Year: 1863

The /. O. 0. +. OF the State of Pennsylvania
have what is termed the Union Relief Associa-


ton, for the relief of sick and wounded soldiers.


It's noble work of benevolencs has been such as


the fraternity may be proud of. In the frst an


nual report to the Grand Lodge of the State, the
! Grst case of relief mentioned is that OF k. ID.


Seacord, formerly member Of MiStletoe Lodge,


ct Minnesota, in Sierra county. We trust the


members of the ogder in this State will prove


their liberality and patriotism by making liberal


donations to this worthy Institution. From the


report mentioned above, we make the following
ertract


We have a COMMITTEES of Relief on each Hos.
pitai in aud around Philadelphia, whose if;y Il
is to visit the hospital at least once each week
aud render such aid ia required Many ip.
stances of suffering and distress como under the
notice of these committees. Among the first
cases brought to the notice of the Committee was
that OF Bro X. d. Seacord, of Mlstletoe Lodge
No. "a, of California. The brother had left Cali
fornia with his wife, at the commencement OF the
war; and upon his arrival at New York enlisted
MS volunteer, his wife volunteering ~ nurse
in the Military Hospitals During the Peninsula
campaign he contracted disease incident TO the
hardships and exposures of u soldiers life, and
was brought in mn exhausted condition to st.
\
the attentive nursing of the Sisters OF Charity
proved uuavailng-he rapidly sank away He


bad no friends or acquaintances in Philadelphia,
aud tho wife knew not OF her husbands dying
condition. 1t was at this moment that the
brethren discovered him they wrote TO his wife,


and manifested their sympathy for him, for which


he expressed the utmost gratitude he said that


it did him good to have the brethren by his bed
! side, in place where he was stranger He
/ died and his remains were followed to the grave


by the members Of the General Relief Committee
and military escort The day after his inter


ment his wifa reached the city from Fortress
Monroe she found the Hospital aud there learn


ed that her companion dead aud she was
referred to the Visiting Committee for intorma
tion concerning bis intermeEt she was taken TO
the Odd Fellows Cemetery, the large slab COW
ering the vault of Chosen Friends Lodge was
removed, and she gazed upon handsome blnck
coffin, upon which was inscribed her husband y
name. Supplied as she was with grief, the ev
dences OF fratcrnal regard seemed to touch the
fountain OF her heart--sobs, tears, and broken
thanks from the stricken wife altested her sorrow
for her great loss and her gratitude to the order
for tho respect and attention they had paid to
brother Odd Fellow.


Among the most distressing cases, IL one of a
brother from Baltimore, who had not received
any pay from the Government for over eight
months, and whose family was entirely dependent
upon him for support The wife had written,
stating the suffering condition OF the family but
II was not in the power OF the brother to render
them relief. About the time our Committee
visited the hospital in which the brother was, he


received another letter from his wilo saying that
I the landlord would walt no longer Tor his rent


but Intended putting them ont Of the house, nlso
/ saying that three Of the children were sick k-and
in that letter the wife says: And il IL not all
sickness either that ails the children il is todnt
Of Jooa' This letter had been delayed several
a In.
brother received another letter, saying that the
doctor had givon the youngest child up to die


it also contained the physicans . certificate to tho
dangerous illness of tho child. Tho child was Il
little daughter, which the brother called his
" little pet, and he was almost distracted by the
condition of his family and his utter inability
to relieve them. The brother exclaimed " Why
didn't die? If | could only die, what a relief
it would be to me 2" The Committee endeav0rcd
to cheer him up, by rendering their services aud
assistance. They took the letters to tho surgeon
in charge of the hospital, stated the brothers
| condition. and asked for iurlongh for him The
surgeon said it was an extreme case Of suffering
but il | give him furough, he has no money to
go to his family, aud ii he were to get out OF the
hospital he might perhaps do himself injury
The Committee told him that they would furnish


the means for him to get home and to relieve his
family. The surgeon at once ordered u iurlough
for twenty day for the brother. The Committee





and arrived there the next morning. found his
" little pet " still alive, aud he said he took it
from the cradle into his arms. aud without stop
ping to sit down, he took it to a grocery store,
where he knew he could get some good wine, and
gave it some at oncG the child revived and be-
gan to recover Tho brother staid a few days
with his family relieved them as best he could
with the means furnished, and when the child
was out Of danger, proceeded to Washington,
procured special order from the Secretary OF


War for his descriptive list, and proceeded to bis
battery, then at Fredericksburg, under General
Mcdowell. On receiving his descriptive list, he
returned to Baltimore-pad all his debts, re-


lieved bis family aud then came back to Phila


delphia to return his furough and get an honor


able discharge from the hospital. iIe returned
/ the money which had been advanced to him, aud


a more grateful man has not been seen lie said.


" but for you my little pet would have died,
and tho rest of my family put out of tho house
I to starve in the streets"