Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-03-07


simple and graphic language. No word paint
ing could make it more Impressive.
The abolition Of slavery 10 The District oil
Columbia 10 1862, threw into the labor mar
ket a surplus ol laborers, and had it not been
Tor the demand oI work at the hospitals, 10 the
cavalry service, at navy yards, and at other
places in the War Department during the past
year, thousands Of women could not, with their
Gyains ifelAissggff,ffeu lAissgf found labor and sabslssed.
those women have brsyely succeeded IN fssdihs
.heir children and the helpless old persons de-
pendent upon them, and in paying an eIoroi.
iant rent for the board shanties, stables, and
Hretched out-houses which they are compelled
TO occupy, az a last resort, for shelter and
home.
The eases for which We make our appeal are
generally the families, wives and mothers Of
men IN Government service, whose present.
wherea bouts il unknown TO these women.
IL is impossible to Judge which Of their wants
is most imperous at the present time, that OF
food, fuel, clothing, or bedding. A few cases
from the hundreds actually seen and personally
visited by Miss Grifis and several of US, will
show the demand for charity On the part Of tho
unfortunate sufferers.
Within lew days an old woman sat in her
bed IN shanty where the melted snow was
dripping on her psles OF rags, unable 70 lie
down, alone having lately buried two children.
There Was n0 appearance OF a frc, no wood, and
in the house nothlag to eat. She had begged
match, which lay on a stool by her bed, that
,hs might light it in the night, as she said,
" TO make the night seem shorter"
Near by was mother and an undressed ln-
lApt, two days OLD, With another yearling in
the bed with her to keep it warm. She had
eaten nothing for twenty four hours, had no IRE,
aud a child, nine years old, was washing in cold
water rags TO sell, to bye, if possible, loaf OF
bread. Her husband had been soldier in the
army si1 months, and during the time she had
not heard from him.
A few squsres away are Sally Claytsn, daugh-
Ter, and two grandchildren. The husbands OF
both these woIsen are at Key West, in Govern
ment employ The daughter with young in-
lant, undressed, with no fire, no bread, aud no
means to get either, has nearly perlshed already.
On Fourteenth street ls an old, gray haired
man, who has, by the cossent oil his master, as
he says, preached the gospel Of Christ q great
many years. tie sleeps on board, with q stick
of wood for pillow. lie has no means OF get
ting eiiher fuel or food, has no shirt on his back,
ana hs SHOES are little bester than none. His
arm aud collar bone broken, and he cannot per-
l0rn bard labor.
In the outhern part Of the city are SIX chill
dren Their mother, Mrs. Jackson, died few
weeks since, lrom exposure and want OF food.
The poor creatures were buddled together like
sheep 10 q storm, two of the little ones bare
foot, all OF them in rags and shreds of garments,
and old shoes picked up 10 the strests The
eldest was delicate girl Of twelve the youngest
b.bo, a year old. they had no 6ra, and no
appearance OF having eaten anything for the
las, twenty four hours, a, they said they had
not. They were some distance from house,
and the yard around them was one sxpanse of
mud.
On Capitol Hill, in a stable, are two families
Of twelve persons, occupying less room than Is
required by two respectable horses. An old
man is crippled with fever sore young girl
has consumption babe is dying for nour-
ishment; motherless boy Of twelve has pneu-
msnis an old mas works hard to pay the rent,
twelve dollars month, and widow Of fifty 10
their dependence for bread. A narrow plank
bed and a commen bedstead accommodate q part,
and the remainder OF them lie upon the broxen
brick. upon rags. They were withou, fire, bread
or blanteta
An old slave woman, ninety years Of age, has
taken shelter, in a stable, her poor pallet occu-
pying all It's room, excepting small space not
large enough for her cobn. No ray Of light
comes in at MONDAY. She sits there alone
with no possible means OF subsistence, and yet
not alsne, for, she says, God has never forssken
her. She has, she says, raised the children and
the grandchildren OF her master in oil faithful
ness to God asd 10 him, and though her master
has turned her out to die, she does not believe
that God will see her starve.
These cases might be multiplied. Their name
is legion. Never have more love. more devotion,
more sacrihce, more exertion, been displayed
than by ths suffering, naked, starving mothers
who are trying to save the lives OF their chill
tren even If they perish themselves. Aid, then,
at ouce, ye who are compassionate. Act in tho
spiri. Of that address to which uod says
Teach 10 feel snolher's voc,
To hide that fault | scot
That mercy to others show,
That mercy show " nae.
Aid .houd be immediate. There is no time
to lose We, the Executive Committee OF the
National Freedmen's Relief Association, pledge
ourselves that contributions, whether OF money