1824 — July-Nov, Yellow Fever, esp. Charleston, SC (235); New Orleans, LA (>108)–364-373
–364-373 Total Blanchard tally based upon numbers below.
— 343 Total Keating 1879, 85.
Alabama ( 6) ( Sep)
— 6 Mobile Sep Augustin 1909, 443; AL Genealogy Trails. AL Epidemic History.
Louisiana (108-118) (Aug-Sep)
–118 New Orleans U.S. Marine-Hosp. Svc. Annual Rpt…FY 1895. 1896, 435.
–108 “ Carrigan 1961, 92; Keating 1879, 85; Sternberg 1908, 719.
New York ( 8)
— 8 NY Marine Hospital U.S. Marine-Hospital Svc. Annual Rpt…FY 1895. 1896, 435.[1]
South Carolina ( 235) (Aug-Nov)
–~240 Charleston The Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. 12-8-1824, p. 3.
— 235 Charleston Keating 1879, 85; Sternberg 1908, 719; U.S. MHS 1896, 435.
U.S. Brig Spark ( 7)
–6 Republican and Political Agricultural Museum, Annapolis, MD. 7-13-1824, p. 3.
–1 Lt. Cumming (at NY quarantine?). Maryland Republican, Annapolis, MD. 7-31-1824, p. 3.
Narrative Information
Westervelt in Vaché on U.S. brig Spark: “The United States brig Spark arrived during the quarantine season of 1824, having been some time on the West India [Caribbean] station, and coming last from Havana. Midshipman Clinton was buried at sea, two days previous, having died of fever, after a short illness. As in all cases of this kind, the great indisposition to give diseases their proper names prevailed, and consequently the true nature of Clinton’s disease was not suspected until two days after, when other cases occurred on board, which unequivocally settled its character. Within a week, a number of cases of yellow fever were received in the quarantine hospital from this vessel. The crew, except sufficient to dismantle and cleanse the vessel, were landed, and in a few days new cases ceased to occur among them. But when those who had remained on board for the purpose of purifying her, &c., were relieved by men who had been on shore several days, many of them sickened, and they in their turn were relieved by others, again they sickened, and fresh cases continued to occur, whenever new men were sent on board, even after the vessel had been scuttled, and had several feet of water in her hold, and it did not cease until the water had actually become ice.
“In reference to the appearance of yellow fever on Staten Island, in the neighborhood of the quarantine, I find my memory too imperfect to particularize. I only remember that several cases and some deaths occurred, that the disease was well marked in its character, and that it was doubtless caused by some communication with the cargo, or clothing, or bedding of the crew or passengers of some infected vessel, which had been brought on shore clandestinely, in violation of law, and therefore not to be divulged.” (Dr. Westervelt letter of 11-17-1845 in Vaché, Letters on Yellow Fever, Cholera, and Quarantine, pp. 28-29.)
July 14 report, Charleston & US brig Spark: “The U.S. brig Spark arrived at Charleston from Havana via Bahamas’s — Yellow fever is prevailing at Havana; the Governor Vives very ill.
“Two officers and four men who went on shore at Havana from the U.S. brig Spark, have died since of the Yellow fever. Lieutenant James Clinton, son of De Witt Clinton, was one of the officers, no other person is sick on board.
July 31 report, U.S. brig Spark: “Lieut. Cumming, of the U.S. brig Spark, has fallen a victim to the yellow fever, contracted in his late visit to Havanna. The brig is at N. York quarantine ground.” (Maryland Republican, Annapolis, MD. 7-31, 1824, p. 3.
Aug 6-20, Charleston: “Yellow Fever. — At Charleston 21 deaths during the week ending the 12th, and forty seven during the week ending the 19th ult. Nine new cases on the 17th, five on the 18th, and two on the 19th, seven on the 20th.” (Republican and Political and Agricultural Museum, Annapolis, MD, “Yellow Fever.” 10-5-1824, p. 2.)
Aug 8, New Orleans: “The Yellow Fever has made its appearance at New Orleans — on the 8th ult. The board of health recommended all strangers to leave the city as soon as possible; on the 12th, nine new cases were reported.” (Maryland Republican, Annapolis. “The Yellow Fever.” 9-4-1824, p. 3, col. 2.)
Aug 11, US brig Spark at NY Quarantine Station: “Several cases of Yellow Fever have occurred at the Quarantine Ground near N. York, on board the U.S. brig Spark, from the West Indies [Caribbean]. The city is still healthy.” (The Centinel, Gettysburg, PA. 8-11-1824, p. 4.)
Aug 17-24, New Orleans: “The deaths at New Orleans from the 16th to the 16th Aug. [sic] were 56 — Of this number 32 are reported to have died of fever, viz. yellow fever, 15 — malignant fever, 3 — putrid fever, 3 — bilious fever, 5 — remittent fever, 3 — fever, 3.
“Deaths on the 17th, fourteen–18th, nine — 19th, sixteen — 20th, seven — 21st, eleven — 22d, fourteen — 24th, nine. Balt. Amer.” (Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. “New Orleans,” 9-29-1824, p. 1.)
