1867 — June-Dec, Cholera, esp. St. Louis, New Orleans, KS, OK, Chicago, US Army –2,145
–2,145 Wayne Blanchard compilation based on figures below.
Summary of State Breakouts Below
Arkansas ( >26) Helena (25 as of July 23)
Colorado ( 12) Fort Lyon (as of July 26)
Illinois ( ~151) Especially Chicago (123) and Shawneetown (20
Kansas ( >472) Especially Ellsworth and Fort Harker (~200)
Kentucky ( >3)
Louisiana ( 575) New Orleans
Missouri ( 684) St. Louis
Nebraska ( >10)
Oklahoma/Indian Ter. (>350)
Pennsylvania ( 18) Ship Potomac at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Oct.
Tennessee ( ~70) Memphis
U.S. Army ( 84)
Total: 2,145
Breakout of 1867 Cholera Mortality by State and Localities (where noted):
Arkansas ( >26) Helena (25 as of July 23)
— ? Des Arc, as of July 23. “…prevailing on the plantations in the vicinity of…Des Arc.”[1]
— ? Fort Smith. Woodward. Report…Epidemic Cholera…Army…1867; 679, Woodworth 1875.
–25 Helena, as of July 23. “…prevailing on the plantations in the vicinity of…Helena.”[2]
— ? Jacksonport. Cases reported. Taggert. The Public Health…Health and Disease in Arkansas. 2013.
— 1 Linden. Woodward. Report…Epidemic Cholera…Army…1867; 675, Woodworth 1875.
— ? Little Rock. Summer, “…cholera struck…Little Rock…” Taggert. The Public Health. 2013.[3]
— ? Madison. Summer. Taggert. The Public Health…Health and Disease in Arkansas. 2013.
— ? Pine Bluff, as of July 23. “…prevailing on the plantations in the vicinity of Pine Bluff…”[4]
Colorado ( 12) Fort Lyon (as of July 26)
–12 Fort Lyon, July 26. New York Times. “Deaths from Cholera at Fort Lyon…” 8-8-1867, 1.[5]
–1 Lt. Col. McGill, July 20, near Fort Lyon. NYT. “The Plains.” 8-7-1867, p. 8.
Illinois (150-151) Especially Chicago (123) and Shawneetown (20)
— 7-8 Bear Township. Fort Wayne Daily Gazette (IN). “The News,” 10-2-1867, p. 2.
–123 Chicago. U.S. National Board of Health. Annual Report of…Board…1883. 1884, p. 134.[6]
— 20 Shawneetown, by Aug 22. NYT. “Appearance of Asiatic Cholera in Southern Illinois.” p5.[7]
Indian Territory ( ?) See Oklahoma
— ? Woodward. Report…Epidemic Cholera…Army…1867; 679, Woodworth 1875.
Kansas ( >472) Especially Ellsworth and Fort Harker (~200)
— ~472 Blanchard estimate.[8]
— ~12 Butler County settlers. Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 378.
— ~168 Ellsworth, near Fort Harker. Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 368.[9]
— <15 Fort Dodge and area.
–13 July 11-31. Civilians (11 civilian employees of the Post). Powers & Younger, p.379.
— 1 Aug 2. Wife of Major Douglass. NYT. “The Plains…The Cholera.” 8-7-1867, p. 8.
— 2 Faber wagon train members bringing supplies to Fort Dodge. Powers/Younger, p379.
— 2 Fort Harker vicinity, July 25. US troops (2), “several” guarding RR workers.[10]
— ? Fort Hayes, as of July 23. NYT. “The Cholera…Lawrence, Kansas…July 23.” 7-24-1867, p1.
— 1 Junction City, by July 20. Union Pacific Railroad cook.[11]
— >10 Ninnescah to Skeleton creek. Native Americans on march from Wichita, where ~100 died.[12]
— ? Salina. Woodward. Report…Epidemic Cholera…Army…1867; p 678, Woodworth 1875.[13]
— ? St. Mary’s Mission, Pottawatomie Reserve, Aug 31. NYT. “Cholera in Kansas.” 9-1-1867, 1.[14]
— ~100 Wichita/Camp Beecher area. Native Americans, from U.S. Fifth Infantry.[15]
— >146 U.S. Forts and Troops in Kansas. Powers/Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 357.[16]
— 4 Camp Grierson, on the Little Arkansas river, after beginning on July 12.[17]
–12 Fort Dodge, July. Powers/Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 379.
