The great pestilence in Virginia; being an historical account of the origin, general character, and ravages of the yellow fever in Norfolk and Portsmouth in 1855; together with sketches of some of the victims ..

Front matter

• DLmsiRiys!f •

"I

Bought with the income

Preface

When the pestilence, which recently desolated the two adjacent sister sea-port cities of Virginia, had ceased its ravages ; when the fearful death-storm, that raged so furiously, had swept by, a general and very reasonable desire was expressed to have an authentic account of the great calamity — a reliable record of Death's relentless sway — especially during those memorable months — August, September, and October, 1855.

Among others, -the writer, who witnessed the almost unequaled fury of the disease, was kindly urged to undertake the task. But, imperative engagements occupying nearly every moment of his time during the day, he found that it would be almost impossible to accomplish so important iv PREFACE.

a work without relinquishing other necessary efforts, or delaying its completion beyond the limits of a reasonable period. He determined, however, notwithstanding the difficulties presented, to prepare a work on the subject, embracing an account of the origin, frightful progress, and terrible effects of the dreadful malady ; together with various incidents, facts, opinions, and suggestions relative to the scourge, written during, and subsequent to, that memorable time of terror, sudden death, and woe.

It was deemed judicious to appdhd, also, suitable tributary sketches of some of the victims of the destroyer, whose virtues and exalted character justly entitle them to the permanent remembrance of the living — while they sleep quietly in the grave to which their sallow remains were hurried during the rage of the mysterious disease.

It will be found that extracts from ably-written accounts of the pestilence, by other pens, have been given a place. These sketches, it is believed, will add interest and value to the work, inasmuch as they assist in forming a true description of the

PREFACE.

calamity, as viewed by different observers, and from various points of observation.

If, in recording the noble, heroic, and generous deeds of those who braved the terrors of the scourge, and who labored so faithfully in assisting and relieving their fellow-men, in nursing and watching the sick, in shrouding and burying the pestilent dead, some among the meritorious are not mentioned, the omission must be considered as unavoidable. Time and space were insufficient for all, or half that could be written.

The result of his labor is before a discriminating public, and the writer confidently trusts that his work will be found to possess at least a melancholy interest, and that it will impart useful inibrmation to the living, both at home and abroad, relative to the appalling tornado of disease and death that raged throughout the length and breadth of two cities of the Old Dominion, crushing down, in its reckless course, people of all ages, all classes, and every condition — the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the fair and the lovely — leaving in its blood-stained track

VI PREFACE.

the lifeless and corruptive remains of the strong and the weak, the young, the vigorous, and the beautiful, as well as of the old and decrepit ; or hastily and promiscuously crowding them, as it were, in one common vortex of death and silence.

Norfolk, July, 1856.

Chapter I. Page

The Pestilence — Its Severity and Fearful Ravages — The Frightful work of Death — Burial of the Dead — Aid from abroad — Sympathy for the Afflicted Cities . . . , 1

Chapter II

Origin of the Fever — Different Theories — The Ben Franklin— Healthfulness of Norfolk and Portsmouth — The first Cases — False Assertions and Slanders — Condition of the Infected Steamer — The Commencement and Progress of the Disease 6

CHAPTER* III.

Statements relative to the Steamer Ben Franklin — A great Error and its Calamitous Results 12

Chapter IV

Additional facts with regard to the Infected Steamer — The Spread of the Fever — Some of the earliest Victims — Former Healthfulness of Norfolk and Portsmouth ... 22

Chapter V

Symptoms of the Yellow Fever — Remedies and Treatment —Effects of the Malady— The Plague Fly ... . 29

Chapter VI

Norfolk before the Fever — General Appearance of the City and its Vicinity — The Climate— Norfolk and Portsmouth Harbor . 34

VUl CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER Y1I.

Commencement and Progress of the Fever in the City — Barry's Row in Ruins — The flight of the Citizens — Effects of the Scourge — Examples of true Benevolence and Heroism 39

Chapter VIII

The Fever increasing — The Howard Association Organized — The Scourge in Portsmouth — The Stampede — The Town Deserted — The Panic — Intercourse with other Places Prohibited — Inhospitality towards the Afflicted Cities — Noble conduct of the Citizens of Northampton — Matthews aud Princess Anne Counties — Fredericksburg , — Governor Wise invites the People to come over to his Home in Accomac 46

Chapter IX

Miss Andrews arrives, and offers her Services as Nurse for the Sick — Arrival of Physicians and Nurses — The Disease rages awfully, and becomes Epidemic throughout the City — Nature and Symptoms of the Disease — The Howard Association of Norfolk, and the Relief Committee of Portsmouth — Frightful Mortality — Hasty Burial of the Dead 53

Chapter X

Donations from Abroad — Officers of the Howard Association— The Fury of the Scourge — The Hospital at Lambert's Point — Dr. "Wilson — True Heroism — Provisions getting scarce — The Market — Description of the City at Night — Incidents of the Pestilence — The Dying and the Dead 56

Chapter XI

The Fever in Portsmouth — The Town before the Fever — The Infected Vessel— The Weather— Help from Abroad

CONTENTS. IX

PAGE

— Noble Conduct — The Transcript Office closes — Prominent Laborers among the Sick and Dead — True Heroism —The Navy Yard 63

Chapter XII

Address in behalf of the Orphans— The Physicians — The Clergy — Commodore McKeever — Meeting of Physicians — Resolutions — Letter from the acting Mayor — The U. S. Naval Hospital — Death and Coffins — The Council of Portsmouth — The Mayor of the Town ill of the Fever 72

Chapter XIII

The first Week in September — Fearful Mortality — Accumulation of Corpses — Incidents of the Pestilence — Lamentation and Mourning — The Christian's Death-bed and Grave — The rapid Work of Death and Burial — Promiscuous Interment — Awful state of Affairs — The Putrefying Corpses lie Unburied — Death doing his Work fearfully at Night— The Roll of Death 80

CHAPTER XIY.

