Memphis Daily Appeal
Tennessee
May 31, 1861
We have extreme pleasure in stating that ample relief will be extended to the families of those who are in the army of their country and whose families are without the means to maintain themselves. It was proposed to pay such families in orders on the county treasurer; these orders were to be used as money and paid to the storekeepers who would collect the cash from the treasurer. This system would have exposed the women who received the orders to the operation of “shaving” from such harpies as might be ready to take advantage of their helplessness, and of their ignorance of the stature of county paper, to fleece them. The orders would therefore have actually been worth to them a much lower sum than appeared on their face. They might have lost forty cents on the dollar, yet the county treasury would not be advantaged a cent, as the whole amount must be paid there. Another evil effect would have resulted from the depression of these orders—the county paper generally could not escape participating in the depreciation. To save the families of the volunteer from any possible imposition, and to secure to them all the advantages the county court intended, the banks of the city have undertaken to advance money to the county, and this money will be paid to the families of volunteers, enabling those who receive it to use it to the best advantage, to make their purchases where they please, and in such amounts as they choose, which could not have been done with county orders. On Monday a meeting of magistrates will be held at Raleigh, when the details of the mode of making the allowances will be decided upon; the scheme will then go into practical operation. Some individual, whose patriotic benevolence will prompt him gratuitously to perform the labor, will probably be appointed treasurer of the county fund for the relief of the families of volunteers; to him the persons entitled to receive relief will apply at set intervals—once a week would be a good time—and he will pay them their allotted allowance.