–32 Fort Harker, June 29-Aug 1. Powers/Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 365.[18]
–19-20 June 28-July 20.[19]
— 1 Armes, Mr., brother of Capt. Armes.
— 1 Boler, Wm., private, Company F, Thirty-eighth Infantry.
— 1 Edward’s, Wm. Employee of Quartermaster’s Department.
— 1 Groom, Henry, private, Company H, Thirty-eighth Infantry.
— 1 Jackson, Wm., private, Company G, Thirty-eighth Infantry.
— 1 Keaton, George W. Citizen employee of Quartermaster’s Dept.
— 1 Sanders, John, private, Company C, Thirty-eighth Infantry.
— 3 Trewen, George (wife and two children of). Quartermaster’s Dept.
— 1 White, Pierre Mills, Company A, Thirty-seventh Infantry.
— 1 Williams, Henry, private, Company H, Thirty-eighth Infantry.
— 1 Woods, John, private, Company A, Thirty-eighth Infantry.
–6-7 “…names I have been unable to procure.”
— 1 July 24. Eugene Colbrant, 18th Kansas cavalry. Powers and Younger, 372.
–23 Fort Hays. July 12-Sep. Powers and Younger 1971, p. 380.
— 8 Fort Larned and area. (May include civilians not included in 146 military fatalities.)
–2 July 11 timeframe. Unidentified victims. Powers & Younger 1971, p. 375-6.[20]
–4 July 1-15, Quartermaster employees. Powers & Younger 1971, p. 376.[21]
–1 Mr. A. M. Squires, U.S.A., serving with Kansas battery, July 29.[22]
–1 Military doctor. Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 372.
–12 Fort Wallace.
–4 July. Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 384.
–8 Aug. Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 384.
— 5 Fort Zarah area, overnight camp 10 miles distant, July 16. Powers & Younger, 370.
–>30 Hays City and Rome.[23]
— 10 Western KS march, Companies D and E, 38th Infantry. Powers and Younger, p. 374.
— ? Unknown number of wagon train members travelling through Kansas.[24]
Kentucky ( >3)
–>3 Louisville, as of June 29. Report of “Two more deaths by cholera…reported in this city.”[25]
— ? Newport. Woodward. Report…Epidemic Cholera…Army…1867; p 675, Woodworth 1875.
— ? Paducah. Woodward. Report…Epidemic Cholera…Army…1867; p 675, Woodworth 1875.
Louisiana ( 575) New Orleans
— 575 New Orleans, June-December.War Department Circular # 1, 1868, vii.
Massachusetts ( ?)
–? Springfield. Case reported June 25. NYT. “A Case of Cholera in Massachusetts.” 6-28-1867.
Mississippi ( ?)
–? Vicksburg. Cases reported. Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 358.
Missouri ( 684) St. Louis
–684 St. Louis, June-Dec. Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 46.[26]
— 6 “ June Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.
— 8 “ July Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.
–103 “ Aug Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.
–321 “ Sep Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.
–225 “ Oct Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.
— 20 “ Nov Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.
— 1 “ Dec Moore. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.
Nebraska ( >10)
–>10 Blanchard tally based on breakouts below.[27]
— 1 Omaha. Sep 16. John M. Bury.[28]
— 2 Omaha. Sep 17. Dubuque Daily Herald. “Minor Items,” Sep 20, 1867, p. 1.
— 2 Omaha. Sep 18. Semi-Weekly Wisconsin. “From the Plains,” Sep 21, 1867, p. 2.
— 5 Omaha NE. Sep 23. Dubuque Daily Herald. “News from the Plains,” Sep 25, 1867, p. 1.
Oklahoma/Indian Ter. ( >350)
–>350 Blanchard minimal approximation based on sources below.
