D^rCdMtM Our Acre / V AND Its Harvest. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY NORTHERN OHIO |,lerdaml |irancli of thc||nitcd .Stales .Sunitarn Commission. h " An arm of aid to the weak, A friendly hand to the friendless. Kind words, so short to speak, But whose echo is endless. The world is wide — these things arc small. They may be nothinjc. hnt they are all." ^> CLEVELAND: FAIRBANKS, BENEDICT & CO., PRINTERS, HERALD OFFICE. 1869. Entori'fl aicordiiiir to Act of Coiiirress, in the year l?i>f>. hv MAKY ll.Alv'K BU AVTt^X am> Kl.l.KX F. TERUV. Ill llu' Clerk"!- Otliei' of tlio District Court of the Inited Slates for the Norlheni District of Oliit>. TO THE AID SOCIETIES OF NORTHERN OHIO, BRANCHES OF THE VTXE WHOSE PLANTING. CULTURE, GROWTH AND FRUITAGE ARE HERE KECORDED, THIS VOLUME IS IKSCRIBED. PART I . GENERAL HISTORY. BY V^ MARY CLARK B R A T T O N . PART II SPECIAL RELIEF. BT ELLEN F . T E U IM . I L L U S T R A TI O X S Frontispiece, Part I, Tue Cleveland Aid Rooms, Exterior. -Map of Ouio, - - 57 Hospital, Cajip Cleveland, - 97 Flokal Hall, Sanitary Fair, IM Monument Park, Cleveland, - -Ao Fkontispiece, Part II, Soldiers' Home, Cleveland, Exterior. The Ward, - - 319 The Dining Room, 353 Keceivixo a Regiment, -- 375 O O N T E ]>l T ^ PART 1 . GENERAL 11 1 S T O R Y C U A P T E R I . The First Call, The Preliminary Oriranization. The r>lanket Raid. Coats for the Soldier Boys. Shirts and llavelocks. The First Shipment. The Permanent Organization. Committee^s. Circular Ivo. 1. Headquarters Established. Branch Aid Societies. Co-operation Secured. Other Circulars. Enlarging tlie Borders. Amateur Patriotic Concert. Cleveland Branch Sanitary Commission. System of Disbursenienl. I\ailroad Speed. Vexatious Rumors. Handing in " the Bill.-' 17-36 CHAPTER II. Favors of Transportation. The First Report. Change of Title. The Winter's 'W'orlv. Systematic Contribution. Battle of Fort Donelson. An Autograph Testimonial. A Trip to tlie Front. Sanitary Depot, Nashville. Battle of Pitts- bi)rg Landing. The Excitement in Cleveland. Hospital Transport Work. The Steamer Lancaster. The Depot Hospital. To Pittsburg Landing — on board the Lancaster. General Shipments. Sanitary Agency, Leavenworth 37 — 55 CHAPTER III. Geographical Limits. Cultivating the Field. Relations with Branch Societies. Duties of the Officers. Aid Room Committees. Marked Articles. Canned Fruit and Jellies. Storekeeping Perplexities. Currant Juice and Toast. Con- centrated Chicken. Office Duties. " Leader Articles." Document Committees. Picture of the Aid Rooms. Committees at Work. The Aid Room Office. Varied Experience. Lights and Shadows 56—74 CHAPTER IV. A Visit to Washington. Ohio Relief Association. Battle of Perryville. Painful Rumors. A Trip to Perryville. The Soup House. Central Office, Louisville. Manner of Forwarding. Private Packages. Special Shipments. More Trans- portation Favors. 75—8(5 CONTENTS. C II A P T E R A' Circular No. 10. Hard Times. Financiering. Ways and Moans. Earnest Con- sultations. The California Fund. Second Thoughts. Kevievv of the Work. Cainp Cleveland Hospital. An Incident. Home Cliarity. A Christmas Dinner. 87—99 CHAPTER VI. The Siege of Vicksburg. The Steamer Dunleith. Music and Tableaux. Mur- doch's Readings. Change of Vice Presidents. Committees. An Insidious Foe. Campaign against Scurvy. The Vegetable Raid. Canvassing and Lectur- ing. Purchasing Vegetables. Special Cars. Another Journey. Traveling in Di.\ie. Sight-seeing. A Cheering Report __ _ 100 — 110 C II A P T E R \ 11. The "Onion" League. The Sanitary Reporter. Mailing Documents. Good News. Sanitary Gardens— A Description. A Picnic Dinner. A Glorious " Fourth." Timely Supplies. A Thank-ofl'eriug. Returning Heroes. A Fore- shadowing. A New Project. Cleveland Soldiers' Home. The Summer's Work. Giving out Material. Sustaining the Home. 117—134 C II A P T E R VIII. Sanitary Fairs. Following the Example. An Embarrassment. CouHictinj; In- terests. A Compromise. An opportune Legacy. Northern Ohio Sanitary Fair. Committees for the Fair. Issuing Circulars. Appointing Delegates. Planning. Thorough Canvassing. Ladies at Work. The Proposed Building. An Ominous Silence. Tormenting Doubts. Snow versus Carpenters. Plan of the Building. Decorating the Halls. Evergreens and Banners. Last Preparations. Enter taining the Delegates. The Ticket System 135—153 CHAPTER IX. The Opening Day. Tlie Inaugural Ode. Ceremonies of the Day. The Ladies' Bazaar. The Booths— their decorations. Pennsylvania's Share. The American Booth. Lake County and Russia. "Erin go Bragh." The Restaurant. Daughters of Molly Stark. German Liberality. Senoritas and Buckeye Girls. England and Yankee Land. The Post Office. The Newspaper. A Formidable Battery. The Bower of Rest. The " Crazy Bedquilt." ,...15C— 179 CHAPTER X . Floral Hall. Arbors and Cottages. The Wigwam. The '-Wayside Inn." Rustic Work. Mechanics' Hall — Its contributions. Refreshment Hall. Good Cheer. Mysterious Precincts. Fine Art Hall. The Museum — Its Treasures. Memorials. 18C — 194 CHAPTER XI. Evening Entertainments. Continental Tea-Party. Manners of the Old School. Old Folks' Concert. Sons of Malta. The Dramatic Club. The Attendance. The Draft-wheel. Closing Scenes. Sale of the Building. Success of the Fair. Cash Receipts. A " twice blessed " Charity. 195 — ;U7 CONTENTS. ^1 C II A P T E K XII. \ CUT the Fair. The Reaction. Special Calls. The Fair Fund. Increased E.x- penditure. Issuin- Material. Selling at Cost. The Salesroom. The Work ' ...208— -.ilT Dei)artnient . CHAPTER XIII. Army Movements. A Memorable Record. Official Bulletins. Cleveland Army Committee-Its Plans and Purposes. Work of the Delegates. Sympathy. Let- ters and Inquiries. The Hospital Directory. " One Inquiry, One Aus\ver,"-An K.xtract. Hospital Cars. - On a Hospital Train,"-A Description _21S-3:J:i CHAPTER X I ^' . The Printing Office. "Aid Society Print." Canvassing and Forwarding. Help lor Prisoners. Change of Vice Presidents. Review of the Year. Expenses of Distrilmtion. New Quarters. A Consecration "'■^ -■*-^ C H A P T E R X V . A Memorable Day. Welcome Home. Questions and Answers. Continuing Sup- plies. A state of Siege. " Comfort Bags." ^-o place to Stop. The Employ- ment Agency-Its Management. A Significant Record. An Abstract 244-255 CHAPTER XVI. Close of the Supply Work. Breaking up the Aid Rooms. Ohio State Soldiers' Home. Transferring Soldiers. Closing up. The Free Claim Agency -Its ^^^^ Management. Last Days. Summary. Conclusion ao6-2l» PART r I SPECIAL RELIEF MARINE HOSPITAL, A E 2^1 Y D E P A K T M E N T . Early Camp Life. Ward Cominittoes. Marine Hospital _ .•273— -277 THE DEPOT HOSPITAL. Pittsburg Landing. Hospital Steamers. The Depot Hospital. Its Menage. Capacities and Resources. A Drawback. Returning Regiments. Stirring Appeals. The Port Hudson Regiments. New Duties. Cleveland Hospitality. Care of the Sick. Friendly Messages. Pleasant Duties. Life and Death. Limited Quarters. Successful Canvassing. The Invalid Corps. Sundry Petitions. Hopeless Quests. Difticult Commissions. A Handful of Letters. Letters Continued, rnion Prisoners. Hospital Inquiry. Sanitary Issues. Fruitless Journeys. A Sad History. Aid Room Guests. Sanitary Treasures. _. 278—307 THE SOLDIERS' HOME. Diagram. The Reception Room. The Early Outflt. The First Prize. The Home Prospectus. Means of support. Flexible Rules. Aim of the Institution. Its Administration. An Old Friend. An Apparition. The First Death. Veteran Regiments. Occasional Grievances. Wounded in the Wilderness. Two Patients. Domestic News. Enlarging the Home. Ohio National Guards. The Children's Gifts. Home from the War. Bringing Home the Dead. Arti- ficial Limbs. Acknowledgments. Army Letters. Contributing Societies. Winter Quarters. Refugees and Deserters. Tommy. Entertainments. One Day at the Home. Feeding the Convalescents. Varied Wants. Appeals for Aid. Prisoners' Letters. Hunger and Cold. Exchange of Prisoners. Rebel Mercy. Starved to Death. A Mother's Letter. Veteran Reserves. Welcome to Ohio Soldiers. An Early Breakfast. The New Dining Room. RivalAttrac- tions. A Bill of Fare. The Reserve Force. Generous Railroad Companies. Entertaining a Brigade. A midnight Meal. Open Air Toilets. Progress of the Feast. Invalid Diet, Johnny comes marching home. Departure. The Hos- pital Department. A Submissive Patient. Crippled Correspondents. The Wounded of the 103d Ohio Volunteers. A Sad Return. A Dinner Party. The Cruel War is Over. Mustered Out. Eloquent Guests. Raiders and Malcon- tents. Fourth of July Banquet. The Little Sailor. The Prodigal Son. The Hospital Legacy. A Flourishing Business. Wanted, Employment. An Afflict- ing Endorsement. A Colored Regiment. A Perilous Journey. The Homeward CONTENTS. XIU March. Thanks from Minnesota. A Permanent Home. A Happy New Year. The National Asylum. The Winter's Work. In the Sick Ward. Faithful Mourners. Grown up Scholars. A Disabled Man's Future. Unclaimed. Resi- dent Pensioners. Final Duties. The Home Dismantled. The School Girl's Fete -.- ___ ...308— 39T THE CLAIM AGENCY. Collection of War Claims. Tlie Cleveland Agency. .New Laws. A Flood of Api)lications. " Not Entitled." Additional Bounty Act. Increase of Pension, luditrnant Epistles. Eemonstrances. Destitute Clients. Change of Agent. Satisfactory Kesnlts. The Agency's Reward. A Service Accomplished. Special Relief Record. The Home Army. An .^niple Recompense ; 398—414 A r P E N D I X . APPENDIX A.— Cash and Supjily Report 418—4.31 APPENDIX B.— Special Relief Report 431—441 APPENDIX C— Claim Agency Report 444 APPENDIX D.— Names of Members. 44(1— 449 APPENDIX E.— Committees _._ ....452—400 APPENDIX F.— Branch Societies 463—511 PART I . GENERAL HISTORY. - I o-C _ GE?(ERAL HISTORY. cpiAPTEi; r. 'I'lii-; C'l.KVKi.ANU Ladies.— Thf Indies of (.'Icvi'ImiuI. ready :iud anxious to lake (lieir lull share iii the oxerlioiis and privations, if ni'ed be, imposed by tlie publie i)erils. are proniptly iiiovin';- with a view to siieh an organization as may l)e most useful and elVeetive. 'Plu-y propose also to oiler their assistanee to the eommittee of citizens to be appointed for I lie purpose of nialKin;;- provision for the wives and ehildi-en of the bravt' nu-n who have left, and are leaviug, our city to fi^dit the battles of our country. A meeting; of the ladies will be held for this purpose to-morrow, Saturday, at ;] o'clock, at Chapin lh\]\.