The Southern Mothers . . .

. . . and ladies of the city and country are invited to meet at the room in the north end of the Irving block, to consider the propriety of sending aid to the soldiers in Virginia, in respect to a call from a lady in Richmond.

S. C. LAW, Pres’t S. S. M.

Mary E. Pope, Secretary.

SOURCE: Memphis Daily Appeal, Memphis Tennessee, Thursday, August 1, 1861, p. 3

Southern Mothers

SOUTHERN MOTHERS’ ROOMS, August 10.

MR. M. SIMON—SIR: Accept the thanks of the Southern Mothers in Memphis for the handsome present of fifty dollars, sent us this morning by the hands of Mrs. Doyle.  The benefits the money will confer upon our brave volunteers will be the best thanks your generous and patriotic heart.

Very respectfull[y] yours,

S. C. LAW, President S. M.

MARY E. POPE, Secretary.

SOURCE: Memphis Daily Appeal, Memphis Tennessee, Sunday, August 11, 1861, p. 1

The society of Southern Mothers in Memphis . . .

. . . return their most grateful thanks to the Messrs. Greenlaw for the use of the rooms recently vacated by them, to remove to others more suitable, most kindly and patriotically tendered for the use of the sick soldiers by Messers. Norton & Cook.  The Munificent donation of the Messrs. Greenlaw is the more deeply  appreciated by the Mothers, as that it came in the vary infancy of their enterprise, when the public had yet to see what they would accomplish, and when but for the patriotic generosity of these gentlemen, they might not have been able to accomplish much.

S. C. LAW, President S. S. M.

MARY E. POPE, Secretary.

SOURCE: Memphis Daily Appeal, Memphis Tennessee, Tuesday, August 13, 1861, p. 4

The Southern Mothers . . .

. . . return their most grateful thanks to Professor Winkler and the ladies who so kindly assisted him in the concert for their benefit on Monday last.  That the concert was a brilliant affair, none familiar with the reputation of Professor Winkler and the ladies who performed there can doubt, and many regretted the untimely rain which prevented their being among the appreciative audience that enjoyed the delightful music that night.

S. C. LAW, President, S. S. M.

MARY E. POPE, Secretary.

SOURCE: Memphis Daily Appeal, Memphis Tennessee, Thursday August 15, 1861, p. 4

The Southern Mothers and the Special Policeman.

EDITOR APPEAL:  The petition for a special policeman to perform certain duties for  the Mothers’ Rooms, having given rise to much discussion in the Board of Aldermen, and the matter being evidently from the reports of that discussion greatly misunderstood, will you permit me to correct the false impression created thereby and more particularly by the remarks of Ald. Kortrecht.  In the beginning of the enterprise of the Mothers, the Vigilance Committee ordered the free women of the city to do the washing of the establishment in regular course, and the captain of the police was instructed to have them brought to the Rooms, and see that they returned the articles in due time.  This required only a few hours time every week, and there being a larger number of such women in the city enjoying the protection of the laws, for the vindication of which our boys are in arms, the duty, if properly seen to by the police, cannot fall upon the same person oftener than once in two or three months.  It was to attend to this duty, only, that the Mothers desired a special person detailed.  They have no further need for an officer in their establishment.  I regret having troubled the city in the matter, since it has given rise to a misunderstanding of their position and wants.

In regard to the remarks of Ald. Kortrecht, I wish to state that he has been misinformed.  The Secretary of War has been applied to, to give the appointment of a surgeon in the army to G. W. Currey, M. D., the surgeon of the Rooms, but has not yet acted upon the petition.  Gen. Polk has been ordered the payment of the soldiers’ rations to the Mothers while the soldiers are in the Rooms, but they have not yet been drawn, and when drawn will not support the institution or pay one tenth of the expenses.  It takes charge of no soldiers but those in the service of the Confederate States, and of no persons but the soldiers themselves.  It is not a charitable institution.  These men are periling their health, their lives and the hopes of their families in many instances, for the defense of our homes and dearest rights, and we cannot consent to have it called a charity, in those who stay securely under the protection their valor gives them, to care for them with the tenderness of mothers when they shall be sick or disabled.  The people have taken this view of it, and sent to the Southern Mothers money, furniture, food, etc., that has made their institution a home to the sick and disabled soldier; and the great-hearted southern people will do it still, and never think it a charity.  But upon the contributions of that public to thise cause the Mothers ral[l]y, and have relied to this moment.

S. C. LAW, Pres. S. S. M.

Mary E. Pope, Secretary.

(City papers please copy.)

SOURCE: Memphis Daily Appeal, Memphis Tennessee, Friday, August 23, 1861, p. 4