— 330 Indian Territory, south of Kansas, by Aug 27. NYT. “Deaths from Cholera…” 8-28-1867, 1.[29]
–135 Fort Arbuckle by Aug 27. Sixty soldiers and seventy-five Indians.
–>10 Fort Gibson.[30] NYT. “The Indian Territories…Cholera Among Indians…” 8-15-1867, 2.[31]
— ? “Cholera prevails among the civil employes, Indians, and freedmen…”[32]
— ? Seminole Natives. “…cholera…raging among…Seminole…20…cases…daily.”[33]
— ? Sep 6 report. “…cholera has broken out…raging violently among…Indians of the plains.”[34]
–>10 Skeleton Creek. Wichita Indians “relocated” to Indian Territory (Oklahoma).[35]
–>10 Washita. Wichita Kansas area Native Americans “relocated” to Indian Territory (Oklahoma).[36]
Pennsylvania ( 18) Ship Potomac at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Oct.
–18 Philadelphia, Navy Yard, Receiving-ship Potomac.[37] By Oct 23.[38]
Tennessee ( ~70) Memphis
–~70 Memphis. Blanchard compilation based on breakouts below.
–2-3 June 30. New York Times. “Cholera in Memphis.” 6-30-1867, p. 1.
— 7 July 19-20. New York Times. “The Cholera in Memphis.” 7-21-1867, p. 1.
— 11 July 30. NYT. “The Cholera at Memphis–Six Deaths in one House…” 8-1-1867, p.1.[39]
— 9 Aug 5-11. New York Times. “The Cholera in Memphis.” 8-13-1867, p. 1.[40]
— 40 July 29-Aug 3. New York Times. “The Cholera at Memphis…” 8-4-1867, p. 5.[41]
Texas ( ?)
–? Lavaca, cases as of July 23. New York Times. “The Cholera.” 7-24-1867, p. 1.
–? San Antonio area cases. NY Times. “Cholera in Texas Among the Freedmen. 7-27-1867, p1.[42]
U.S. Army ( 84) U.S. Army. War Department Circular # 1, 1868, vi.[43]
Narrative Information
Kansas
Powers and Younger: “….These events [flooding, railroad construction, and fighting with Indians resisting invasion of settlers and railroad workers] were overshadowed, however, by a great cholera epidemic which swept from east to west across Kansas, striking at army posts and communities along the transportation corridors of the state. In that fateful summer the deadly cholera caused more casualties on the Plains than either the rampaging flood or the hostile Indians. In fact, it appears that more than half of the deaths caused by cholera in the United States army in 1867 occurred in Kansas.” [pp. 351-352]
(Powers, Ramon, and Gene Younger. “Cholera on the Plains: The Epidemic of 1867 in Kansas.” Kansas Historical Quarterly, Winter 1971, pp. 351-393.)
July 20: “A dispatch to the St. Louis Democrat gives the following additional particulars of the ravages of the cholera at Fort Harker:
“The cholera has attacked the troops at Fort Harker. One-twentieth part of the population died within one week after the first appearance of the disease. The surgeons demurring giving a list of the dead, I send you all the names I have been able to glean. On the 28th of June the…[unclear word] Asiatic cholera, so pronounced by competent surgeons, appeared at the Fort. Appended find a list of the soldiers who have died since that time up to the present date: [see list of deaths under Fort Harker, Kansas above.]
“The Thirty-eighth Infantry (colored) have but lately arrived from Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. It is thought by the surgeons that the cholera has ben brought about by the late inundation of the smoky, stagnant ponds of water filling the air with miasma, and thus producing this dread pestilence. Sick of cholera at the present in the hospital are the following: [14 names we omit.]
Sep 1: “It is reported that the cholera has broken out at St. Mary’s mission, in the Pottawattamie reserve, Kansas.” (Daily Milwaukee News. Sep 1, 1867, p. 1.)
New York
Sep 19: “New York, September 19….On Governor’s Island, among the troops there have been 300 cases of Cholera this summer, 14 resulting fatally.” (Alton Telegraph, IL. 9-20-1867, p. 2.)