—E.i'traclfrom Olevelaxd Heuai.d, A2>i'U H)th, 18l!l. Ix response to tins call, at the appointed liour on Saturday, April 20tli, ISlU — only five days after Pres- ident Lincoln's first call for troops to suppress the great rebellion — Clia}>in Hall was filled witli ladies wlio came together to inquire liow the charity of wo- man could best serve her country in its impending peril. There were fiushed faces, aglow with exalted feel- ing, troubled brows, shaded by vague apprehension, o-rave countenances, Dale with nameless forebodinirs, — eyes that sparkled with excitement, and eyes with a startled outlook or dim ^^'ith o-atherino; tears. What this strauQ-e cloud, suddenly thi'eatenino; the far otl' lx")rders of the land, might portend, happily no prophetic tongue was loosed to tell ; no vision of the future rose to appal the assembly that met that day with the earnest purpose to do with their might what- soever a woman's hand should find to do. 2 17 18 'HIE riU'^LlMmAKY OKGANIZATION. The busy note of martial preparation was heard npon the streets. From every spire and house-top the stars and stripes were flung out. Every woman and child knotted the red, white and blue into necktie, shoulder- ribbon or sash; every man wore, with pride, a tri- colored favor — the badge of national honor. Scarcely twenty-four hours before, two companies of city mili- tary — Cleveland's first offering towards the first call for seventy-five thousand troops — had marched away, hastily exchanging the trappings of holiday parade for the equipments of the field. That these stout-hearted soldiers, now far on their way to the defense of the National Capital, needed present aid was impossible, that they would ever need the hand of relief was a haunting thought, scarcely formed into words, but put away with a shudder of dimly defined dread. Now all sympathy turned to- wards the wives and children of the volunteers who had. just gone, several ladies at the meeting mention- incj; cases of severe sickness or destitution amono- them. A preliminary organization was formed by calling Mrs. B. Rouse to the chair, appointing Mrs. S. B. Page secretary, and Maky Clark Brayton treasurer. Mrs. George A. Benedict, Mrs. C. D. Brayton, Mrs. II. L. WnriMAN, Mrs. C. A. Terry and Mrs. J. A. Har- ris were made a special committee to confer with and aid the ward committees of gentlemen in disbursing a large fund that had been raised by subscription from citizens for the benefit of soldiers' fiimilies. At this moment two gold dollars, carefully wrapped in silver- tissue paper, were put into the ti'easurer's hand, sent by an aged unknown man to be given to the fimiily THE i;LA>[Ki"r i;ati). 10 most needing aid. This suggested an impromptu col- lection, and twenty-two dollars were added to the first golden oflering. The most of this little sum was given to the ladies of the special committee to meet peculiar cases. The meeting then adjourned to A])ril 2od, when, l)y recpiest, a medical man gave an informal lecture upon nnilving and adjusting bandages and dressings, and the work of preparing lint and bandage Ijegan. This recalled the carefully banished thought of Avhat war might l)ring, and a tearful audience he had. Two days later, while Inisy though unskilful hands were plying this sad task, a gentleman from the cam]) of instruction just opened near the city, b(^gged to in- terrupt. Mounting the platform, he announced that one thousand volunteers from towns adjoining were at that moment marching into camp, and that, expecting — in the pardonaljle ignorance of our citizen soldiery at that early day — to be fully ecpiipped on reaching this rendezvous, many of these men had brought no blank- ets, and had now the prospect of passing a sharp April niirht uncovered on the OTOund. This unexpected occasion was eagerly seized. Two ladies hastened to engage carriages, ^vliile the others rapidly districted the city. In a few minutes eight hacks ^vere at the door, and two young ladies in each, with route marked out, were despatched to represent to the matrons of the town this desperate case. At o o'clock this novel expedition set off. All the afternoon the carriages rolled rapidly through the streets. Bright faces glowed with excitement, grave eyes gave back an answering gleam of generous sym. pathy. A word of explanation sufficed to bring out 20 COATS FOR Til 10 SOLDIER HOYS. delicate rose blankets, cliintz (juilts, tliick couuterpaiies, and by uigkttall seven hundred and twenty-nine blank- ets were carried into camp. Next morning the work was resumed, and before another night every volunteer in Camp Taylor had been provided for. While this " blanket raid " was going on, the ladies at the meeting, startled by the sound of fife and drum, hurried to the door just in time to see a company of recruits, mostly tanner lads, march down the street towards the new camp. These had " left the plow in the furrow," and imagining that the enlistment-roll would transform them at once into Uncle Sam's blue- coated soldier boys, they had marched away from home in the clothes that they were wearing when the call first reached them. Before they turned the corner, motherly watchful- ness had discovered that some had no coats, that others wore thin linen blouses, and that the clothino- of all Avas insufficient for the exposure of the scarcely enclosed camp. On this discovery the bandage meeting at once l)roke u]^, and the ladies hurried home to gather up the clothing of their OAvn boys for the comfort of these young patriots. Two carriages heaped with half- worn clothing drove into camp at sundown. This Avork was repeated many times at Camp Taylor, and in the later years of the war it Avas made a specialty of the Society to supply second-hand clothing for tem- porary use of soldiers. Awakened to the necessities of the fast o-atherino; troops, the ladies applied to the commandant of the post, and received from him a i][uantity of army flannel to make up. The merchant tailors gave patterns and STIIETS AND "havelocks." 21 the services of tlieir cutters, tlie rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association were offered as a depot, and thei-e the packages of work were distributed. The Grover & Baker and Wheeler & Wilson sewing ma- chine rooms ^vere thro\vn open and were soon crowded with industrious dames, some cutting, some hasting, and others guiding the fast flying machines. In two days one thousand army shirts were cut, given out, finished and returned to camp. While feverishly anxious to be doing, and sadly needino- cmidance, from the East there came a sugges- tion that "Havelocks" were the first necessity of field service, and for weeks much superfluous enthusiasm was worked into these grotesque head-pieces. The stiff linen was cut l^y many aching fingers, and given out in parcels to ladies who returned the finished articles in a fabulously short time. Thus an ample suppl}' was soon furnished to each Northern Ohio regiment. Following this was a spasmodic effort to introduce the French pocket tent, and then came a period when the Society languished, not from lack of interest in the work, but because utter ignorance of its nature pre- vented the anticipation of those needs which the cam- paign would develop. Meantime, the committees appointed to visit the f^unilies of volunteers had districted the city and were systematizing their work, laying the foundation for the " Ward Relief Committees " that existed in Cleveland throughout the war. When the Aid Society entered a more extended field of duty, these ward associations formed a distinct organization, recognized and aided l\y the city authorities and well supported by contribution. i2i? THE FlUS^T STTIP:\rKXT. Sickness had no^v appeared at Camp Taylor. Fever and epidemic measles were spreading rapidly tlirougli the ranks. The little regimental hospital established tliere May 2d, and a post hospital opened shortly after, were almost wholly furnished by the ladies, who visit- ed them daily, and never empty-handed, Especialh* did those ladies who lived near devote their time and means to the care and comfort of the inmates. JMrs. T>i\ Loxci, Mrs. Lewis Severance, Mrs. Philo Scovii.l and jMrs. E. F. Gaylokd were prominent in this work. AVliile thus employed it was impossible to believe — A\hat Avas constantly asserted by men experienced in regular army affairs, — that no volunteer hospital aid was needed. Tlie mind wonld run forward to the regi- ments lately marched away, and it seemed certain that similar comforts Avould be douldv welcome to the sick among them. Visitors returning from Camp Dennison confirmed this growing belief, and letters of intpiiiy brought grateful acceptance of the profl^'ered aid. Following the suggestions so gladly received, two or three members of the Society jn'ej^are the Urst shipment of liospital stores. As the small fund raised on organ- izing was long ago exhausted, this must l)e done by pri- vate contribution. From house to house goes the little foraiiino- party, confiscatino; the comfortable dressino- gOAvn and easy-going slippers of the astonished but non- resisting master, the soft towels and handkerchiefs of the smilino" mistress, searchino; the library for pleasant books and anmsing pictorials, levying upon the pantry for a stock of dainties, and beguiling from the sho^^" keej^er a generous su]iply of toilet comforts, dozens of [>Mlm-leaf fans and sundry packages of writing mate- PEKMANEKT OTlGAKlZATION. 23 rial. U(^tiirnino-, tlie parlor is trausformed into a store-room, gi'eat dry-goods boxes receive the spoils, deftly stowed away — sufficient for tlie sick of two regi- ments — and \vltli these go carefully packed baskets of jellies, wines and lemons. No more hearty offering ever called down a blessing upon the cheerful giver. A courteous acknowledgment duly received encour- aged fuT'ther \enture, and letters offering hosj^ital sup- plies and begging instruction in preparing them, were despatched to the surgeon of every Northern Ohio regi- ment. Eagerly catching at every grain of information that floated home^vard from hosj^ital and camp, and in- creasing this scanty stock by vigorous correspondence, the ladies found that each day imfolded new occasion for the beneficence of the Society. Now presented it- self the idea of centralizing the work of Northern Ohio, with a view to its greater efficiency. A permanent organization was (Elected l)y the election of the follow- in 2: officers : PRESIDENT, MRS. B. ROUSE. VICE-PRESIDENTS, MRS. JOHN SHELLEY, MRS. WILLIAM MELIIINCII. SECRETART, MARY CLARK BRAYTON. TREASURER, ELLEN F. TERRY. Business meetings w^ere appointed for the flrst Tues- day in each month and the following standing com- mittees formed for receiving supplies and for cutting and directino; the work: lu ('(mMITTEI>:s. <^)i Hospital (lotliimj — Mrs. Joseph Perkins, Mrs. Charles Hickox, Mrs. Joseph Lyman, Mrs. M. C. YOT^NGLOVE. On Hospital Slippers — Mrs. D. Ho\\k. On Beddimj — Mrs. J. A. H arris. On Lint — Mrs. Hira:m Griswold. On Bandages and Compresses — Mrs. D. C-iiittexdex, Mrs. J. H. Chase. On Fruit ecnd Groceries — Mrs. S. Beldex, Mrs. Peter Thatcher. Of the receiving and packing committees, wliicli were appointed at each lousiness meeting for the ensuing month, it is regretted that no complete record has been preserved. The following are the names of some of the ladies who served in these committees in the early days of the Society, or who acted as alternates to the standino; committees mentioned above : Mrs. Tho^ias M. Ivelley, Mrs. L. M. Hubby, Mrs. S. Williamson, Mrs. Charles A. Terry, Mrs. Johx Cro- WELL, Mrs. WiLLiA^i T. S:mith, Mrs. William Collixs, Mrs. Htra:m Iddtngs, Mrs. Bolr'ar Butts, Mrs. Joseph Hayward, Mrs. W. H. Hayward, Mrs. Charles M. GiDiNGs, Mrs. J. H. Wade, Mrs. A. B. Stone, Mrs. J. H. Sargeant, Mrs. William E. Standart, Mrs. Tho^ias Bolton, Mrs. William Mittleberger, Mrs. John Coon Mrs. Augustus E. Foote, Miss Bixby, Mrs. Willia:\i J. Board:max, ]\Ii-s. Henry G. Abbey. A membership fee of twenty-five cents monthly was fixed, and contribution boxes labeled "Aid for our Sick and Woi^^nded Soldiers," were conspicuously posted in banks, hotels, railroad station and post-office. Xo constitution or bv-laws were sus^o-ested, and be^ OC5' (iij( ri.AFv NO. 1. 