The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-06
SEA ISLAND SUFFERERS.

| SEA ISLAND SUFFERERS.
Their DepIorabIe Condition Pathetlcall
Pictured by Miss Barton.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28.-Mis
Clara Barton, president OF the Nationa
Red Cross, in an official letter to Secre
tary Carlisle, under date of Beaufort
l. 8. c., Nov. 26, says:
81 am informed by telegram from Mr.
P. V. DeGraw of the United Press. tina
you have directed some boats to repor
to me for servics at these sea islands.
No words can tell you how needed they
are nor how welcome they will be. Ir
my dispatch to Mr.. DeGraw, asking fol
a boat, I said that without such facilities
death from exposure must result. Desir'
ing to avoid sensation, Withheld the fact
that the last three deaths reported to ui
had been from that cause. B
1--WE have here Q &, 900 pee bic. scatter
ed over territory $50 mle5 in length,
destitute, not only the comforts, but
the necessaries OF NJ Six thousand
houses have to be built or provision
made to take them up from the winter
ground; not one in fifty has a bed, blan.
ket, to cover; not one in hundred has
food for two days save the remnant OF
the weekly issue Of charitable provisions
we can make for them, which is the pitt
full amount of a peck of hominy aud q
pound of pork for family of seven per-
sons for q week, and the sword of Damo-
cles over our heads pointing to the
months beyond when we shall fall of
that. These seventy islands are cut and
crossed by rivers, sounds and creeks,
often too narrow and shallow to nav
igate, too wide and deep to ford, and
again sweeping, swift and dangerous,
like unto the open sea. Their boats
were nearly all lost; the bridges gone,
and neither lumber, nail or tools to make
others. Whatever we have to give, we
must largely carry to them. Even If
they had their little boats, in the long
row of twenty to forty miles, to come
for their pro visions, in the frost and cold
half clad and half fed, they would perish;
the families at home would starve.
81 bring these facts to you, MIR. Sec
retary, not to move you to greater pity,
but to show you how needful provi-
sion you havo made, the suffering bodies
you will have saved, the faint hearts
cheered. There are SIX months Of this
till something grows. The privilege Of
boat will be needed all the time-it is
our only conveyance, we cannot procure
| 1t for ourselves, as all our available funds
in sight for this field IRE less than sc
cents a piece,for the next six months.
"The great cry Of all these men is,
after all, not 80 much for food, as fol
work. Seven O'Clock of every morning
finds gang of $50 to 200 men in from
Of the headquarters, waiting to learn i
we have shovels or hoes to let them &C
to work either ditching the land, build
ing their houses, or preparing the 2rount
for tho next years. planting; and thu
without cent of money; only for ths
little ssrations" OF meal and meat, which
they all know ls already their own. I
We had the suitable tools or tho means
to purchase them, we could put 5000
men at work IN three days, under thei
| own foremen, at rs cent q day, payable
| ia meal and meat for themselves an6
families, upon improvements which
| would make the sea islands the gardel
spot of the eastern coast. Hereafter le
no one say that the sea island negro il
not willing to work.
OCCUPIED as your tins is, Mr. Sec
retary, I will not apoligise for this Ions
letter, tor it is my duty to let the stat
of things be known to those who have
the ability to comprehend the situation
if not to relievedit. May I kindly asl
of you the fevor 10 pass this letter als'
to our honored President, Mr.. Cleve.
land. whom I have not had the pleasure
of meeting personally since bis return t.
Us as chief magistrate.
with sentiments Of the highest es'
teem and gratitude, I have the honor II
re main, very respectfully,
"CLARA BARTON,
"Presitlent American National Re-
Cross"