Oklahoma
Sep 3: “The cholera is raging among the Seminole Indians. About 20 new cases occur daily.” (Galveston Daily News. Sep 3, 1867, p. 1.)
Southwest and West
Sep 3: “Nine Surgeons in the United States Service have died during the post month in cholera and yellow fever localities of the west and southwest.” (Freeport Daily Journal, IL. 9-3-1867, 4)
Tennessee
National Board of Health. On Memphis: “Cholera….Fourth epidemic in 1867; about 600 cases, mostly among negroes; mortality unknown; disease most severe along Cansey street and vicinity (line of contact of fifth and sixth wards).” (Annual Report…1879. 1879, p. 253.)
Oct 12: “Memphis, Oct. 12….The health officer of this city reports 94 deaths for the week ending noon to-day, 31 of which were from cholera.” (Dubuque Herald. 10-13-1867, 1.)
U.S. Army
War Dept.: “The measures thus adopted [quarantine], in conjunction with the hygienic precautions directed…undoubtedly saved many lives in the army, for the total number of deaths from cholera during 1867 was but 230…” (War Department Circular No. 1, 1868, vi.)
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[1] New York Times. “The Cholera.” 7-24-1867, p. 1.
[2] New York Times. “The Cholera.” 7-24-1867, p. 1. “One planter near the latter place [Helena] lost twenty-five hands last week.”
[3] “In the summer of 1867, cholera struck in Fort Smith, Little Rock, Madison, Helena and Pine Bluff. Medicine and doctors were scarce. Most towns in Arkansas refused to help the black Freedman. Despite the epidemics in their town, the city fathers of Helena refused to act on behalf of the black population. The Jacksonport mayor offered assistance to white paupers but not black. The Little Rock city fathers refused assistance toward the relief of the black refugees. By 1867, the Freedman’s Bureau established a number of facilities across the state that were designated as hospitals but it is important to remember that these were less like modern hospitals and more like poor house. Most of these designated hospitals were filthy, with little or no equipment, no medicine and almost no staff.”
[4] New York Times. “The Cholera.” 7-24-1867, p. 1.
[5] “St. Louis, Wednesday, Aug. 7, Twelve deaths from cholera occurred at Fort Lyon, July 26.”
[6] “Table of mortality from small-pox in the city of Chicago from 1851 to 1882, inclusive.”
[7] A dispatch from Shawneetown, Ill., 22d inst., to the Chicago Tribune, says: ‘The cholera has made its appearance in the northwest portion of this county [Gallatin], in its most malignant form. Out of some thirty cases, twenty have proved fatal. Those who have died from the disease did not live over six to eight hours after contracting it. The people are fleeing from it. It is hoped that the disease will be confined to that locality, as but for persons remain, and there have been no new cases since Friday last.’” (NYT, 8-25-1867.)
[8] Powers and Younger write that approximately 200 people (civilian and military) died at Ellsworth, near Fort Harker. They elsewhere cite the post medical commander, Dr. George Sternberg, to the effect that thirty-two soldiers died at Fort Harker. We include these 32 in the 200 used for Ellsworth civilians and military cholera fatalities. Powers and Younger also write that according to U.S. Army reporting in 1868, 146 U.S. Army troops died from cholera in 1867. We subtract the Fort Harker 32 from 146 to derive 114. Adding this number to the approximately 200 for Ellsworth and Fort Harker we derive 314. Additionally, we know of three railroad workers who died of cholera in the Fort Harker vicinity by July 25, making for 317 cholera deaths. Finally we know of the civilian death of the wife of an officer at Fort Dodge and the death of a railroad cook at Junction City, for total of 319 cholera deaths we are aware of.
[9] Actually write that there were approximately 200 cholera deaths. However, in that an Army doctor stationed there wrote that there were 32 military deaths, we subtract those in our Ellsworth tally. Powers and Younger write: “The cholera epidemic struck the town of Ellsworth, near the post [Fort Harker] with great severity…The cholera epidemic hit in the midst of the move [to higher ground to northwest], killed some 200 soldiers and civilians, and emptied the community. It has been estimated that from June 28 through July 16 the town and the fort averaged six deaths a day. Most of the victims were civilian employees of the fort.”