'iT) yond the inontlily fee and a verbal pledge to wt^rk while tlie war should last, no form of meml)erslii]) was ever ado])ted. No written word held the Society too-ether, even to its latest davs. June 20th, Circular No, 1 was prepared, announcing that "the Ladies' Aid Society of Cleveland, having re- ceived direct information of the articles needed, now invites the co-operation of the patriotic ladies of other towns in su])plying the pressing necessities of our vol- unteers in cam}) and on the march.'" Tliis circular was first mailed to the postmaster of each town in Ohio, with a personal note, begging him " to put it into the hand of some active, benevolent wo- man, askingher to correspond with the Society." He was further requested to send back the names of six women whom he judged would l)est help forward a brancli aid society, and to these six, in due course of mail, the cir- cular was despatched with a letter urging them to form a local organization. To the clergy of every denomi- nation throughout the State a copy was sent, with a written request that it might be read from the pulpit. It ^V' as published in every newspaper of Northern Ohio, and industriously sent fnv and wide wdierever an ad- dress could l)e o])tained. Many were the ingenious devices for tin-owing it into every nook and corner of the State. Market gardeners carried it home in their baskets, farmers found it thrust into their pockets. At mere hearsay of a possible correspondent, little memo- randum liooks would creep from the pockets of the Aid Society ofiicers, — advertisements were carefully copied, county organizations noted, and hotel registers consult- ed. The Avorthy farmer "whose name appeared one day ^6 irKAD-QrAKTERS Tl.^TAr.LISIlKD. mnong tlie hotel arnv.ils in the city, and whose wife, by next mail, received in her quiet country home the ubiquitous circular of the "Ladies' Aid Society," would liave been sadly puzzled to trace effect back to fii'st cause. Tlie necessity for a depot was now apparent, and July 1st a part of the store No. 95 Bank street was obtained at a triHing i-ent. A great room it seemed, — ■ gloomy indeed to these incipient store-keepers on first entrance, and forbiddino; enousrh, till the festoonino- cobwebs were swept away, the stained walls and dusty windows made, by housewifely skill, to wear a more tidy look, and an old counter drawn across the room, midway down, to form the boundary of the dim regions where quaint rubbish was heaped up. Here the "Aid Society," with an empty treasury, but with great ex- pectations, established head-quarters. A sign above the door announced the benevolent purposes of the in- stitution. A rude desk w\as improvised, crowned witli an official ink stand, a talde and half a dozen unpainted chairs borrowed, and the long empty shelves la1)eled in anticipation of the stores that tuyst come. The rooms were opened from 10 to 12 a. ]\r., daily, and volunteer committees, two ladies in turn, sat hopefully through the long hours for maiij a weary day, with very little to reward their patience save an occasional visit from a patriotic lady mth her offering of a bowl of jelly for the sick, or a shy child bringing its little pack- age of lint. Contributions from the city insensibly but steadily increased, each household adding to the stock, (rradually the nearest towns were represented in these o'ifts, — the leaven had l)eirun to Avork. Letters of in- BKANOII AID SOCIETlKS. 27 (|uiiy poured in, all aboiiiKliiioj in patriotic sentiment, some enthusiastic, others cautions, at first, and often fol- lo^ved by visits from the writers, who represented their neighborhood as alive to the appeal, anxious to gain in- struction, grateful for this new avenue to friends in the army, and beginning to realize that concert of action was necessary to the success of a work in which much desultory labor was now expended, and not always with satisfactory results. The president of the Society frecpiently visited Camp Taylor, and invited friends who came from the country to see the soldiers in the new camp, to call at the Aid Ilooms. Here plans were discussed, opinions interchanged, and such light as the ladies had gained from their own short experience was imparted to the visitor, who invariably turned home- ward strengthened in purpose, nor was the interview less cheering to the ladies of the Society. Aid Societies were daily springing up, and their officers, as reported, were entered as correspondents. Inrpiiry was invited, letters were carefully answered, and patterns furnished. Home mission societies, church sociables, sewing circles, and various benevolent or- sranizations were converted into Soldiers' Aid Societies without change of organization. A vote of the mem- bers to work for sick and wounded soldiers while the war should last, was all the formality necessary. This enabled them to enter at once upon their new duties. The prevalent fear of assuming duties which legiti- mately belonged to the Government, and which might enrich the conunissariat without benefittino* the soldier, threatened to ])ecome a serious obstacle, by checking '}f^ ('0-O]>ETlATI01sr SECURED. that enthusiastic co-operation so important to success. It seemed necessary to explain the fact that, in a war so suddenly thrust upon a nation, there is, unavoidably, a hiatus l)etween the ability of Government and the demand of hospital and camp, which can only be filled by the eiforts of benevolent associations. To meet and overcome this difficulty, the president of the Society stepped from her life of quiet and unob- trusive charities, visited families and villages, and by personal explanation and appeal, secured the hearty and enthusiastic support of all who listened to her arguments. The terrible reverse at Bull Run intensified the growing interest in city and country. Three large cases of bandages and dressings were immediately de- spatched to the Surgeon General, and for many days after the news of the battle the rooms were thronged with women bringing their ofl:erings for the wounded. Two gentlemen, Messrs. Willia^i Edwards and John M. Sterling, Jr., volunteered to collect material from the dry-goods merchants, and the results of their ap- peal kept the work committees fully emj^loyed for many busy Aveeks. Meantime the search for truth continued. Vigorous correspondence was kept up with the surgeons of all western regiments that could be reached by letter from this point, and earnest efi:brts were made to learn the state of the hospitals of Western Virginia and Missouri. Acting upon the scanty knowledge thus obtained, supplies were sent from time to time, as the small means of the Societv would allow. Letters to Miss Pix brought kind reply and valuable suggestions. In OTHER CIRCULAPtS. 20 the East the United States Sanitary Commission was rapidly unfolding its noble purposes, and from its rep- resentative in the West, Dr. J. S. Newberry, the Society early received advice and direction. At his suggestion small shipments were made to St. Louis, Cairo, and the regimental hospitals of Western Virginia. These went forward in charge of an agent of the Sanitary Com- mission whose report of their distribution was highly satisfactory. Letters from the recij)ients soon followed and these were industriously circulated among the country societies. September 1st, Circular No. 2 was issued, containing deiinite measurements for hos2)ital garments and direc- tions for preparing surgeons' supplies. This circular was endorsed by Dr. Newberry on behalf of the Sani- tary Commission. September 5th, appeared Circular No. 3, addressed to the little girls, bespeaking tlieir handiwork in making lint, bandages and eyeshades. This was en- thusiastically received, and every school house and each playroom became a Ijusy workshop where nimble fin- gers plied the needle and l^right eyes flashed with newly awakened patriotism. September 9th, Circular No. -1 informed the women of Northern Ohio that " the Society organized for col- " lectino; and transmittino; to the sick and wounded of " the Federal army such hospital stores as the Govern- " ment fails to provide, — having secured reduced rates " of transportation to the Ohio River, where an agent " of tlie Sanitary Commission will receive and forward " all such packages to destination, — now ensures to " auxiliary societies the most reliable transmission of " their goods to the hospitals of Western Virginia." ;;() >:NLAKG!NK, Prcddetd Sddiers Aid Society, Cleveland, Ohio. ]Mauam : I b('o- to iicknowk'do-e the receipt of your favor of the Oth iust.. by your secretary, iu whicli you do this Commission the hoiior to propose the " Sokliers' Aid Society," of Cleveland, Ohio, as one of its co-operative brandies. It gives me great satisfaction to inform you that at the first meeting of the Sixth Session of the Commission, hekl here yesterday, it was unanimously Resolved, That tlie " Soldiers' Aid Society," of Ch'veland, Oliio, is hereby constituted a Corresponding Branch of the Sanitary Commission : ami tluit the secretary notify that Society of the action of the Commission, with an expression of the sense entertained by the Commission of the importance and value of its services. In accordance with the al>ove resolution, I cordially invite the c:)rre^poud- euce and co-operatiuu of your Society with this Commissicjn, through its fellow-member, Dr. J. S. Newberry, of your City, wh.o is tlu' Assjciate Secretary' of the Commission for your Department. , I am, Madam, with great respect, your obedient servant, FEED. LAW OLMSTED, General Secretary U. S. San. Coin. Tlie advice and aid of Dr. Newberry had "been sought, and rendered with unvarying kindness, long before this reference to his dej^artment gave the Socie- ty any claim to them. At this time all eyes Avere turned and all hopes centered upon the forces that were gathered around Washington, and the care of Eastern benevolent associations was largely bestowed upon the troops lying immediately within reach of their aid. The destitution in the military hospitals of the Great West, and especially of Western Virginia, called loudly for relief, and the Cleveland Branch gladly followed the advice received from the General SYSTEM OF DISBUIISEMENT. 