Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-08-16
OLD CONFEDERATE
SOLDIER APPEALS
To THE RED CROSS
Wanders To State Capital From
Philadelphia But Finds No As
sistance Until Directed To Red
Cross - Case Investigated
And Aid Given
SENT TO HARRY HEATH
CAMP IN WASHINGTON

To bo left at an age Of &c without a
home and with no means OF making
living, too feeble to do manual work.
and without encouragement from any
one with whom he talked-except one.
who finally gave him advice to go to
the Red Cross and ask for aid; to ask
for the aid and to receive it after his
case had been investigated was the
experience of Henry William Miller.
a Confederate soldier, who came to
Annapolis on Saturday
The old soldier. appearing at the
local Red Cross office laid his case be-
fore the secretary. The story was as
follows:
For years he had been employed In a
steel mill near Philadelphia. His
work had been stoking. and the toll
health. For some time after that the
old man was kept in hospital. gradu-
ally becoming better. On regaining
enough of his health TO enable him to
get to work again he found employ
ment on truck farm not far from the
city, and decided upon the plan OF try
ing to gain admission to home for
Confederate soldiers.
In order to do this he had saved his
money until he had enough to get be-
low the Mason and Dixon line. and
came 20 Baltimore. There he obtain
I'd employment again aud worked un-
Ill he could not afford to make the trip
TO the State capital, it being his i'm
preston that aid might be given there
directly
Going to the Capitol he talked with
some OF those whom he met, and was
told by them that there was nothing
s1so for him to do except go down to
The wharves and find job there. He
was without funds, and something had
70 be done at once.
AT last somebody advised the old
soldier that he should take HIS case to
,eh Red Cross Office and see If there
vas not something that could be done
FOR him. Accordingly, he rnade his
way to the headquarters of the local
branch, and told his story there.
Miss Effie Clarkson, local secretary
FOR the Red Cross, found that his story
rang true, and that his statements as
20 his service in the Civil War were
correct as to the dates and other
points. Further investigation of the
-ase soon developed that Miller had
really been soldier, and that his case
saily warranted assistance of some
public organization.
Another difficulty then arose in the
act that the local Red Cross is not
supplied with any funds whatever for
civilian relief, and cannot expend any
:ash in that direction.
Miss Clarkson took the case In hand.
however. and learned from Colonel
lanes w. Owens that the nearest
home for Confederate soldiers in is
Washington, the Harry Heath Camp
Without money for civilian relief no
hing else could not have been done.
'ut the secretary collected enough to
1uy the old soldiers ticket to Wash
ington and to supply him with some
small change He was given an old
suit of clothes, which was much better
han the rags in which he had come
the city and was placed aboard the
Washington car with full instructions
for finding his Washington destina-
ton.
Those who talked with the aged
man said that his manner was quite
pleasing. and that he had a kindly
face. His physical condition was so
ieeole thai assistance had to be given
him in boarding his car when he went
TO Washington.
The case aroused considerable
sympathy, and regret was expressed
that the local Red Cross was without
means of acting directly in the mat
Ter of giving aid through civilian
relief service
w~---------