St. Louis inundated with fugitive negroes

At present, St. Louis is inundated with fugitive negroes from the South, not less than 8,000, I am informed, being now in the city.  Many of them are unemployed, and will find it difficult to obtain “the privilege to toil”, though they seem desirous to do so, on account of their ignorance of everything but labor in the cotton fields…..there will be much suffering this Winter among the unfortunate negroes, unless some provision is made for them through public or private charities. Of General Pillow’s negroes alone there are not less than 400 now in St. Louis  — St. Louis corr. of the New York Times.

            (Liberator, Nov 21, 1863, pg 3)