33 Secretary, and devoted its labors to tlie armies of the West. Now fully ill rapport Avith tlie Sanitary Commission, the Society sought to give some return for the advan- tasces accruins: from the connection. All articles issued from the Cleveland Aid Rooms were fi-om this time stamped with the name of the Sanitary Commission, its documents were faithfully distributed, its purposes and modus oj)eraiidi minutely exj^lained, and every effort was made to bring all tributary societies into this new relation. Orders from Sanitary field-agents were promptly filled, and a system of disbursement adoj^ted which proved so successful as to merit a passing notice. The Sanitary Inspector was furnished with printed blanks containing a list of hospital supplies. This, after observing the needs of a hospital, he was ex]3ected to fill out, sign, and return by mail. The Society was pledged to honor such drafts, and supplies Avere' shipped directly to the designated point. A dupli- cate invoice was sent to the Sanitary agent in charge of the department, and an acknowledgment was required from the surgeon of the hospital, which on receipt was carefully filed. The letters from sur- geons and soldiers, that often accompanied these receipts, Avere of great value in keeping up the interest of tributaries. These were always published in the city papers and mailed to Branch Societies, or repro- duced in circulars that were issued to them. The treasury, which had again received a benefit of one hundred and sixty dollars, was soon drained by an order received from the Sanitary agent in Western 34 RAILKOAD SPEED. Virginia. The spirit witli wliicli sucli deiujiuds were answered is shown in these extracts from Cleveland papers : Work for Ladies. — (Nov. 7tli, 18(51.) — '' Five liuudred sick men will be in Wheeling hospital on Saturday night. AVill the ladies of Cleveland pro- vide for the comfort of these sick and wounded soldiers ? Three hundred bed-sacks are cut out by the Aid Society, and must be made before to-morrow night. Call at Aid Rooms and take the work ! " Railroad Speed. — (Nov. 8th, 1861.) — "The tliree hundred bed-sacks ordered by telegram yesterday morning for the hospital at Wheeling are finished, and go down this afternoon on the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Rail- road 3.50 passenger train, free of transportation charge." The j)resident of the Societ}', by written recjuest of General (then Colonel) Eosecrans, accompanied this shipment to Wheeling, and gave her personal assist- ance in fitting the new hospital for reception of the sick and wounded, who were brought in Government trans- ports up the Ohio river from the battle-fields and fever haunted districts of the Kanawha Valley. On this occasion, three Avomen engaged as Govern- ment nurses were sent under the patronage of the Society to "Wheeling hospital. The experiment not proving successful was never repeated, and all subse- quent applications from women desiring to become army nurses, were referred at once to Miss Dix. Certain vexaticnis rumors had from time to time disturbed the Aid Room circle, Imt had not been thought worthy of notice till no^v. A story that the of&cers of the Aid Society were receiving large salaries and " making money out of the charities of the people," had been thoughtlessly or maliciously started. This falsehood, nimble-footed, was now making the rounds VEXAT10U8 KUMOKS. .'35 of the country societies, creating some degree of sns- picion and threatening to check contrilnititni. To stop this miscliief-niaker, Truth dre\\ on liis l)oots and foHowed hard after, in circidarNo. (>, issued October 15th, which announced tliat the Clevehmd Sohliers' x\id Society was conducted and sup])()rtcd (Mitirely l)y vohmtary effort, and that not one cent \\as paid for the services of any one connected Avitli its nianagenient or niend)erslu]). The drayman and ])orter were, at tliis time, the only paid attaches of tlie estaldisluuent. To this was added a detailed ex])osition of the business system of the Society and the Sanitary Com- nnssion, and an invitation to all Avhom it might concern to call and inspect the books, and to form their opinions from actual ac(jnaintance with the work. This circular A\as strongly endorsed by the city clergy, and contain- ed excellent testimonials from the field. After this plain statement of the ti'uth, no further atteni[)t was ever made to battle with rumors of this kind. It may be suggested here that the generous and unilagging suppoi't which the Cleveland Aid Society received thrcniixhout the war, is the best evidence that the public hnd confidence in the honesty of its manage- ment. It ^vas sometimes annoying to the Aid Room corps to discover that their work was misunderstood or evil spoken of, and that the wildest rumors seemed to find some credulous ears. Several anmsino; instances of this are recalled. " Here, girls," said a cheery-faced farmer to the busy group around the office table, " I've just been leaving a^„-^ -„TTT " 36 HANDING IN "the BILL, fifty weight or so of maple sugar in tlie other room for the soldiers, and if you are half as smart as I think you are, you'll eat these anyway, as soon as I'm gone, so I'll give them to you now," and he held out a dozen little cakes of fresh sugar, almost tempting enough to justify the suspicion ! One donor who was very generous to the soldiers, but had a chronic distrust of agencies, always included in his box a pat of butter, a wedge of cheese or a few apples, marked " expressly to the ladies of the Aid Society, for their own use," evidently intending this as a bribe to insure the honest forwarding of his bounty. One day a sharp-eyed contributor came in with a trifling gift. The package was received by one of the ladies in attendance, who took note of its contents, and proceeded, as usual, to enter them in the ledger that lay open on the desk. The donor watched her move- ments with ill-concealed anger, and at last broke out with, " Well ! they told me you wrote every thing down in a book, but I said I hieiv it wasn't so ! I wouldn't believe a word of it till this very minute ! They say you write it all down so that at the end of the war you can hand in your bill, and make government pay you for all that the people have given you to send to the soldiers !" The astonished official sought to allay the suspicions of her visitor by explaining the real reason for her careful book-keeping. Though much softened, and professing to be satisfied, she departed Avith an air Avhich showed some lingering apprehension that " the bill" might yet be honored at the United States Treasury ! CHAPTER 11. Kentucky, redeemed from rebel rule, opened a new field to the Sanitary Commission. The organization of the Louisville Branch and of a thorough system of sanitary inspection, subjected the Cleveland Society to frequent orders from the supply depots of Louisville, Lexington, Bardstown and Camp Nelson. There were also direct calls from surgeons in the field, who, havino; received aid from this source on first going out, were not slow in bringing to notice the later wants of their sick. These shipments were all made with the ap2:)roval of the Sanitary Commission, and receipts carefully taken. The letters of acknowledgment, published and widely circulated, greatly stimulated contribution. November 2d, the Chicago Branch Sanitary Com- mission received an appeal from the regimental hospital of the 18th Illinois Volunteers, stationed at Cairo. The Chicago Branch not being yet in working order, this call was referred by its oflicers to the Cleveland Branch, and thence answered by an immediate shipment. These stores were sent as an earnest of the friendly feeling of the Cleveland Society towards other branches, and as an evidence of the national character 37 38 FAVORS OF TRANSPORTATION. of its work. State lines were ever scrupulously ig- nored, and, from its first to its latest days, the Society, true to the principles of the U. S. Sanitary Commission, recognized only the suffering need of a loyal brother, whether his enlistment roll were signed in the forests of Maine or on the prairies of Minnesota. Cash contributions increased as the efficiency of the Society was demonstrated, and Thanksgiving eve was celebrated by a " Soldiers' Aid Ball," tendered by citi- zens for the benefit of the treasury. The ever-increasing distance between the supply-base and the army, made it advisable to forward in bulk to the storehouses of the Sanitary Commission nearer the front, and the shipments carried free or at half rates by the American, United States and Union Line Express Companies, now became too large for this mode of conveyance, except upon very urgent occasions. Free freights were offered to the Society by the Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Wheeling ; Cleveland, Co- lumbus and Cincinnati ; Cleveland and Toledo ; and Michigan Southern railroads, and were obtained by correspondence from the Pennsylvania Central railroad. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad company, con- stantly sustaining losses of projjerty by the fortunes of war, felt unable to do as liberally as other roads, but cordially granted half rates. The personal efforts of L. M. Hubby, Esq., President of the Cleveland and Columbus railroad, and always"^ the firm friend of the Society, secured free freights from the Little Miami ; Covington and Lexington ; Bellefontaine ; Terre Haute, Alton and St. Louis ; Illinois Central ; and Louisville and Nashville railroads. THE FIKST REPORT. 39 These fa\^ors were never witlidrawn, although the subsequent business of the Society taxed these roads, — especially the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincin- nati — to an extent almost unparalleled. The Western Union Telegraph was the willing and unpaid messenger for the almost daily business of the Society for more than five years. The columns of the City Press were ever freely open to the appeals of the Society and the Sanitary Commission, and its voice always raised in commendation and encouragement. Eight months from date of organization, a detailed report of the Cleveland Soldiers' Aid Society was pre- sented through Dr. Newberry, to the President of the Sanitary Commission, prefaced by the following letter : Cleveland, December 1, 1861. H. W. Bellows, D. D., President IT. 8. Sanitary Commission : Dear Sir: — I have tlie honor to present, herewith, the Report of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Cleveland, Ohio, which, as you are aware, is one of the most efficient auxiliaries of our Commission. Through my reports, you have learned, from time to time, something of the operations of this Society, but from an intimate acquaintance with the growth and workings of its system, and the results it has accomplished, I have thought them worthy of more full and public exposition than has yet been given ; not only that the value of the services rendered by this Society might be more widely known and generally recognized, but that others, seeing how simply and how quietly so much good has been done, by those enjoying no unusual resources or opportunities, might be stimulated to like efforts, with like results. A few warm-hearted, patriotic women originated the Society, and, almost unaided, have since managed its rapidly extending business with a degree of skill and wisdom of which their success is but a just exponent. Seeking neither honor nor reward, they have given their time, their energies and their thoughts to the work, with a self-devotion, which, while it has taxed their strength and periled their health, has cheered, comforted, and saved from death, many a suffering soldier in the distant camps of our Western and Southern frontiers ; has enlisted the sympathy and active co-operation of thousands of the loyal women of Northern Ohio ; and by its direct and 40 CHANGE OF TITLE. reflex influence, lias given a more fervent glow to the patriotism of the entire West. In