Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-31


office of the board of health to-day are lit
tie more favorable, yet startling in the mum
per of new cases and deaths. But there Il
good reason to believe that all the new case
are not recorded yesterday, since severa
physicians had not filed their reports wher
the APPEAL reporter left the office. The ex
cuse gwen by some is that they are so pressed
gitn calls to attend the sick they have no
zine to make out reports, while there are 9th
ers who, we regret to say, positively refuse tx
make a report to the board of health upor
the stilted opinion that there is no yellow
fever in the city.
CAMP JOE WILLIAMS.
No tidings having been received from the
refugees at Camp Joe Williams yesterday
leads us to hope that everything is moving
along smoothly there. The hospital has been
put IN proper order, and placed under the
skillful management of DIR. T. o. Somers.
10 this connection we give place to the fol-
lowing card from DIR. Paul Otey, who speaks
ii his own defense against the article which
appeared in the Euening Ledger few days
ago, and which was reproduced in the
columns of the APPEAL:
FIAT JUsTITA AT RUAT CELUM.
Gentlemen of the Relief Committee:
In the very beginning of the calamity which
Is upon US, considered the idea of establish
ing tents In the woods to take care of the
Door of the city, so as to furnish less material
Tor the disease. l telegraphed to the Presi-
dent to send five hundred tents and flys. This
was cordially Endorsed by DIR. Erskine, health
officer, Mr.. Toof and Major Benyaurd. Mr..
Thompson, postmaster, also telegraphed. The
prompt reply was: ~ will send one thousand
sew army tents" l made this statement
before the relief committee, and asked them
to appoint some physician to take charge OF
Inc encampment. Rev. DR.. Landrum then
offered a resolution to make me surgeon-in
chief of all camps, which was unanimously
adopted. General Wright and Mr.. Fisher
then said, $50 ahead, doctor; don't consult
with US, but draw on US for whatever you
want and it shall be supplied" l then
asked them to confer with Captain Cameron
to go down to the place that had been select
ed, so as to make a show of military authori-
~, as threats had been made that an armed
mob would be raised to drive US from the
grounds. This was agreed to. | immedi-
ately proceeded to the Charleston depot and
telegraphed to the superintendent at Hunts
VILE to Tuscumbia and to luka to obtain
an engine and car to send to the fair ground
for the captain and company. l could get no
reply. | wished to do all this as a precedent
for other cities to follow, when visited by the
plague. After some delay Captain Cameron
came to the Memphis and Tennessee depot,
l requesting him before starting to place a
guard Immediately at the Nonconnah creek
bridge, and proceeded to Camp Joe Will
liams," the name very appropriately suggest
ed by DIR. w. Il. Rogers, and agreed to by
Major Willis, of the Southern express Co., and
theirs. l applied to Mr.. Baker, whom L met
upon the street, to furnish this company
something to eat. He forthwith sent to them
some sardines, canned-beef and crackers, for
they were there and without provisions.
knowing the efficiency of Mr.. Robert Lamb,
l ssught for him and found him in the Ten
nessee club-rooms. l requested him to go
with me and take charge of the commensurate,
and TO assist me IN getting tents and stores
to the camp. He readily consented to do So;
l could not have succeeded without him. |
learned that there were some tents at No. 3
Towards row, belonging to the Mississippi
surveying party | hired lot of them, and
requested Mr.. David Hukell, jr.
to show the men where the tents were. He
did so, and | fortunately obtained street.
car fiat, drawn by two mules, and, without
any authority, stopped it and loaded it with
these tents and poles. l then proceeded to
Orgill & Bros, found a young man in the
store, obtained six spades and SIX axes and
handles, had them put upon the car and des-
patched to the depot. | then requested Mr..
r. Lamb to take charge of the car, and as
soon as unloaded to proceed to the Louisville
depot and get the United States tents, etc.
He labored very hard and accomplished the
work properly. | then went to Ozanne d
May and found the store closed. This, I'M
derstand, was on Sunday. | had to hire a
hack and send out for the clerk, and upon the
latter's arrival obtained from him cooking
utensils (see requisition for same), and, in
company with Mr.. John Lonsdale, put them
in a hack and carried them to the depot. l
then made a requisition upon the commlssary
for rations; no reply. Sent another; still no
reply. | then proceeded to the commissary
and demanded why the supplies were not for
warded. The reply was: Had seen no requl-
sition." | called their attention to both
acquisitions in writing before them. l asked
Major Maccabe if he had any supplies. He
pointed to ten hams, four large-sized ba-
con sides and three barrels of -four. went
out and got a two-horse wagon, found Mr.
Al Smith and Mr.. Todd, whom | found very
efficient, drove to the commissary, took all he
had, gave him my receipt, and told the gen.
tlemen to go forthwith and swap off one bar
rel of -four for bread. | followed the wagon
on foot down Main and Beale, down Beale to
fernando, then mounted the wagon and
drove to Decker's, corner South and Shelby
found some fresh bread, and, after some hig-
Cling on the part of Mr.. Decker, traded one
barrel of flour for two hundred loaves of
bread-taking one hundred loaves and his
obligation for delivery of the other hundred
the next day-and proceeded to Camp Joe
Williams with all the above enumerated sup
plies. | obtained also from Mr.. Wetter some
tinware (see requ1sition). | found Major Will
Gay and asked him to act as quartermaster
for the camp. He consented, and then told
him Of lot of prairie hay at Mr.. R. Waits
and asked him to purchase thirty and one
half bales for bedding at the camp. He did
50, and promptly had 1t at the camp. Dr.W.
Z. Rogers asked me to give DR.. Nall the ap-
pointment of assistant surgeon. | did SO.
His son, DIR. w. B. Rogers, was then with
the ''Grays." Such, gentlemen, is a brief his
tory of the establishing of Camp Joe Williams
made several suggestions to Captain Cam
eron, and was finally met with the curt re-
ply: doctor, you attend to the medical de-
artment. l never came in conflict with his
authority but once, and that was when he
gave permission to men to erect vast arbors
in front of their tents. l objected to this
purely insanitary view, as the dampness in
case of rain would rot and mould the straw
in the tents, and ordered the men to deslst,
and requested Captain Cameron to issue an
order to have all tents opened before and be-
hind so as to admit of free ventilation and to
shake up their straw daily. You, gentlemen,
- - - IL