relief, During
the last month, tf.y-fouI refugees and nine
families were assisted at the office, evidence
being given that they were in state of
desfitutinn anu distress. Thirteen hundred
and forty different articles, mostly wearing
apparel, have been sent to different places
in the South Tor gratuitous distribution
through our commlttees. Eleven hundred |
and fity-two dollars and sixty-tiye cents
have been expended for grain, clothing,
medicine, and refugees and such families
~ have been reduced 70 poverty by tho war !