[10] “Western dispatches say there were six cases and two deaths from cholera at Fort Harker on Saturday. Sixteen cases of cholera had occurred among Kansas volunteers at Fort Larned. The disease has also appeared among the troops guarding the railroad construction party beyond Fort Harker, and several deaths from it have occurred.” New York Times. “Cholera in the West—Fatality Among the Troops in Kansas.” 7-31-1867, p. 5. For the purpose of contributing to a tally we translate “several” deaths into “at least three.” The military deaths are counted in military section.
[11] New York Times. “Ravages of the Cholera at Fort Harker.” 7-20-1867, p. 2.
[12] “When they [Wichita Natives, who survived the outbreak there] had started down the old Chisholm trail, a norther set in while they were camped at Ninnescah. It drove a prairie fire down on the tribe burning 85 horses. The cholera set in again, and they were on foot; many died as they continued their trek. At Skeleton creek so many perished that they could not be buried, and from this incident the stream received its name. Families died in their lodges after their arrival on the Washita, and the lodges were burned with the bodies and their belongings.” [It would appear that there were a large number of deaths, but we have no way to guess at a number. For the purpose of contributing to a tally we translate this language into “ten or more.”
[13] Seven cases reported by July 20. (New York Times. “Ravages of the Cholera at Fort Harker.” 7-20-1867, p. 2.)
[14] “Kansas City, Saturday, Aug. 31. Cholera has broken out at St. Mary’s Mission, Pottawatomie Reserve, Kansas.”
[15] “At Camp Beecher at the junction of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers on the site of present Wichita, a cholera outbreak occurred after troops had been sent there to escort the Wichita Indians south to the Washita in Indian territory…The cholera commenced while the Indians were in camp and at least 100 graves are scattered over the northern part of Wichita from deaths caused by the disease.” (Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains.” 1971, p. 378.)
[16] “In Kansas…the effect was greater than in previous years; at least 146 of the deaths [cholera] occurred in Kansas forts or among troops en-route across the state.” (Cites Woodward. Report on Epidemic Cholera, 1867, pp. vi, 6-11.
[17] Powers and Younger 1971, p. 377.
[18] The number 32 is from a table produced by Dr. George Sternberg, the assistant surgeon at Fort Harker and the medical officer in command in 1867 and reported in Powers and Younger.
[19] New York Times. “Ravages of the Cholera at Fort Harker.” 7-20-1867, p. 2.
[20] “The first case of cholera at Larned occurred July 6 and two cases occurred on the 10th and 11th. Two of the cases proved fatal.”
[21] “Eight cases occurred among quartermaster employees, during the first half of July, 1867; four of them were fatal.
[22] New York Times. “The Plains…The Cholera.” 8-7-1867, p. 8.
[23] The number is ours based on the statement by Powers and Younger (1971, p. 382) that “Probably the greatest number of deaths from cholera occurred in Hays City and the town of Rome during the epidemic, but there is no exact account of the number who died.” Elsewhere (p. 365) they note that thirty-two soldiers died at Fort Hays. Thus, we make the assumption that the deaths in Hays City and Rome were greater.
[24] Powers and Younger. “Cholera on the Plains,” 1971, note at several points {e.g. p. 378) that cholera was picked up by wagon train members on their way through Kansas. No estimate of the death toll is made.
[25] New York Times. “Execution of two Murderers in Kentucky—Cholera at Louisville.” 6-30-1867, p. 4.
[26] “In June of the next year, 1867, cholera appeared once more and threatened again to sweep the city. But this time a real board of health, with adequate powers and with Dr. John T. Hodgen at its head, had been organized. It is therefore no surprise that in spite of its earlier start the cholera in 1867 caused but 684 deaths, or less than one fifth of the number of the previous year.” Notes in Table on page 47 that this represented a death rate per 1,000 of 3.22, within a population of 212,360, as compared with death rate of 17.26 in 1866, within population of 204,327.