this fallen Avorld of ours, such instances of self-consecration are not so common as to be undeserving of record Avhen found. I would therefore request that this report, prepared at my suggestion, may he printed and circulated as one of the documents of our Commission. Very Respectfully, J. S. Newberry. The tables of tliis rej^ort show total cash receipts of seventeen hundred dollars, more than two-thirds of which had been invested in material for hospital cloth- ino' and beddius:, — over four thousand articles havino' been made by the Society. Thirty-eight thousand articles and nearly three thousand pounds of hospital supplies had been disbursed to nineteen post and regimental hospitals, eighteen camps, and five Sani- tary supply-stations in Ohio, Western Virginia, Ken- tucky and Missouri. Contributions had been received from two hundred and fortv-three towns, of which one hundred and twenty had perfected branch organizations. This report was accepted and printed as Document No. :^7 of the Sanitary Commission series. At a special meeting of the Cleveland Soldiers' Aid Societ}', Saturday, November 30th, when the above statement was submitted, the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted : Whereas : The period has arrived at which the " Soldiers' Aid Society," of Cleveland, embraces within its limits the whole of Northern Ohio, it is deemed an act of generosity, as well as justice, to signify by the name of said Society the extent of its organization : Therefore, Ecsoleed, That hereafter the Cleveland " Soldiers' Aid Society " be known as the " Solbiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio ;" and that all goods sent to this Society, before being transmitted to hospital destinations, be appropriately marked with the name of the Society, in full. r, ...... 41 THE WINTER S WORK. Resolved, That its Auxiliaries be permitted to use the names of their respective Branches in their own stamp, before sending goods to the depot of the Society at Cleveland. The Society faithfully strove to infuse the spirit of these resolutions into its every action. The name of Cleveland was expunged from the stamp even of those articles that were purchased or made at the Cleveland Aid Rooms, and everything was henceforth issued as an exponent of the benevolence of Northern Ohio. This successfully extinguished sectional jealousies, and its wisdom was soon apparent in the rapid increase of territory and contribution. As autumn gave place to Avinter, scissors began to snip at great bolts of warm flannel, quilting parties assembled, knitting-circles drew around the iire-side, and flying fingers fashioned the shapely sock, or essayed the intricacies of the one-Angered mitten. Companies marching away from country towns were surprised by presentations of socks and mittens, re- cruits newly arrived in the city w^ere furnished with blankets l)y the Aid Society, and scarcely a soldier left the rooms w^ithout the sjift of somethinc; that would modify the discomforts of camp life. A part of the U. S. Marine Hospital, Cleveland, opened to the few" discharged soldiers who claimed aid at that early dcxy, was almost wholly furnished by the Society. The details of this home charity are given in the accompanying Special Relief Report. The apj^roaching holiday season suggested many festivities in aid of this good cause. Dime parties were formed, concerts rehearsed, tableaux projected, and there was scarcely a Christmas tree but l)ore golden fruit for some local treasury. 42 SYSTEMATIC CONTRIBUTION. Hopes of a speedy tenuiuation of the war now faded before the gathering storm in Tennessee, and by advice from head-quarters a ware-room was engaged, and a reserve stock of battle-stores diligently gathered. It was evident that months or even vears miirht develop yet more urgent duties for the army of home- workers, and that si^asmodic charity would in time tail to meet the ever-increasino; drafts. Circular No. 7, issued January Sth, to Branch Soci- eties, set forth ''the positive necessity for a system of steady contribution, such as would distress no one, yet leave it in the power of all to aid, — a course that by ensuring a permanent revenue to each society, would enable it to prepare a stated numbei' of hos- pital garments each month, so long as the war shall last:' Blank subscription lists were appended to this circular, to be signed by every citizen, old and young, pledging a sum not greater than five cents weekly. To prove how little was the duration of the war, or the extent of their labors, foreseen by those who had put their hands to the plow, it is worthy of note that these lists pledged the subscriber to payment " until May 1st, 18(i2, if the ivar shall last so long!'' The suggestions of this circular were adopted b>' many societies and carried out till the end of the war, with excellent results. The shock of arms at Ft)rt Donelson fully proved the wisdom of la}'ing up a reserve stock of hospital stores, a polic\- that had been deprecated by many, in their eagerness to jiush everything forward to the army. An extract from the Cleveland Hekald illustrates the BATTLE OF FORT DONELSON. 43 action of tlie Society towards the wounded of that terrible battle, and the general direction of its ship- ments at that period. Extract.— (Feb., 1862.)—" The Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio is doing a noble work. In anticipation of the results of bloodshed at Fort Donelson, twenty-two boxes containing lint and bandages were despatched to Cairo on Monday. In response to a telegram from Dr. Newbeury, one thousand sets of clothing, etc., were sent the next day, besides a dozen barrels of stores. Since Monday, over one hundred and sixty boxes of supplies have been expressed to Cairo for Fort Donelson suflferers. Added to these is a large amount of hospital comforts sent to Lebanon, Ky., in care of Dr. A. N. Read, Sanitary Inspector ; to the new Brigade Hospital at Ashland, Ky. ; and to Cumberland, Md. Paducah has received its share as -well as the 9th Indiana Volunteers, at Fetterman, Va., and the 13th Indiana Volunteers at Camp North Branch Bridge, Va. The 3rd Ohio Cavalry, too, was remembered. The Society is to-day filling an order from Bardstown, Ky., and despatching supplies to the 60th Ohio Volunteers at Qallipolis, Ohio." By these drafts the supplies of the depot were exhausted, and the amount in the treasury was reduced to a nominal sum. A single call through the city papers met a response worthy to be recorded to the credit of the citizens of Cleveland to all time. Hos- pital stores filled the empty shelves, and money unsolicited flowed into the treasury. In addition to individual gifts, the contributions of churches, societies, clubs, lodges and schools were poured in. The em- ployes of foundries, car-shops and boiler-shops gave up the great national holiday of February 2 2d, and devoted the wages of that day to their suftering brothers in hospital. In the illumination of the city on the evening of February 22d, over this first great \ictory in the West, the Society, thus encouraged, gladly took part, and its windows shone with transparencies typical of 44 AN AUTOGKAPH TESTI]\[ONIAL. the succor that the people were Liinging to their wounded. Before the week ended, two hundred and sixty boxes had been shipped to Cairo and Louisville, where the wounded of this dear-bought triumph were now gath- ering. The president of the Society accompanied these stores to Louisville, and by the kindness of the Louisville Branch Sanitary Commission gained access to the crowded hospitals, giving her personal attention to the sufferers, and making the acquaintance of several loyal women of that city, who were then organizing ward committees for visiting and relieving the wounded. By request of these ladies, an informal meeting was held, when the working system of Northern Ohio aid societies was fully explained to them. The aid of the Cleveland Branch Avas cordially oftered, and for many succeeding weeks the cielicacies sent from the North found their wav to the Fort Donelson W(Uinded, throuij-h the hands of these Louis- ville ward committees. To provide this special hospital diet, a direct appeal was made, April 2d, in Circular No. 8, to the farmers of the vicinity. Butter, eggs, cheese, chickens, dried apples and pickles were earnestly solicited, and were sent in such quantity as to make a sensible improve- ment in Louisville hospitals. Though many were the appreciative messages returned to the zealous workers of the Society, none so stirred their hearts as an autograph testimonial of two hundred and ninety-two of the Fort Donelson wounded, who, in Hospital No. 5, Louisville, had A TRIP TO THE FRONT. 45 received the gifts of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio. This direct communication with hospitals where hundreds, dear to Northern hearts, were lying desperately wounded, gave to many their first vivid picture of the sufferings of the battle-field, and deep- ened their interest in all measures for relief At the Aid Kooms, voices sank low as surgeon s supplies were discussed, the fleecy lint was tenderly handled, the soft linen almost reverently folded, and little groups from the country watched with new and tearful interest the mysteries of bandage rolling. None of the corps of Aid Room workers at that day will ever forget the passionate burst of tears that greeted the old father who came feebly in to ask for a pair of crutches for his forever-crippled son, one of the first to make the painful journey back to his Ohio home. By the fall of Fort Donelson, Nashville was opened to the North, and here the Sanitary Commission early sought to enter. April 1st, the secretary of the Cleveland Society accompanied Dr. Newberry and Dr. Read to Nash- ville, to see some results of Sanitary work at the front, and to aid in establishing a supply depot in that city, now an important base of Sanitary operation. The followino; extract is from a letter written durins; that visit to the South-west : 46 SATflTARY DEPOT, NASHVILLE. St. Cloud Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, / April 4th, 1862. f " Dear Mks. Rouse and Ladies of ' 95 Bank Street,' What do you think of my coming down here and opening a store ? an opposition establishment ? and doing a brisk business, too I Yet so it is, and could you look into our new Sanitary depot here, it would seem to you like nothing in the world so much as our dear 95 Bank street translated into Dixie. For here are our boxes and shelves and labels, all after the fashion of that thriving institution, and closer view reveals a certain familiar stamp (S. A. S., Northern Ohio,) upon various articles of clothing and bedding that are already piled upon the shelves, while many a can of dainties or bottle of domestic wine bears on its label the name of some Northern Ohio matron. This depot of the Sanitary Commission, just opened, is well located in the central part of the city, and already three hundred boxes have arrived from the North. The stores that we shipped by express the day I left home have come on from Louisville, and we have been busily at work unpacking and arranging the supplies. It seemed like old times to be