New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-14
Affairs in Caldwell Parish.
New ORLEANS, May -, 1874.

AVE-" ohLGh1>G, XAdy l~y iCs Il
EDITOR REPUBLICAN,:
The inclosed letter, from well known
citizen of Caldwell parish, written JUS,
after the first supplies were received from
the relief committee, gives 80 clear an idea
of the condition OF the people in the over.
flowed districts that l send it to YOU with a
request that you publish it for the benefit
of your numerous readers.
Respectfully, o. H. BREWSTER.
'IN THE WATER" May 3, 1874
Hon. O. Il. Brewster New Orleans:
DEAR SR-YOur favor of the twenty four rth ul.
timo is to hand, and contents noted. The rations
sent per Ouachita Belle were received and dis
tributed forthwith, and the supply was not ade.
quate for the demand 1t was distressing to see
the half fsmished people in their various small
shall 60 to town in the morning and await the ar.
rival Of the provisions per steamer Willie, and
tressed. We feel proud to know that we have
such friend as yourself in this great hour of need
The water is still rising here, and exceeds any
condition OF the people is cad and deplorable to
think of. l have worked in the water tor three
weeks to save my 0wh ssoex anu '1a ma OF my neigh
of their mules and cattle to have them boated to
high land. Many have had their corn. soured by
being under water ], myself, have here fifty
bushels on top of the house, trying TO dry it. Our
nearest corn mill now above water is thirty miles
from some OF our planters and in order to secure
small boats that thirty miles. and the meal
brought back. The Ouachita river, onSthe hill
side, is dotted with small camps all the way down
where tie people have taken refuge from the
water and abandoned their flooded homes. Two
hundred acres are al that 10 out the east side
of the river from Monroe down to the mouth Of
Red river.
wish to call your attention to one section Of
country which has been entirely overlooked, and
in this parish for there is not single foot of land
out over there, and they are from seven to fifteen
miles from high land. and some are reported as
actually starving. ! will give an idea by relating
the following sad statement: Valentine Etier and
Henry Book, of EGuf river, had skinned some
dead cattle drowned by overflow, and hearing a
coming up Beuf river, and started down he river
in their dugout to meet the boat and exchange
to get through trading by the time the boat
reached their house The boat proved to be the
Ouachita Belle, in the Ouachits river. The two
men have been gone three days, and have not vet
been heard from. Etier had not provisions to last
twentv-fonr hours, and had five bushels of corn
which he had borrowed. as his is ruined under
water. He leaves q wife and five children living,
OF rather staying. on the second floor of their
house, and the water three inches deep on that
floor. Books is equally as destitute, and leaves q
wife and two children, and his wife expecting to
be confined. They are 1uppOsed to be drowned.
The foregoing statement was given to me by one
of the members of the police jury who lives over
on B9uf river and left there Yesterday evening
and who conversed with Mrs Etier.
would recommend that the same committee
who distribute at Columbia should also distribute
for the 800 people who are oveIfowed on Bc5uf
river, as this s their nearest point; and, more
can land. The water is two feet deep in my house,
which you know is pretty high from the ground.
l learn that two women and one child were
drowned on Tensas q few days since.
Hoping that the relief committee will do all IN
their power to relieve the suffering people re-
main. yours,
T. G. WILLIAMS.
P. P.S-One of the committee at Colum bla the
arrival of supplies had &c stand with club in his
hand and threaten to knock some of the men in
the water if they did not stand back and allow q
fair distribution Starvation knows NO law.
q