Letter from Mrs. Antoinette M. Olcott to Mississippi Governor John M. Stone; October 5, 1878

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Letter from Mrs. Antoinette M. Olcott to Mississippi Governor John M. Stone; October 5, 1878

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Each transcribed document contains links that connect it to other documents on the same topic in the collection.

People

Burt, Unknown Falconer, Kinloch, 1838-1878 Nelson, Andrew McCampbell, 1830-1883 Olcott, Antoinette M.Smith, C. H., c.1845-u.Stone, John Marshall, 1830-1900

Events

Convict Labor Convict Labor. Mississippi Convict Labor. Mississippi. Leasing Program Criminal Procedures Criminal Procedures--Pardon Criminal Procedures--Release

Organizations

Mississippi--Executive Department

Businesses

Agricultural Production--Farms

Occupations

Medical Profession Medical Profession--Physicians Secretaries

Places

Illinois--Madison County. Alton Illinois--Peoria County. Peoria Louisiana--East Baton Rouge Parish. Baton Rouge Louisiana--Orleans Parish. New Orleans Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Washington County. Greenville Missouri--Saint Louis County. St. Louis

Social Identifiers

Impoverished People Imprisoned People

Vital Statistics

Death Disease and Illness Disease and Illness--Epidemic Disease and Illness--Epidemic. Yellow Fever (1878)Wounds and Injuries

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[seal]

Upper Alton Oct. 5_1878

Hon. Gov. Stone

Your kind and welcome letter of the 21^st alt. was received on the 24_ conveyng the good news, giving joy and great gratitude for your wise decision in favor of my friend Mr. Burt. Not one word have I heard from him since the 16th of last June. great anxiety is felt for him on account of the yellow fever and the despon-ding; at times, deranged State of his mind. O! that we could hear how it is with him, may our Fathers tender watch care and love be with him.

I wrote to him, and to Mr. ^C. H. Smith^ (who he was with last June, 4 miles North East of Greenville Washington Conty Miss. on a farm) the same night I received your last with the knowledge of his release & sent it by the first mail 25 Sept. By your suggestion have waited to hear from him before writing to you that his true thanks to you for your gracious kindness might accompany mine. Yet I hope he lives, but

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how to learn it, is the question, I [page torn] It seems wrong for me to ask you to help me so occupied as you are with important official business, yet I know no other way but through you to hear from Mr. Burt, I have written him and those he is with so many times and recieve no answer I fear he is not living and they will not let me know it. Will not some of the officers report to you now after you have released him, particu-lars of his case—that they have recieved your Order and released him on such a day &c Even if he was sick and died from any cause—will they not report it to you. We are very anxious to know all we can about him. Is he able to care & think well for himself in mind; Will his clothes be given him; some means to supply present necessity until he can reach a place to earn, in this peril-ous time, yes your State is deeply afflicted The papers report sad suffering there & much sympathy here for you, and to the poor suffers ^or has been sent to different places there. May our Father regard you in mercy, assuage the pestilence that is making so many hearts and homes sad and desolate. Cases of yellow fever are in St. Louis and Peoria North of us where they have come up to their homes sick from the South. Freed of a simple remedy

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The physicians use for them selves every morni[unclear: incomplete document scan] before visiting their patients with yellow fever at New Orleans as a preventative & cure. It is pulverized charcoal fresh burned form hickory wood is the best, Sift, One or Two teaspoons ^full 2 or 3 times a day while felling ill,^ with equal quantity of dry white sugar, eat it dry. It will cure many other fevers

It is now 14 days since you ordered the release of my friend. I know not that he has heard of it. If he had, think he would have written me are this, Some of our neighbors have letters from their friends below often, and one family came up lately from Baton Rouge Lou.

The circumstances with my friend and the ~~state of the~~ affliction in that State at this time make it particularly necessary he should be heard from soon as reasonable He may be suffering need aid. I do not know the custom or rules in such matters & placese as he has been in the last 17 months—that the clothes & property he had then when taken will be restored & returned to him. He had beside his clothes a gold chain I value for its association as well as seal value, and a pearl handle knife. Some money he must have had—Will these be returned. These are trifles in comparrison to saving his life and soul and helping him to recover health if now sick O! that he could return home.

