The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-12-07
SEA ISLAND SUFFERERS.
Their DepIorabie Condition Pstheticany
Pictured by Miss Barton.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28.-Mss
Clara Barton, president OF the National
Red Cross, in an official letter to Secre.
tary Carlisle, under date of Beaufort,
S. G., Nov. &c, says:
81 am informed by telegram from Mr..
p. V. DeGraw of the United Press. that
you have directed some boats to report
to me for service at these sea islands.
No words can tell you how needed they
are nor how welcome they will be. In
my dispatch to Mr.. DeGraw, asking for
a boat, 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 us
had been from that cause.
1--WE have here 80, 900 people. scatter
ed over territory $50 miles in length,
destitute, not only OF the comforts, but
the necessaries OF life. Six Thousand
houses have to be built or provision
made to take them up from the winter
ground; not one IN fifty has 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 peck of hominy aud a
pound Of pork for family of seven per-
sons for a 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 10 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
Tor their provisions, in the frost and cold
halt clad and half fed, they would perish;
the families at home would starve.
" bring these facts to you, Mr.. Sec
retarY, not to move you to greater pity,
but to show you how needful q provi-
sion you have made, the suffering bodies
you will have saved, the faint hearts
cheered. There are Blk 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 tor ourselves, as all our available funds
in sight for this field are less than SO
| cents piece for the next slX months.
"Ihe great cry Of all these men is,
alter all, not 80 much for food, as for
work. Seven O'Clock of every morning
finds gang Of $50 to 200 men in front
OF the headquarters, waiting to learn If
we have shOvels or hoes to let them 90
to work either ditching tho land, build
ing their houses, or preparing the ground
tor the next years planting; and this
| without cent of money; only for the
little "ratlons" OF meal and meat, which
they all know ls already their own. II
we had tie suitable tools or the means
10 purchase them, we could put 5, 900
men at work IN three days, under their
own foremen, at rs cent day, payable
IA meal and meat for themselves and
families, upou improvements which
would make the sea islands the garden
spot OF the eastern coast. Hereafter let
no one say that the sea island negro is
not willing to work.
"Occupied as your tims is, Mr.. Sec
retary, L will not apoligise for this long
letter, Tor 1t is my duty to let the state
OF things be known to those who have
The ability to comprehend the situation,
II not to relicvedit May L kindly ask
OF you the tevor to pass this letter also
to our honored President, Mr.. Cleve-
land, whom have not had the pleasure
OF meeting personally since his return to
us as chief magistrate.
"Wlth sentiments of the highest es-
TEEN and gratitude, l have the honor to
re main, very respectfully,
"CLARA BARTON,
"Prcsl'ent American National Red
Cross"