handling hospital stores, and it did my soul good when, after a hard day's work, we could look at the well filled shelves and think how near our goods now are to the place where they are so much needed. The store is arranged very much like our own, and we have been busy again this morning, writing labels and unpacking more boxes. A pale and feeble soldier has just been in to ask for a towel. He was a Michigan man, just discharged from hospital, and waiting for his pay in order to go home. I had the pleasure of giving him some towels, a hand- kerchief, a handful of soft crackers and a bottle of currant wine, made by some good Ohio housekeeper. You can scarcely imagine what importance our work assumes at this point. To see a surgeon come in and draw a stock of clothing and bedding and to visit his hospital next day and notice those very articles covering and comforting the sick, is to find cause and effect in truly gratifying proximity. These stores tell a wonderful tale of the great benevolent heart of the North, and of the union in good works that pervades our land. The women of New England have sent their offerings, Cincinnati has done gener- ously, the Louisville ladies have added their share, and our own Society is liberally represented. The surgeons are coming in almost hourly to make requisitions, and under the careful eye of Dr. Read the wants of each hospital are being relieved." While thus engaged at Nashville, there came the news of the battle of Pittsburg Landing, and the party BATTLE OF PITTSBURG LANDING. -1:7 at once went by government transport down the Cumberland and up the Tennessee, carrying with them hospital supplies, and meeting at Paducah and merging into the wave of practical sympathy now fully in motion towards the scene of sufFerinfj;. To meet the necessities of that terrible conflict, the (_[uick impulses of a generous people promptly devised a noble plan of succor. Scarcely had the vague rumors of the long expected battle deepened into certainty, when the floating palaces that in happier days glided over our western rivers, obedient to the interests of commerce or the calls of pleasure, now freighted with stores of comfort and thronged with symjiathizing hearts, became the swift-winged messengers of mercy to the victims of the deadly struggle. The various branches of the Sanitary Commission and the authori- ties of difl:*erent States vied with each other in this benevolent work, and the women of the North poured out the abundant fruit of their patriotism, richly rewarded by the tribute of gratitude sent up from the pale and trembling lips of hundreds thus rescued from distant and lonely graves. The withdrawal of the Union forces from the posts so long occupied in Kentucky, and their concentration upon the head waters of the Tennessee, had been watched with breathless anxiety. The general position of the opposing forces was known, and the battle of Pittsburg Landing had been long expected, yet the final announcement of the victory and its terrible price, kindled an excitement that no previous event of the war had called forth in the West. Had a shell from the rebel batteries burst upon 48 THE EXCITE.ArENT IIST CLEVELAND. every hearth-stone, the consternation and dismay throughout Northern Ohio could scarcely have been greater. Nearly every regiment of the Western Re- serve had been engaged, — our own dead covered the fatal field, our own dear wounded were languishing in that distant and desolated region. Over every household hung the pall of a great bereavement, or the scarcely less dense cloud of a heart-breaking sus- pense. The record of these exciting days in Cleveland, is best given in a letter from the treasurer of the Aid Society to the absent secretary. "Cleveland Aid Rooms, 95 Bank Street, } April 20th, 18G2. ) " On the first news of the battle, a meeting of the citizens of Cleveland was at once called, and a committee appointed to go the same night to Pittsburg Landing with such supplies as could be collected in the meantime. The Soldiers' Aid Society Rooms seemed the natural point where the tide of excitement culminated, and from morning till night the doors were thrown open, and like a great wave, the throng of peojile ebbed and flowed — coming and going — to bring their contributions — to learn the latest intelligence — or to offer their services in preparing the shii)ment to be made before night. When we entered the Aid Rooms that morning, the whole space was filled with a sea of people, carrying boxes, baskets, parcels, pails and jars. The street in front was crowded with drays loaded with heavier packages, con- taining clothing, beddiag, dressings, wine and fruit — the best Avhich every house aff"orded. Long hoarded treasures of fine linen spun by grandmothers, and relics of revolutionary times, which had been reserved in all previous emergencies, now came to light and were freely offered. All our efiorts were in vain to weigh or register these gifts with any accuracy. One courageous disi^iple of order stood at the high desk, with day-book and pen, and an avenue was opened to the scales, but the attempt signally failed. The tide of uni'egu- lated benevolence swept over and obliterated this feeble resistance. While one package of old linen was being recorded, twenty more valuable gifts were set quietly down by their owners, who went away in full assurance that the same would be discovered, recognized and credited in the weekly acknowledgments. A failure to do this was in course of time duly reported at the Aid Rooms. All our ordinary corps of workers were at their posts. HOSPITAL TRANSPORT WORK. 4V) and scores of others, who were consigned to that sinking fund of patriotic fervor, the rag-box, and these rolled handagi^s, folded coniprt^sses, packed the stores of all kinds, working steadily far into the evening. Then there were others — a great number — who had a deeper interest in the lists of dead and wounded that came in m slowly. Men, women and children waited hours for later despatches, and many a brave woman whos(^ happi- ness was at stake, worked all day with colorless face but undaunted courage, 1)re])aring comforts which might save some soldier, if her own were beyond aid. Here, a little girl who had stood with eyes filled with tears, listening to the confused conversation, asked anxiously if ' Charley was killed,' and there, an old man, in faded and worn clothing, begged pardon of the ladies for crying, while he asked after his boy James — his youngest son, and the only one left — who was in the battle, and who must have been killed, for ' lie was always a good one to write.' Of course, for a day or two nothing could be heard from James, Charley, or thousands of others, but a week or two later the old father came one morning, radiant with happiness, and accompanied by James — his arm in a sling, but delighted in the possession of a thirty days' furlough. The ' Missus' sent by them a jar of pickles to the soldiers, as a thank offering. The citizens' committee was to leave on the 10 i". M. train, and by night- fall a re-enforcement of gentlemen came to help nail, pack and despatch the one hundred boxes that were promptly ready at that hour." A self-constituted committee of the friends of the Aid Society collected in one day and a half more than three thousand dollars, which was devoted to the purchase of matei'ial, and later to the expenses of hospital transports. Day after day the stream of gifts flowed in, soon swollen by a generous tide from the countrv societies, and continuinsj: for weeks unabated. The inij)etns thus gained carried the Society through many prosperous months. The car-load (^f stores sent down the first day in care of the Cleveland citizens' committee, was imme- diately followed by an equally large shi2:>ment to the Magnolia, a steamer fitted out by the (^hio State authorities, and in charge of the Surgeon (.leneral of the State. 50 THE STEAMER LANCASTER. From the retrospect of tliose dark days, it is pleasant to single out one bright memory. When the Magnolia lay by the crowded river-side at Pittsburg Landing, taking in her precious freight of suffering humanity, the secretary of the Cleveland Aid Society, passing down the long cabin between rows of freshly spread cots, saw on each sheet and pillow and bed garment, the well-known stamp of Northern Ohio benevolence. The Glendale and the Tycoon, despatched soon after by the Governor on the same errand of mercy, were also generously supplied, and consignments were made to agents of the Sanitary Commission in Cincinnati, for transfer to hospital steamers. The " Lancaster No. 4,' held in charter by the Sanitary Commission, and run- ning between Cincinnati and Pittsburg Landing, was at once " adopted " by the Cleveland Society, and one thousand dollars were voted from the treasury to aid in her outfit of cots, table and bed furniture, lemons, ice, fresh vegetables, etc., purchased by Dr. Newberry in Cincinnati. The Society was further represented by Mrs. B. O. Wilcox and Mrs. Stanley Noble, of the Painesville Branch, who accompanied the Lancaster, giving valuable assistance to the oflicials, in their care of the sick and wounded. The Lancaster was em- ployed throughout the summer by the Sanitary Commission as a floating depot, supply steamer and hospital ; plying between the army on the Tennessee and the Mississi23pi, and the hospitals and markets on the Ohio ; carrying down a full cargo of stores for distribution, and bringing back the sick and wounded to Northern hospitals, or on furlough to their homes. THE DEPOT HOSPITAL. 51 For these feeble travelers a resting place was opened by tlie Society, April I7tli, 1862, in tlie Cleveland Union Depot. To tliis, on tlie arrival of each train, the soldier was directed by a faithful nurse, and here he found a comfortable bed and good cheer, and was furnished with transportation, if necessary. The establishment of this Depot Hospital is detailed in the accompanying Special E-elief Keport. The Cleveland Society stood pledged to add to the cargo of the Lancaster, upon her touching at Cincin- nati. Due notice of her approach was telegraphed from Paducah, and this was made the basis of an appeal to the ever-willing auxiliaries. Every Branch Society redoubled its zeal, and at the Aid Rooms in Cleveland the busy preparation for " steamer-day " emulated the bustling activity of a foreign shi23ping house. The president and several members of the Society accompanied Dr. Newberry to Pittsburg Landing, upon the second trip of the Lancaster. From a letter of one of these ladies the follo^ving extracts are made : "JuNE20tli, 1863. " Dear Ladies of the Aid Society, Cleveland : The evening' of June 5tli, 1863, saw us on board the Lancaster No. 4, bound for Pittsbur 7,V/.«r?^i©^^ ,f pliuiibi I WIIJ.IA.MS ' Otlpkne, ;l^^trfoNT__,^ "r/ burg 1 KviUlsi'ur (J>KFI .VX<*1 SBY ( l.-lh k -VlJ 1 V; X ■fli' ;li/ t K ^t ^.i^v Iriiai-loe ^ ■Mi '■y^ j illeili iiu •u# L'pp« k a u L-v 'duitv tT^ ^Y' I 'J IKe'iito -.JT) M.VKJ.I !^'l" 1 ICdf s'itpa fMOQli I G A-?r_ i .,\V^^.•> JEV'BV Belief 4'?i'^"r'' I>KI.V\^^•.VRE I lAllBIso^•| 'A l-illv" i)el«^^•>^ile I'ticaX .