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though greatly impoverished themselves, they have never called on, or received from any branch of the Government, or from any charitable institution or association of the country, on farthing of relief, but have cheerfully sustained their own poor, and contributed from their slender means to the relief of others, and nothing but the most dire and pressing necessity, to save a multitude of helpless beings from the pangs of hunger and starvation could have impelled them to ask assistance at this time.

The colored population numbering about two thousand are in a deplorable condition. Laboring for the most part on the plantations as croppers, in a large majority of instances have lost their entire labor of the season, and are now out of employment and without food, and if some immediate relief is not had, numbers must inevitably perish from disease and famine. We would therefore appeal you to come to our relief and save our suffering poor from impending ruin.

And we authorize and deputise our fellow citizen E. L. Mann visit the Northern cities, and lay our condition before the citizens thereof, and solicit such relief as they are willing to afford


[stamp] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES [/stamp]

Jno. I Tulford
Jos Mann
Wm. S. Carter
Noah S. Sadler
Joseph Pledger
Thos. Mann
E.S. Blackwell
P.H. Simmons
Joseph Swindell
Jno. M Mann
Selby Watson
Wm. F. Mudgett

Transcription Notes:
someone had typed [three column table], but my understanding is that this is simply a list put into three columns. The name in column one doesn't have a relationship with that line in column two. If I'm wrong, please correct.