The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-01-27
From de 81. Ma,ys Gaseae,(Jan. l2n.)
An Appeal for Aid"

We re-publisb from the Baltimore Ame-
rican of Saturday last, communication
with the above heading, and purporting to
come from an individual signing him self
w. W. Wheeler, who occupies the 'ere.
spousible and honorable" position of
"scbool-- teacher" at the Governm ent
Farms"-dtias the late residence of Col.
John II. Sothoron, formerly of this coun-
ty, but now in the Confederate States
From what we have been able to learn,
the picture drawn in the communication
referred to is true one, apd the devotees
Of universal freedom have fine opportu-
nifty to display their generosity, by ameio-
rating the condition TO which Yankee phil
anthropy has brought these unfortunate
negroes. Enticcd from their peaceful
homes by the abolitionists who have been
sent among US since the commencement of
the war, they are now enjoying the bene-
fits arising from hard labor under northern
overseers, while they are left unsupplied
with the necessary comforts OF life and the
young and helpless are .perishing daily
from sheer neglect. No one, we are sure,
can blame the negro for accepting freedom
when offered to him their ignorance is
to be pitied, and if their expectations are
not realized, the censure should fall upon
the pstigators Of such progressive meas
ures as the emancipation proclamation and
the adoption of the "New Constitution"
of Mary land. We are far from dis
couraging any one in procuring aid for
these poor untortunates on the contrary,
we say TO all who are so inclined, particu-
larly to those whose prejudices have been
the cause of so much suffering, that they
could not find better object upon which
to bestow their charities, than in giving
aid to the free negroes at the Government
Farms" in St Mary's county.
From the Bait. diner. Of Saturday.
AN APPEAL FOR AID.
Govt Farms, St. Mary's Co. Md.
December 18th, 1864
Messrs. Editors Baltimore american:
am reminded by the intense cold of
this morning, and the evor.recurring
thoughts of the restitution of these poor
people, of my promise to you that I would
tell you more of their wants. Every day
as we rise the thought of their nakedness
rushes into our minds, and our sight is
panied every hour of the day by sufferings
which we can in no way alleviate. Oh !
their open, comfortless houses, their bare
feet and limbs. There have been very
few days this winter but there have been
barefooted boys and girls to school, and
even when they were not at school, they
must have suffered greatly. Many Of
them are sick-some of whooping cough,
and others of deep seated colds Deaths
are very frequent, especially among the
children.
Oh that the Christian people of Balti-
more could for one day behold the misery
which we can see, and must see every day.
Every kind of clothing is needed. Our
new Superintendent has brought along
clothing for few of the working men and
women, but the aged and infrm aud the
children, who are least able to stand the
cold, are as yet unprovided for Especially
childreu's clothing is very urgently need
ed. We also greatly need stove to put
in our school room. We have small fire.
place in one end of a long, open room, and
it is absolutely impossible to make the
the room warm, and then the children near
the fire are all perspiration and those back
are sbivcring with cold.
If you could get US a secondhand box
stove or a sheet iron one, anything in
which we could build fire, we would like
about twenty feet of pipe with the stove to
60 into the chimney.
IT, you could publish this, and make a
few collections and send to US, you might
have the satisfaction of knowing that you
had made many sad heart glad, and
many cold mortal warm.
w. w. WHEELER.
Any donations left with j. A. Peck, rs
North street, at the Christian Commission
Rooms, directed to w. w. Wheeler,
Government Farms, St. Mary's County,
MARYLAND will be forwarded