New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-11-12
ne,tltniIon and MISERY.
A MOTHER AND EIGHT CHILDREN sTAEvISG TO
DEATH-TuREE OF TIE CHILDREN ALhEApi
DEAD.

rChattanooga American Union, Nov 5th.l
Last Sunday friend called on us to 60 WIN
him q short distance from the CrutehEeld IA0u5e,
to see a family who, in his language, Were oJlHE |
Of starvation On Nhth street. below Chestnut
within stones throw of two christian Churche5'
we found the family. 1t originally consisted OF q
mother and eight children, but two OF the laLteF |
aIready were dead while a third was 1alntly
catching the last few gasps before passing away.
The same scene as it presented Itself TO Us was
horrible. The hOvcl in which they were, was
opcn on all sides to the keen chilly night ar. O
hoard at one side of the room lay the cOfpses
of little baby, which had died on Saturday even
ing. and a girl five years old, which had expired
| on Sunday morning. The pnched and ghastiy
features Of the poor little ones tod 100 plalhy o.
| their lingering, painful death.
| On a blanket on the floor lay the mother, hef-
self sick unto death, holding in her arms thlfa
girl, seven years old, who was near her last Az
| the feet of the mother lay the Oldest danghteT,
| girl Of seventeen The appearance OF all Of lhehl
| showed the want of food Of any kind. In one
corner another daughter of eleven years lay,
| suffering with the cramps. Some OF the clhluIeh
had not eaten mouthtul OF 1000 from n, oasLlqay
morning to the time we saw them. The Daoy,
the first one to die, expired IN It's motATT
arms in commissions, on Saturday nlghI. aI' lle
moor woman, herself unable to stand from Weak-
ness. was forced to sit on the floor and hod the
little thing till its eyes closed on the troubles o
tM4 world When the second one died IN the
morning She was unable to do anything lor y,
and now lay holding the third one.
III.
0ne Of our citizens who had heard OF the fanny,
came in, accompanied by servant bearing 1000
and clothing for the children. Some OF the yet
!iyiag ones were SO weak that their stomachs re-
G fused all food except a little boiled milk I'M
d diving child asked Tor a little piece OF bread nH'
was unable to swallow it after it was placed in 1t;
mouth, When asked If she was hungry, she re
y piied g Not now ; was little while ago. an'
2 in few moments after it expired and was OUT @
II its misery The lady alluded to had the body qe
a Gently aid out, and procuring bedstedd, nag tn
h mother and one Of the daughters removed 70 u
~ 4 woman was founl to stay with the taIMl
ii through tile night mnd care for them
le lii the morning Cufin5 were procured t0r IN
three corpses, gentleman doing business on Ma
l5et street gave enough clothing and maternal K
Z sbrouds to cl0thc them. During the morning th
Jn bodies were inferred. At dinner time the moth'
d. and he rest of the children were removed 70
,a more comfortable place short distance belo
- where they were first found.
hg The unfortunate family are named Simmons, al
th are from st. Clair county, Alabama where tht
he had a little farm. The father dying, the moth
~ had left her home and came thither in search f
y brother whom she understood was living heI
IL They arrived in this city about three weeks ag
ch and during the very cold October, they lay IN I
red Union passenger depot, without any other shell
- than that afforded by a few blankets. On Lu
= day last they were removed into the novel Whe
led we found them. Without friends and wlthc
ter money in strange city, theirs was truly pit
md bic case The neighbors living in the surround
:. shantes were themselves too poor to afford a
IA, aid These little children tried in various ways
md obtain something for the support of the rest OF
ays family by picking up pieces Of iron and sell
Gus them and even begging