Southern Famine Relief Commission Records
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Abstract
This collection contains records of the Southern Famine Relief Commission, a New York City organization formed to provide assistance to Southern states during the famine of 1867. The materials in this collection have been digitized and are available online to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.
Historical Note
Aside from social and political turmoil in the Civil Wars immediate aftermath, the South faced other major problems -- significantly increased numbers of widows, orphans and disabled men; destruction of homes, rural and urban; and great loss of such property as tools, farm implements and stock. To make matters worse, a severe drought in 1866 led to widespread crop failures. Much of Southern citizenry was without work and many were on the brink of starvation.
News of this worsening situation began reaching the Northern states by means of personal letters, agents sent by Southern churches and benevolent organizations, and word passed along to societies and clubs having Southern branches. As a result, a few independent groups began forming to provide assistance to specific groups and locales.
In New York City, private concern resulted in the calling of a public meeting on January 25, 1867 at the Cooper Institute for the purpose of discussing the Southern Destitution and considering potential action. Speeches were made by Peter Cooper, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher and Horace Greeley, and the Southern Famine Relief Commission was established to investigate the facts and take any warranted action.
Executives of this group included:
Archibald RussellPresidentEdward BrightCorresponding SecretaryFrederick Law OlmstedRecording SecretaryJames M. Brown TreasurerJohn BowneGeneral Agent
Standing Committees were appointed:
On Business with the SouthEdward Bright, ChairmanOn Business with the NorthFrederick Law Olmsted, ChairmanPurchasing and ForwardingHoward Potter, ChairmanOn City Collections J. Pierpont Morgan, Chairman
Over a five month period, the committees met daily, with a general meeting held once a week. The organization determined its responsibilities to be the following:
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- To collect credible information. Initial requests for information were made to military personnel and members of the local provisional governments in the Southern states. Subsequent information was provided by a wide variety of individuals and groups.
- To make the information public. This they accomplished by means of circulars, handbills, newspaper stories, public events and correspondence. Providing reliable information was of particular importance as some in the North were skeptical about the seriousness of the situation and many continued to harbor ill feelings towards their old enemies.
- To suggest and assist in the formation of other independent cooperating societies. The group was careful not to interfere with or duplicate the tasks of other groups.
- To stimulate loans and other forms of aid.
- To solicit donations for the purchase and transport of Indian corn in small quantities to those areas of the South most in need. States receiving most of the aid were North and South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia.
During its brief existence (January 25, 1867 through its final meeting on November 8, 1867), the Southern Famine Relief Commission purchased and transported 169,316 bushels of corn. This represents enough corn to sustain 600,000 people for a four month period. The total cost was $206,287. In addition, $12,000 was sent in cash to trustworthy agents to be used in caring for the sick. The group also made possible the shipment of a variety of small donations for Southern relief. Such items as clothing, wine, potatoes, beans, pork, buckwheat and flour were sent directly to the Commission by individuals in New York and surrounding states.
There were other groups involved in relief efforts during 1867, including the Federal Government through its Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Land. The Ladies Relief Association of New York City, for example, collected $80,000; the state of Maryland, $1,000,000; and the city of Pittsburgh, $30,000. A total of three to five million dollars is estimated to have been expended overall during 1867 to save thousands from starvation in the South.
Arrangement
Most of the material is arranged chronologically. See the series descriptions for specific details.
This collection is organized into four series:
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- Series I. Correspondence and Papers
- Series II. Commission Business Records
- Series III. Letter Books and Letter Register
- Series IV. Newspaper Clippings
Scope and Content Note
The Southern Famine Relief Commission Records include correspondence, business records and newspaper clippings that describe the establishment of the Commission, its internal workings and its accomplishments. Similar organizations engaged in parallel activities are also mentioned, as are entities such as the provisional government officials in the South, and the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. The material dates from January, 1867 through January, 1868, with the bulk of the items falling between late January and the end of September, 1867.
The collection details the actions of the Southern Famine Relief Commission. It also provides a clear image of portions of the South immediately following the Civil War. Of particular significance are first-person narratives contained in the many pleas for assistance, and numerous newspaper articles reflecting difficulties faced during the early days of Reconstruction and expressing the attitudes and opinions of a wide variety of people.
The materials in this collection have been digitized and are available online to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.
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Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Portions of the collection that have been microfilmed will be brought to the researcher in that format and can be made available by Interlibrary loan.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as Southern Famine Relief Commission Records, The New-York Historical Society.
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Provenance
Donated by the Southern Famine Relief Commission, 1867.