-l^ijnburv. '/JWHEELIXC ,rvbai 1 Gveouvillo O lie » A .If Si";^_£ SLLf*-' .v^ -??T^>-»i'5i'^'' 1 -SOBl-K W'ood'fl" - 1 -4' ':Ri;^ I' kL "\ V .'11' li' '"^ H. H' V; 1 -1 iitiu l.v A V.ilUlKlai- ClfTel.lua, O GEOaRAPTIirAL LIMITS. 57 directly to their friends in the army, tliat it was only by much persistence that Sanitary labors were centralized. The Society does not profess to have eno-rossed all the relief work of its district, — it only claims to have gathered it into form, given it direction, and made it more effective. The people of Northern Ohio were constantly showing their interest in the soldiers by sending boxes to individuals in the army, Christmas and Thanks- giving gifts to friends in camp, — presenting socks and mittens to regiments on marching away, — despatching messengers with boxes of home dainties down to " the front." (See T. Samuel, 17th Chap., 17th and 18th verses.) This outside work is entered upon no record of Sanitary effort, but it is certain that the aid societies were the " head centers '^ of all communication between the home and the army, and that by their being kept in vigorous condition an impetus was given to all such work, whether done strictly within their limits or not. The territory from which supplies were drawn was extremely limited, not exceeding eighteen counties in the north-eastern part of Ohio. A few towns in southern Michigan, western New York and north- western Pennsylvania were tributary to Cleveland during the first years of the war, but later these were naturally withdrawn to the agencies established at Detroit, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Meadville, Pa., was the only considerable town outside of the State of Ohio in which a Branch of the Cleveland Sanitary Commission was maintained to the end of the war. The north-western part of Ohio, having direct rail- 58 CULTIVATING THE FIELD. road commimication with Cincinnati, sent its hospital contributions generally to that supply center. Columbus had its own agency, which drew its support from the central part of the State. The geographical position of Cleveland limited the territory of its Aid Society, since it could not be expected that towns in the central or southern part of the State would send stores northward, knowing they would l)e at once re-shipped to the south, over the same line of transportation. This small field was carefully cultivated, and in it a constituency was built up, of branch societies num- bering at the close of the war five hundred and twenty-five. There was scarcely a town, village or hamlet in this district that had not its "Aid Society " or " Soldiers' Relief Association." Even the children were inspired by zeal unto good works to organize in school-house and play-room their " Busy Bee," " Wide Awake" or " X. Y. Z." societies. It is believed that no other arm of the United States Sanitary Commission had so intimate com- munication with its tributaries, or drew from so small a district greater results. The officers of each local organization were noted on the books at the Cleveland Aid Rooms with accurate post-office address. At stated intervals, blanks were issued to each Branch, to be filled and returned, showing what changes of officers had taken place, by election or otherwise. The secretary's books were cor- rected to agree with these reports. Personal letters were addressed at least once a month to the secretary RELATIONS WITH BRANCH SOCIETIES. 59 of each society, besides tlie receipts and letters that were always sent in acknowledgment of boxes, and the frequent answers to inquiries concerning work, and many other matters of business that were constantly referred by the local societies to the central rooms. No attempt was made to divert contrilmtions out of the direct channel towards the army. Towns were always advised to send to the Sanitary agency nearest the point of demand. The relation of the Branches to the Cleveland Society was purely one of self-interest, and could be broken at any moment if they so desired. No pledge of union w^as exacted from them, nor was there an}" attempt to say what proportion of their goods should be forwarded through this agency. With the Cleveland Society rested the duty of ])iiidiug the Branches to itself by making it clearly tor their interest to continue the relation. It had also the l)urden and responsibility of establishing and conduct- ing arrangements with transportation agencies and the general Commission, whereby goods could be safely conveyed and wisely distributed. The Branches had only to prepare their shipments and despatch them to Cleveland. Once arrived there, their responsibility might be considered at an end. The aid societies of Northern Ohio w^ere a power for loyalty. The hands of Union men at home were as surely held up by this little band of workers in every tow^i and village, as were the hearts of the soldiers in the field cheered by the knowledge that friends at home were busy for their comfort. The Union element in a town was sure to crystallize aroinid 60 DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS. its Aid Society. The " Union'' or " Peace " proclivities of a man were clearly indicated by his good-will and generosity towards "the Sanitary," or his open or covert attacks npon it. The work undertaken for sw^eet charit}' onl}', soon became an exponent of political sentiment. This ^vas sharply brought out in the latter years of the war, and union conventions and loyal leagues recognized the value of the aid societies l)y making frequent con- tributions to their sup])ort. The Cleveland Aid Rooms in these days presented a busy scene indeed. The Tjusiness of influencing, receiving and disbursing money and stores, and the practical details of purchasing, invoicing and shipping- were managed by the officers, there being no finance, advisory or auditing board of gentlemen, as was usual elsewhere in similar institutions. Throughout the entire existence of the Society, its officers were happily able to give their whole time to a work in which they were interested heart and soul. No salary was ever asked or received by any one of them, and not one cent was ever drawn from the treasury for their traveling or other expenses, even when they were absent on the necessary business of the Society. The officers were effectively aided by volunteer committees, ajjj^ointed at each business meeting for the ensuing month. Besides those whose names have been given on page 24, as forming the committees at the organization of the Society, the following ladies should have honoral)le mention : AID EOOM COMMITTEES. 61 Mr^. Dr. Merritt, Mrs. E. C. Yates, Mrs. J. M. Richards, Mrs. S. W. Crittenden, Mrs. Lauderdale, Mrs. Henry Newberry, Mrs. E. F. Gaylord, Mrs. James Barnett, Miss Annette Barnett, Mrs. Albert M. Harmon, Mrs. C. D. Brayton, Mrs. Lepper, Mrs. E. S. Iso3i, Mrs. S. A. Jewett, Mrs. Charles Wheeler, Mrs. Thomas Burnham, Mrs. L. Alcott, Mrs. H. B. Hurlburt, Mrs. Beverlin, Mrs. G. A. Hyde, Mrs. A. Fuller, Mrs. H. H. Little, Mrs. L T. Stevens, Mrs. L. Burton, Mrs. O. B. Skinner, Mrs. Dr. Hopkins, Mrs. Stanley Noble, Mrs. Dr. Thayer, Mrs. Edwin Thayer, Mrs. Geo. B. Ely, Miss Belle Carter, Miss Lily Walton. Many ladies of these committees continued month after month in the discharge of their self-imposed duties, greatly overtaxing their strength by a degree of manual labor that woman is seldom called to perfomi. The unpacking, assorting and repacking of goods I'ecpiired many busy hands, besides those that were engaged in cutting, giving out and receiving l)ack the garments made from material fui'iiished. There was also the stamping of each article with the name of the Society and of the Sanitary Commission, adopted as a precaution against fraudulent appropria- tion, and as a proof to the soldier that such articles Avere not furnished by Government, and could neither l)e sold to him nor their price held back from his pay. Many articles of bedding received at the Aid Rooms had been drawn from household stores, and still bore the (piaint sampler-stitch initial or written name of the donor. 62 MARKED ARTICLES. "Album quilts" were a favorite conceit of sewing circles, where eacli lady would contribute a patchwork square made from scraps of her own dresses, writing upon it her name and a patriotic sentiment or cheering couplet. Instances were not fe^v when the soldier in far-oiF hospital w\as cheered by sight of some such familiar sign on sheet or counterpane, or gladly rested his weary head upon a pillow that bore a dear and ^vell- known name. Socks went to the soldiers ^vith such good ^vishes as the followino;: " Brave sentry, on your lonely beat. May these blue stockings warm your feet. And when from wars and camps you part, May some fair knitter warm your heart." A bit of paper bearing a few Avords of kindness and sympathy was often found ])iiined into the sleeve of a new garment, which thus became doubly the mes- senger of good- will from home to hospital. Who can estimate the value of such a o-ift to one who, for months separated from friends and bearing a soldier's burdens in a distant I'eo-ion, is thus made to feel that iijentle hands still hold the leno-thenino; chain that binds him to his home ! The unpacking committee often found in a l>ox from the country a garment liaviiig the Aid Room stamp, that had been worn home from liospital l)y a soldier and was now returned to do a second niissir»n of comfort. There were other s-ifts that were more tenderh' handled, with such labels as these : CANNED FRUIT AND JELLIES. 63 "A pillow and sheet on which my wounded son was brought home from Cross Lanes." " Three pairs of socks, sent home in the knapsack of a dear brother who fell at Antietam." Tlie duties of the Aid Room committees did not end with a general attention to the stock. There was also special care to be given to a class of stores that, through too hasty preparation or packing, often came to the Aid Rooms in a state unfit for direct forwarding. Corks were to be secured, labels adjusted, lids cemented, leaks detected and their damages repaired. What genius of mischief first proposed canned fruit as an article of sick diet, or why army surgeons and hospital nurses should be supposed to subsist exclu- sively upon that luxury, are mysteries beyond solution in this volume. Certain it is, that no other supplies gave so much trouble in preparation, were so ill fitted to bear transportation and change of temperature, or Avere so damaging to the honest name of surgeon, nurse, and Sanitary Commission. A great discouragement was the constant cry that " the soldiers don't get the things," and " the surgeons and nurses eat up everything." " Everything " was invariably acknoAvledged to mean the canned fruit and jellies, yet it was in vain to advise against sending these, or to set forth that other stores could be j)repared at less cost, were more safely forwarded, and offered less temptation to dishonest fingers. It was not in the hearts of Northern Ohio women to withhold from the soldiers any luxury that they themselves enjoyed. To the very last, canned fruit crowded Aid Room shelves and perplexed Aid Room committees. 