Aug 11, Charleston: “The Charleston Mercury of the 11th inst. mention that 3 or 4 cases of yellow fever had occurred in that city within a few days.” (Maryland Republican, Annapolis, MD. 8-21-1824, p. 3.)
Aug 24, Charleston: “Four new cases were reported in Charleston S.C. on the 24th ult.” (Maryland Republican, Annapolis. “The Yellow Fever.” 9-4-1824, p. 3, col. 2.)
Aug 25, Charleston: “The Board of Health of Charleston announces the occurrence of seven new cases of Yellow Fever on the 25th August.” (Torch Light, Hagerstown, MD. 9-7-1824, p. 2, col. 6.)
Aug 27-29, New Orleans: “To the politeness of a mercantile house in this city, we are indebted for a New Orleans paper of the 31st of August, from which, and likewise from a private letter, we regret to learn, that the yellow fever at that place continues to increase, and is unusually fatal. From the report of the Board of Health, it appears there were twenty-eight deaths from the 28th to the 29th of August, nineteen of whom died of yellow fever. The letter adds, that ‘on the 27th no less than thirty-four new cases were reported to the Board of Health, most of which are now in the grave. Amer. Sen.” (Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. “Yellow Fever at New Orleans.” 10-13-1824, p. 3, col. 2.)
Aug 28 report, Charleston: “The two deaths which was noticed in out last, as occurring at Charleston with the yellow fever, seems to have been the only instances yet reported, of the prevalence of that disease in that city — except one woman belonging to the brig Enterprize.” (Maryland Republican, Annapolis, MD. 8-28-1824, p. 3, col. 1.)
Aug 28-31, New Orleans: “New Orleans. — From the 28th to the 31st Aug. inclusive there were 38 deaths by yellow fever. In the list of interments we observe the names of Thomas Welch [and] Joseph Robinson of Baltimore. ‘The sickness maintains its afflicting course without any appearance of amendment. Its ravages are principally confined, however, to strangers and citizens who are unacclimated, as the list of mortality, which we publish daily from the board of health, will more distinctly show. Our trade is completely at a stand — not more than two or three vessels in port which are loading or discharging.” (Republican and Political and Agricultural Museum, Annapolis, MD, “New Orleans.” 10-5-1824, p. 2.)
Aug, last week, New Orleans: “The deaths at New Orleans, by Yellow Fever, were at the rate of ten per day in the last week of August. There appears to have been, among the victims, scarcely a single native, nor an old inhabitant: they are all strangers, who have unwisely braved the climate, which experience has proved to be almost inevitably fatal, in the hot and autumnal months, to those who are not habituated to it. Nat. Intel.” (Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. 10-13-1824, p. 3, col. 2.)
Aug 31, Charleston: “Six new cases of yellow fever were reported on the last of August at Charleston.” (Maryland Republican, Annapolis. 9-14-1824, p. 3, col. 1.)
Sep, late-early Sep, Charleston and New Orleans: “The Yellow Fever at New Orleans continues to be very alarming.
“The Yellow Fever at Charleston — One case reported on the 31 instant, three of the 4th, five on the 5th, four on the 7th.” (Maryland Republican, Annapolis. 9-18-1824, p. 3, col. 3.)
Sep 4-5, New Orleans: “In New Orleans the report in interments [burials] for the fourth and fifth of September last amounts to 31, of which number eighteen were victims to the yellow fever. Baltimore American.” (Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. 10-13-1824, p. 3, col. 2.)
Sep 12-16, Charleston: “From the 12th to the 16th ult. there occurred fifty-eight deaths by the yellow fever. The disease has subsided considerably at Charleston.” (Republican and Political and Agricultural Museum, Annapolis, MD, 10-16-1824, p. 3, col. 2.)
Sep 14, New Orleans: “A New-Orleans paper of the 14th ult. [Sep] says: ‘No new case of the yellow fever has been reported to the board of health, for the last three days.” (Brookville Inquirer, IN. 10-23, 1824, p. 1, col. 4.)
Sep 16, New Orleans: “At New Orleans, so late as Sept. 16, as many as twenty persons were dying every day by the Yellow Fever!” (Gettysburg Adams Centinel, PA. 10-20-1824, p. 2, c. 5.)
Oct 4, Charleston: “There were three deaths by yellow fever in Charleston on the 4th inst.” (Republican and Political and Agricultural Museum, Annapolis, MD, 10-30-1824, p. 2.)
Nov 15, Charleston: “The Board of Health of the city of Charleston, on the 15th inst. reported one death by the Yellow Fever.” (Torch Light, Hagerstown, MD. “Domestic.” 11-30-1824, p. 2.)
Dec 8, Charleston: “We understand (says the Charleston Mercury) that the number of deaths by Yellow Fever during the late fatal season, was about 240. An official statement will shortly be published by the Board of Health.” (The Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. 12-8-1824, p. 3, col. 3.)
Sources
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[1] We assume these were in the area of the U.S. brig Spark. Westervelt, in Vache, notes some deaths in Staten Island from, he assumed, communication with an infected ship.