Amazing letter from 1854 reporting on the Yellow fever epidemic in Mobile, Alabama
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Love this history from Alabama Pioneers.
Is there an online list of those who died of Yellow Fever in 1853?
I haven’t found one yet but I’ll keep searching.
Thank you so much!
In Thomas McAdory Owens book I learned that my GGgrandfather, Samuel Jordan, died of yellow fever in about 1860. However, Samuel Jordan does not show up in the 1855 special census. It is said that Samuel died in Montgomery. I have not been able to find out anything about where Samuel is buried. His home was around Shorter, Macon, Alabama at the time. Would they have buried a victim immediatly after they were found dead? In about the year 2010, I heard that a mass grave was discovered at Oakwood Cemetery while they were excavating for a new building at the city lot in Montgomery. I never heard anything else about this. Could this be a mass grave for victims of yellow fever?
I’ve wandered through this cemetery reflecting on this sad period.
So very interesting!
This outbreak hit Claiborne in Monroe County especially hard.
Charlene Beasley Moore
[…] Source: Amazing letter from 1854 reporting on the Yellow fever epidemic in Mobile, Alabama | Alabama Pioneer… […]
Joe Cane and other interesting people buried there.
Hello from Australia.
My great great Aunt married a man called John “Washington” Smith (1818-1877), an Irish born American showman who came to Melbourne, Australia in 1857. It appears he “retired” briefly from performance in 1852 and settled just outside of Mobile just in time to experience the Yellow Fever epidemic. In 1871 Smith wrote a series of autobiographical pieces that were published in a Melbourne newspaper. the articles were called “Leaves from the Diary of a Showman”, and they were published in the Leader. They recount experiences from his extensive career. The following is one arises from the Yellow Fever Epidemic in 1853. I thought you might find this interesting.
Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 – 1918), Saturday 29 July 1871, page 25
Sorry I tried to copy it here but it didn’t work. Sad. Guess I might need to transcribe the whole thing!
If you are interested have a look at TROVE the Australian historical newspaper web-site. it is a national Australian treasure. Access is free and it is where I found the articles. That’s one of the ways we use our taxes in Australia!
The story recounts how JWS and another musician W. Duffield were asked by the mayor of Mobile, Charles Langdon esq. to hold concerts across the state to raise money for the efforts against the Yellow Fever with concerts, a request they accepted. JWS style is humorous, self effacing and vivid.
I wish I could paste it here.
If anyone knows anything about theatre people in Alabama at this time or more specifically about a certain black face minstrel who retired to Alabama in 1852 I would love to hear from you!