The National tribune., 1900-11-08
LEO RASsIEUR,
Comniander-in-Chief

Headquarters Department of Texas,
| Woman's Relief u Corps, Houston, Tex,
Sept. p, 1900.-To the Departments and
Corps of the w. r. c.: The appalling
calamity which has befallen the families
of Federal soldiers of this Department re-
siding at Galveston and vicinity makes it
sacred duty of the Department officers
to make an effort in their behalf to obtain
funds to alleviate their sufferngs, and in
small measure restore them to their
condition before the great storm. The
Grand Army of Texas has issued its ap-
peal, with the approval of the Command
er-in-Chief, and it has been suggested that
an appeal be made to the sisters of the
Relief Corps of the United States in their
organized capacities to contribute such re-
lief as they may be able to spare to aid
this Department in the performance of the
duty it owes these suffering comrades and
their families.
| If there ever was an occasion for the
practical exemplification of charity, it has
come to us at this time with fearful con-
sequences. As auxiliaries of the Grand
Army of the Republic and having as our
special wards families of destitute COM
rades, we confidently appeal to all the De
partments and Corps of our beloved Order
for such voluntary contributions as they
may be able to make, and to request that
funds be transmitted TO Nina Metcalf,
street. and clothing and other supplies to
Past Department President Ada G.. Work,
| Custodian, 20J Main street, both at Hous-
ton, Tex, who will be required to make
an account of all contributions and outlays
to the next National Convention of the
Woman's Relief Corps.
We beg to suggest to Departments and
Corps that supplies of clothing, bedding,
etc, should be whole, clean and service
able, as we have noticed that supplies sent
in general relief are not of q character our
charity should prompt, and only the direst
necessity accept Food supplies not need
ed; can be had here cheaper and save
transportation. 1t is likely that aid will
be required for some 100 families for at
least six months until the comrades can
again raise crop.
Annette Van Horn, Department Presi
dent; Mary s. Allen, Senior Vice-Presi-
dent; Elma NJ. Kline, Junior Vice-Presi-
dent; Martha B. Leeds, Counselor; Ada
G. Work, Instituting and Installing Off
Ger; Nathalie Perkins, Chief of Staff.
The heartfelt sympathy of the Woman's
Relief Corps of the United States goes out
to our stricken Comrades and their fami-
lies of the Department of Texas, and the
above appeal is heartily approved.
MARY L. CARR,
National President.
You will notice that in addition to the
Department officers the appeal is signed
by Gen. Ed. Ketchum, Senior Abide
Camp and Chief of Staff to Commander
in Chief, and w. +. Connor, member for
Texas of the National Council and now of
the Executive Board, and has the hearty
Endorsement of Gen. Leo Rassieur, Com
mander-in- Chief ofIthe Grand Army of the
Republic for the sTnitedI States. In The
last paragraph of the appeal you will see
how well the Disbursements are safe
guarded. ro5
1t may not be known, to all the com
rades throughout the United States that
Galveston is upon, an island, a little less
than two miles from the mainland, and
that this mainland for a strip of 80 miles
wide by 100 long, is ileyel plain, only a
few feet above TIDE water, traversed by
numerous rivers, bayops and gullies; is
well supplied with railroads, and had a
number of fairly prosperous railroad vii
lagos and hundreds of small, cheaply-
structed farm-hogses. i4Ihe land, while
destitute of trees .0r stgne, is of rich soil,
well adapted to the growth of garden
truck and small fEYits, esugar cane, cotton
and rice In the villages and on this strip
of mainland were located between 100 and
200 eX-Federal soldiers, many of them
members of the Grand Army. They had
come hither mostly on account of impaired
health and to escape the rigors of a North
ern climate in the hope of proonging their
own lives and benefting their survivors.
A few of them had their homes paid for,
the majority paying off their Indebtedness
from the culture of crops for which this
locality is noted or in the usual yocations
of villager. Their houses, as q rule, are
cheap affairs, rarely lethed and plastered,
set upon wooden blocks two to four feet
above the ground for purposes of yentila-
ton.
The same terrible wind and waves that
wrecked Galveston struck this section of
the mainland with equal fury; indeed, the
vortex OF the storm was at Velasco, ON
the coast, considerably west of Calves |
ton. These frail houses were toppled over,
blown of their blocks, wrenched, unroofed,