The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1867-07-25
GRAND NATIONAL !
ENTERTAINMENT.
;. FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE
LADoE SOCIETY Y
Suffering and Destitute Poor
:.:OF THE SOUTH
Will take place in
Washington, d. c., Aug2l.. 1867.

VIII take place in
Washington, D. c., Aus21.. 1857.
rJNHE "Iadics Society in aid of the Suffer-
/ Ing and Destitute Poor of the South"
would respectfully md earnestly coll the at
tcntion of the generous Northern public to
the great. distress and fearful suffering now
prevailing in the Southern States. Letters
arc daily receivedfrom the South, from. the
Generals Commanding, Governors ministers
and eminent citizens, furnishing the most;
heart-remlng details Of the actual want, fam
inc and starvation in ;leirimmcdiate neigh
burloo,l. The following few extracts from
the very many letters received by the Secrc-
fairy and Managers Of The Society arc respect
fully referred to-: .-...
'1lEADorARrERs, 4tli MILITARY Dist,
iAIlsslsslrrL & ARKASsAs!9
VIcKsDrRG, MISS. May l3. 1867. e.
=; j am giad TO see that the attention oftlc
gentle and humane ladies of the North is
being rlrncd towards the sad and dcsolate,
condition of'his once happy land.
You, Madam, surrounded will, the plenty:
and comforts of wealthy city, can scarecly
appreciate the fact, that in many rh,ts oftlic
Sonth, whole communities nre, b. II failure
of the crops and absence of money or its g.
quivalent, left in want of:the neccesarlcs Of
life; and that poor women, with large fam
lilies Of helpless children, so ACCUSTOMED to
tlepcntl'on the labor of others, that now, with
no husband brother or servant to help, and
no money, they do not know what to do Or.
where I'd 60 for food; but arc left in the soil
lulcs OF these Southern forests. iii rags anil:
,,.,t1, b,,, ;c{i ,rbof thn
mother or.larger children can shop; or pick
mp in the woods, or on what the few neigh
b0rs, nearly us poor us they are, can bring
them
Officers oflny acquaintance have met with
such mothers, long after dark. out i'll the
woods, will, All oil CUR just fired, and the
coon OF possum just killed; have gone home
with them and met the group of little starvc-
lngs waiting patiently mothers return with
some of the only sort Of food they had tasted
for weeks: and women and children have
been fonnd within sixty miles of the capitol
of Southern State, during the past year,
who had starved to death in their lonesome
cabins. These cases ofgrcat distress are
rare in Southern cities, for, there, cvcn-tbe
most delicate bred oan generally find some
work which they cantlu,o keep the wolf from
the door: but the farms or plantations. in the
South arc peculiarly secluded. with miles OF
forest or swamp, between them, poor roads,
and the stock anil animals nearly all,takcn
br the war. the famine, the floods. or the
thieves, who in such times in!est a:country,
and the distressed families arc often, by the
time necessity makes them want to lcare, too
sick to travel on foot, and there is ;noothcr
way TO 20.
+ Your proposed entertainments, Madam,
shonll it produce only funds cnough,to re-
.l;exc u e..14ii-frrCrtUH or TIC HsstfiIlt'0n OF
this country, will be u good bcginning, and
NAV be followed in other cities North by SIM
liar appeals to people who have happily ncv-
er felt the desolatiou and the horrors which
folIow in the tracks of great armies Of inva-
sion. God speed your society in the good
T.. q. C.. ORD, ,
Brcyct aIajor-Gcncral.
HEADQUARTERS. FIRST MILITARY DIVISION,
RcIINONp, YA:, May II, 1867.
Hrs. Nariorr .Wu!hn'-aly DEAE MADAM:
I shall be too glad if anything cain sny will
aid the society III its noble work. y lnrge
proportion Of the people Of the South have
suffered and many are still suffering almost
TO tho limit of endurance from the devastation
of war and subsequent failure of crops. They
arc making every Eossihlc cXcricn to revive
their vnruus branches of industry and be-
come scli-supporting. The liberal assistance
which the Northern people arc well able to
give, will relieve II great amount of distress,
anil will no doubt be sufficient to place the
poor of the South beyond further suffering
for funl The recent manifestations of an
almost universal desire throughout the South
for a really fraernal reunion with the North,
may well serve to stimulate the generous
sylpatlies of the Northern people, while
nothing coulddo more to foster and encourage
the growth of II healthy sentiment i'll the
South tlan the generous al which it is the
mission of your society to invoke. / sincere
" hope the noble efforts Of the society may
result III the most abundant success. l nm,
dear Madam, very respectfully, your Cbcdient
servant, J. y. SCHOFlELD,
Major-Gcneral
HEADQUARTERS. SECOND MILITARY DIVISION,
CHARLESTON, S. G., Alny Is, 1867.
The excellent purpose you hare i'll view
cannot be too much commended. The liheT4
ality of government of the United States, and
the munifccnt contributions already made
for the relief of the widespread tlcstitptian
in the States. leaves great numbers unpr0vi-
dcd with food and clothing. And until an
abundant harvest enables the people here to
do moro for themselves, trust the ever gcncI-
Gus and prosperous committees Of the North
willcontinue their noble gifts to this impoycr-
isllcd and afflicted population. Will my
beat wishes for the success ofyuur undcrtak-
ing, remain, Madam, very respectfully,
DANIEL +. SICKLES,
Commanding Second Military District.