[27] In the article cited in the following footnote, it is noted that Dr. James H. Peabody “estimated that about sixty cases of cholera were diagnosed in various parts of the city during the 1867 outbreak. Given the relatively high mortality associated with cholera, it seems safe to aver that there may well have been more than the ten deaths noted herein.
[28] History Nebraska. “Dr. Peabody Fought Omaha Cholera Outbreak in 1867.” Nebraska History Museum. Accessed 11-25-2019.
[29] “St. Louis, Tuesday, Aug. 27. Three hundred and thirty deaths by cholera have occurred in the Indian Territory [OK], south of Kansas.”
[30] Fort Gibson is today a town in Cherokee and Muskogee counties in Oklahoma. Another NYT (Aug 28), noted “Thirty-seven per cent. Of the population of Fort Gibson have died from it [cholera].”
[31] “Correspondence of the New-York Times. Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1867….The cholera, which has been raging here considerably, frightening nearly all of the permanent citizens, and many of the Government employes nearly out of their wits, has for the present entirely disappeared. Since the last day of July there has not been a death from it, nor even a case of sickness of a choleraic nature. In the early part of last week, and the last of the week before, they began to die off at the rate of four or five a day, which, at a post like this, composed of less than 1,000 souls, is a very large proportion.” In order to contribute to a tally we translate “four or five” deaths a day over an approximately ten-day period, to “ten or more.”
[32] New York Times. “Cholera at Fort Gibson…” 7-27-1867, p. 1.
[33] Galveston Daily News. Sep 3, 1867, p. 1. It is our supposition that the reference is to the Seminole of Oklahoma. By 1842, most Seminoles had been forcibly removed from Florida to “Indian Territory” or primarily current day Oklahoma. (Wikipedia. “Seminole.” 11-14-2019 edit.)
[34] New York Times. “Woman Suffrage in Kansas – Cholera Among the Indians.” 9-7-1867, p. 5.
[35] “At Skeleton creek so many perished that they could not be buried, and from this incident the stream received its name.” (Powers and Younger, 1971, p. 378.) Appears that there were many deaths, certainly ten or more.
[36] “Families died in their lodges after their arrival on the Washita, and the lodges were burned with the bodies and their belongings.” (Powers and Younger, 1971, p. 378.) Blanchard note: In order to contribute to our tally we interpret this sentence to mean that there were many deaths, and, not knowing an approximation, simply note by “>10” that there were at least ten or more deaths.
[37] “The Potomac became the stores ship for the [US] squadron and remained at Pensacola Navy Yard as a receiving ship until 1867, when she was sent to Philadelphia. She remained at League Island Navy Yard until she decommissioned 13 January 1877. (Wikipedia. “USS Potomac (1822).”)
[38] New York Times. “Pennsylvania. Cholera on the Receiving-Ship Potomac.” 10-24-1867, p. 4.
[39] “Memphis, Wednesday, July 31. Cholera has again appeared in the southern part of the city. Six deaths occurred in one house on Mulberry-street, last night, and five in one house in Front-row. The Board of Health is taking energetic measures to prevent the spreading of the disease.”
[40] “Memphis, Tenn., Monday, Aug. 12. The cholera has nearly disappeared from this city. Only 9 deaths occurred during last week.”
[41] “Memphis, Tenn., Saturday, Aug. 3. The Board of Health adjourned this afternoon in consequence of the Board of Aldermen delaying to ratify or confirm their action. The mortality this week was 109, of which 40 were from cholera.”
[42] Galveston, Friday, July 26. The Government employes lately sent with wood to the frontier post, are reported suffering with cholera near San Antonio, where they are quarantined. The freedmen at Allentown are also suffering with cholera.”
[43] Actually reports 230; however, Woodward as well as Powers and Younger report that 146 such deaths occurred at military posts and troops moving within Kansas in 1867. Thus, we note these deaths in Kansas and subtract from total of 230 to derive 84, which is shown here.