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I appreciate truly your great kindness to us. may your sincere hope and good wishes for him be realized and you never caused to regret the responsible high Official duty you have been called to do for him, I shall ever remember is with high regard for you.

Please let me know if you can hear from him my friend Mr Burt whatever it is I shall be very glad to know. We are in much anxiety for him. Are more rejoiced than words can express that he is released.

Yours very truly

A. M. Olcott

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Upper Alton Ill. Oct. 24/78

Hon Gov. J. M. Stone

Your kind favor of the 8 was need on the 10 I am very anxious to hear from Mr. Burt, that he even knows of your great kindness and pardon to him before death shall come to him

Our last paper beings the intellignece of the death of two of our friend by yellow fever there in Miss one in Greenville ^ from this place^ He needs to hasten away North ere he is attacked by it. [gap] My mind is so distressed and anxious about him, until I can hear from ^him^ by his own hand, that I conclude to trouble you one more, to ask you to permit me to write to him now in this to you, You write to him also a word or two and ask him to write to you, also to me same time & enclose it in yours then you please send it to me, As I have written so many times to him and Mr Smith and recieved no return—have had no time knowledg of him since 16_of June. I want to know that he lives, and thath he has recieved the glad news of his pardon and beeen released, he so much desired so long to be free that he could go from the sickly low land he was in

When I wrote to him last supposed his letters wouls be handed him unopened, or read by no one but himself now you have pardon him.

As they are accustomed to reading them, it may be well to write on the back of the envelope—Please hand direct to Mr. R. Burt, and permit him to answer

I wish they would not detain him there, as he needs to be earning to defray his expenses traveling, and support his life & real need for the winter. This is precious time to him if well. I feel grateful to you for releasing him early before winter, It will require much time if he can find business to make up the loss he has suffered. I doubt thath he knows that you released him @1 Sept. How happy and full of joy his heart would be to know it; please help me to convey the good news to him.

If you write to him the men & officers will allow your letter to be given to him, when they do not mine, and wil permit him to answer you, if you request an answer. I ask this favour of you as I know of no other way to learn of him, that he is srely living which is important I should know soon

If you learn surely that he is living & started away from there & Greenville please return this directed to him to me with what you know of him

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He may be sick now—no money to buy food or shelter, or any way to earn if able—no place to work—most of the people sick—not much business doing, and no one will take in a strnage traveler fearing he may bring them fever—as the circumstances are it is sad and difficult for him at this time to get along without aid to sustain life. I shoudl like to know if they, when releasing him will give him a suit of clothes, and money to supply wants until he can earn, And will they pay him for his time since 21st Sept, until released This is the first time he or any acquaintance of mine was in suhc a place, I know not the custom, should think a suit of new citizens clothes & money to sustain and take them home would be givne him, I trust you to do what is right, and hope to hear from him in his own hand writing through your kindness.

If he is not living I want to know the cause, and time of his death—all the particulars. Why do they not let friends know when those in their care are sick or injured. I have feared the guards would injure him in some passion when he falls down faint from his head being unable to stand long or stoop. I must know if it is the case—the truth about him what ever it is the case—the truth about him whatever it is. Please do learn it for me and let me know all.

When the leessees reported ''all the convicts are well'' to you Mr. B. may not have been included if he died last June or July. Some have died there last spring & Summer. Some were shot. may he be spared from any such tragical sad end. He will if he has reason & powers of life to endure all they require him to do, he wrote me last he was doing his duty well as he could,but the guards were hard to please, and his head so dizzy he nearly fell many times—was not able to do it then. You may know by this my grateful thanks are and will ever be returned to you with praise for your release of him from that unjust suffering, and how much more I shall rejoice to know he is released, living, ad started away.

It will be better for him to be released there as you first intended no tbe taken to jackson on account of the fever his clothes can be sent here to me. I shall ever gratefull to you for this aid.

With great respect

A. M. Olcott

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Illinois

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI,

[gap] County,

FromM^r A. M. Olcott
Address Upper Alotn Ill.
Dated Oct. 5^th 1878
Received'' 7 ''
Answered [gap]

SUBJECT. (2 Letters)

In the interest of Convict R. Burt.

He has been Pardoned

J. M. STONE,
Governor.

~~KINLOCH FALCONER,~~ ^Nelson, A. M.^
Private Secretary.