The lamentable Condition of the City — The Previous Happy and Prosperous state of Affairs in N< rfolk and Portsmouth— Eloquent and Thrilling Descriptions of the Scourge . . . , 91

Chapter XV

Correspondence — The Fever still rages fearfully — Sad Evidences of the Reign of the Pestilence — The Colored People — Howard Association — Nature still Beautiful — The Work of the Undertakers goes on rapidly — The Graveyards filling up — A Splendid Morning — The Harbor Deserted — The Silence of the Church-bells — The Clergy — The Sabbaths of the Pestilence — Burying in Pits — Mistakes in Burying the Dead — Hasty Interments . .101

X CONTENTS.

PAGB

Chapter XVI

A Day and Night of Beauty — The Death-Silence Disturbed by the Roar of Cannon and the Toll of a Bell — Deserted Mansions — Fury of the Fever — Lasting Effects of the Pestilence — Respected and Valuable Residents Falling — Malignity of the Fever — Death of the President of the Howard Association, the Postmaster, and others — Heart-rending Scene — Reflections — The Disease rages still — Its Deceptive and Mysterious Character — The Weather — Returning Refugees — Danger of Breaking out again — Death of a Minister — The Grave-digger 108

Chapter XVII

The Weather — Physicians and Nurses leaving — Regret — The Victims — Alarm — The Disease Impartial — A Family Swept off — The Orphans — The Fever Disappearing — The Absent Citizens — Reflections — Weather — The Flight — Some of the Victims — Progress of the Fever — A Change — The City before the Scourge, etc 118

Chapter XVIII

Correspondence — The business of the Undertakers and Grave-diggers — Nature beautiful — Mourning — Number of Deaths diminishing — The Fever subsiding — The change — Desolation — Symptoms of the Disease — Death and Burial — Weather — Physicians and Nurses — A Night in the Pestilence — Norfolk during the Scourge — The Sick and the Dead — Incidents of the Pestilence — The Victims — A Memorable Week — The Epidemic — Death's fearful Work — The Weather and the Fever — Return of Refugees — The Career of the Pestilence and its Victims 13<*

Chapter XIX

Correspondence — Decrease in the Number of Patient.- -The Convalescents — The Weather — An aged Victim — Death holding his Sway — The Refugees — The Deploying Angel— The Calamity — Death of a Minister— The Patients

CONTENTS. XI

PAQE

Recovering — Stores Opening — The Vacuum — The Severity of the Disease — The Grave-yards — Death of a Printer — A Week of Suspense — The Physicians — The Disease Disappearing — Reflections — The Scourge . . 14^

Chapter XX

Miscellaneous Correspondence — Letter from T. G. Broughton, Esq. — Removal of the Citizens — Generosity of Richmond— Letter from Rev. T. Hume — The Rush for Food — Increase of Deaths — Drs. Capri, Craycroic, Upshur, and Crow — The supply of Coffins exhausted — Desolation and Death — Josiah Wills — John Tunis — No Abatement of the Disease — The Grave-digger — A beautiful Sabbath Morning— The Clergy suffering — The familiar Work of Death and Eurial — The return of the Absent — Correspondence — Acting Mayor of Norfolk, and F.H. Clack, Esq., of Mobile 157

Chapter XXI

Sisters of Charity — Woman at the Bedside of the Sick, Dying, and Dead — The Period of Terror — A Procession with forty Coffins — The Female Nurses — Capt. Boyd — The Mayor and ex-Mayor — Reminiscence — A fearful reality— Help from abroad — Baltimore, Richmond, etc. — The Bay Line Company — Philadelphia and New Tork — National Munificence — Liberality of New York — The Epidemic — Alleviating circumstances — Acknowledgments — Gratitude — Liberality of Philadelphia — F. Webster, jr. — The Orphans — Statement of the Howard Association —The Orphans— Richmond— Rev. D. P. Wills— The little Ones Bereaved 169

Chapter XXII

Incidents of the Pestilence — Strange Predictions and their fulfillment — Happy Death of a pious young Man — Death disarmed of his Sting — A thrilling scene during a Thunder-storm— Woman's Love and Devotion — Death prevents a Matrimonial Alliance 187

Xll CONTENTS.

PACK

Chapter XXIII

An Afflicted Family — A Daughter's Devotion — Sudden Death — An Infant Sufferer — A Minister's Son wrecked by the Scourge — A frightful and pitiable object — Some of the Victims— The Birds and the Pestilence — Bill, the Cake-boy — The Fire-bells — The Gaslights and the Lamp-lighter— The City at Night — Music in the Pestilence— A fair Sufferer 192

Chapter XXIV

The Southern Argus— A. F. Leonard, Esq.— Eloquent Sketch of the Pestilence — The Grave-yard? — The Buried — The Bereaved — The remembered Horrors of the Scourge — The quietly-sleeping Dead — Condition of the City — Day and Night — Life and Activity returning — Words of Encouragement— Prospects of Norfolk and Portsmouth 203

CHAPTER XXY.

Mayor Woodis— William B. Ferguson 212

The Yellow Fever in New York— The Fever in Philadelphia 306