64 STOREKEEPING PERPLEXITIES. It was hard for the thrifty matron, in her well-or- dered home, to remember the difference between an army surgeon's menage and her own careful house- keeping. Sometimes a jar of pickles would come to the Aid Rooms labeled with directions to the surgeon of the hospital to "pour off the brine, throw on scalding vinegar, and keep them in a cool place,"" — or a, little package of roots and herbs, with a careful recipe for steeping them in certain proportions, to make " a very good cough mixture," or " a ^vash for sore mouth.'' It was hard, too, to comprehend the wreck and ruin of war, to admit that amons* its attendant evils wastefulness is conspicuous and inevitable, and that in this waste — with the l)est that can be done to pre- vent it — the supplies of benevolent associations, as well as the furnishings of Government, must share. There arose in Aid Room storekeej^ing three sea- sons of special perplexity, that, however, well illus- trate the promptness and enthusiasm of Northern (3hio benevolence. In an unlucky hour, some patriotic soul, with moi'e zeal than knowledge, proposed bottled currant-juice — without sugar — lis the aj^propriate "offering of a grateful people to their suffering defenders." This hint, going the rounds of the countr>' press, was eagerly caught up and instantl}' acted upon. Box after box was unloaded at the Aid Rooms, tilled with bottles of this bright translucent licpiid. Torpedoes from Pixie could scarcely have produced greater con- sternation. Its short history was one of uneas}- buT)1>le, internal ferment and outbursting rebellion. CURRANT-JUIOE AND TOAST. 65 Corks flew, glass shivered, and committee-women l:)roke ranks and fled in dismay l^efore the enfilading fire of tliis novel battery. Certain sanguineous stains on the floor and mysterious tracery on walls and ceil- ing were long tlie significant reminders of this "cur- rant-juice cannonade." Again, there crept into the newspapers a sugges- tion that slices of dry toast should be packed into barrels and sent to hospitals. Before experience could report upon the value of this advice, dray loads of l)arreled toast had been deposited at the Aid Koom door. If the bread had been carefully toasted and made perfectly dry, the rough handling of the barrel by railroad porters or the jolting over country roads reduced the slices to minute crumbs; but if, as was most likely, it had been hastily packed, only half dry, the whole became a sour and mouldy mass, only fit to be cast out Avherever dumping ground could be found for it. The Aid Room committees from be- neath a mountain of mouldering crusts sent forth their reiterated outcry against this waste. Even letters and printed protests were slow in convincing the zealous workers that their labor was worse than vain. Week after week the process of toasting bread went on as though the fires of Northern Ohio patri- otism had been kindled solely for that purj^ose. But these annoyances were as nothing to the trials of the "concentrated chicken era," in the spring of 18(32. This was specially vexatious because the advice which proved so unlucky had been sent out from the Aid Rooms. From the East there had come a recipe, strongly 66 CONCENTRATED CHICKEN. endorsed, for stewing down chicken, condensing the broth and sealing the whole in tin cans. This recipe was circulated by the Aid Society among its tributa- ries, who were enjoined to enter at once upon the preparation of "this invaluable article of hospital diet." The aid societies threw themselves into this work in their own generous way. Chicken had been pre-^ scribed for their soldier boys, — chicken they should have ! Poultry-yard and chicken-coop yielded up the victims of this new decree. The " murder of the inno- cents " went on with unsparing hand. " Bees " assem- bled in every kitchen, the steaming kettle sent up a savory odor from every fireside. The first shipments reached the Cleveland Aid Rooms in apparent good order, and were immediately and with great satisfaction forwarded to hospitals. A few boxes are known to have borne transportation well and to have been a welcome treat to the sick soldiers. But either the process was defective, the haste in packing too great, or it may have been that the zeal infused into the preparation induced fermen- tation in the cans ! Soon, " bouquet de concentrated chicken" began to pervade the atmosphere of Aid E-ooms and to exhale in overpowering efiluvia from every box that came in. An ominous " chipper " and bubble arose among the cans on the shelf, followed by a gaseous explosion, — after which, decidedly stronger "bouquet." Words cannot do justice to this new perfume, — memory once saturated with it can never be purged of the experience ! OFFICE DUTIES. 67 Committee-women, sick and faint, longed for retire- ment and a camplior-bottle. Some, more resolute, witli colo2:ue-drenclied liandkerchief and face averted, ven- tured to open and explore tlie boxes, dragging out the contents thorouglily imj^regnated with the nause- ous odor or soaked and ruined by the bursting of a single can. Business meetings were conducted with great gravity, each member holding a saucer of disin- fectants under her devoted nose. Surgeons politely acknowledged to the x\id Soci- ety the receipt of a box, "presumed by the odor, to contain condensed chicken." Sanitary agents at Nashville despairingly cried, " Stay ! the Cumberland river is already blockaded with cans of con — founded chicken ! " Neighbors voted the establishment a nuisance, doc- tors denounced it, and cholera threatened it. Chloride of lime at last carried the day ! In the office of the Aid Rooms a careful system of book-keej^iug and invoicing had been early ado2:)ted. A list of every article contributed, with name of donor, was published weekly in the Cleveland Herald. Each box from the country was further acknowledged by a personal letter aiming to convey advice, informa- tion and encouragement. The limits of the day were all too short for these duties, and the correspondence and preparation for the press were often carried far into the night. Though frequent circulars had been issued, sani- tary puljlications scattered and constant appeals made through the press, it now seemed important to have iir^K^^Ti. A T>mTrir Ti-ci " 68 LEADER ARTICLES some stated means of advancing the interests of the Sanitary Commission throughout Northern Ohio and of communicating with the tributaries of the Cleve- land Branch more fully than could be done by letter only. While this was in discussion by the ladies in their little office, many suggestions being made only to be rejected, Mr. E. Cowles, of the Cleveland Leader, offered two columns per week of that paper to the Society. The ladies gladly accepted this invitation to join the corps editorial. Thursday evening was hereafter known, in Aid Society parlance, as " Leader night," when a stirring appeal was to be written, a digest of the week's business prepared, letters from the front condensed, sanitary news summed up, home relief re- ported, prejudices and rumors dissipated and flagging enthusiasm galvanized. The " wee sma' hours " often found the tyro in her sanctum, deep in the mysteries of scissors and quill, aglow with the excitement of composition, or nervously dreading the call for " more copy." For more than two years, and until other plans made their continuance unnecessary, the Soldiers Aid Society articles filled and often overran the space assigned them in the Saturday morning issue of the Cleveland Leader. The mailing of circulars and other papers, which became later a work that required a constant round of really wearying labor, was no small task even at this early day. For more than three years, Miss Carrie P. YouNGLovE, a much valued member of the Aid Room DOCUMENT COMMITTEES. 69 corps, had charge of this department, performing her volunteer duties as Document Clerk with untiling perseverance and much ability. The ladies who assisted in this department at differ- ent times during the earlier years of the war were : — Miss Maky Shelley, Miss Carkie Gkant, Miss Georgia Gordon, Miss Helen Lester, Miss Nellie Russell, Miss Clara Woolson, Miss Nettie Brayton, Mrs. Geo. S. Mygatt and Mrs. Frank W. Parsons. The iiivoicino; and res^isterino; had now become too important to be left to the changing hands of volun- teer committees, however able and zealous these might be. Miss Sara Mahan, whose valuable services had for some months been given, was from this time — • August 1st, 1862 — employed as office assistant. Now fully identified with the Society, her well trained mind and fine business abilities were faithfully devoted to its interests. This engagement was continued till the close of the supply work in October, 1865. A PICTURE OF the CLEVELAND AID ROOMS. At 8 o'clock the Rooms are open and the ladies assemble for the business of the day. The boxes unloaded by the drayman upon the pavement, after receiving their entry numbers, are trundled through the wide door and the lids skilfully removed by the porter or energetically pried off by some impatient member of the unpacking committee, whose duties now begin. Cautiously she })eeps under the layers, not without 70 PICTURE OF THE AID EOOirS. fear that some miscliievoiis cork, false to its trust, may have spread liquid ruin among the soft folds. Shirts and drawers, as they come forth, are duly counted, examined and noted. If zealous haste has despatched them minus a button or a string, tlie defi- ciency is supplied by some careful matron who sits near. The garment is then thrown ^vith the others upon a high counter, behind which is entlu'oned a third committee-woman with stencil-plate and brush. The labels and mottoes which she may find nestling in the pocket of a dressing-gown or hidden in the soldier's thread-case, she does not remove. Steadily she works there, affixing the indelible stamp, O.A.b. ^ and each article passes from her hand into its appointed place in one or anotlier of the great hino-ed receivino-.eases that form a row down the louo; room. Books and pamphlets receive the same stamp and are then piled uj^on their allotted shelf, where some soldier from the city camp may often be seen turning over the leaves, with free permission to choose. Bags of dried fruit arc tumbled in a heap upon the scales. Bottles and jugs as they appear are closely inspected, the sound carefully re-packed in sawdust, the defective cemented anew or, if too far gone for that, set aside for the Home, the city liospital or the sick soldier not man}' scpiares oft'. At a table in the middle of the room a l)andage COMMITTEES AT WO macliine is whirling, under a Land grt much practice in these sad days. Befort box stands an embodiment of patience, vax to bring order out of the ever uprising mass. Just behind is tlie busy packing committee, whose skilfubiess rests the good name of the Sol with the army. Bending over their work, they fc and smooth and crowd down each article with its kind, until there is space only for the invoice-sheet at top, and the box awaits the porter's hammer and its tally numl)er, before being consigned to the store house. The long table at the end of the room is occupied by the work committee. Here bed-sacks and sheets are torn off with an electrifying report, and two pairs of savage shears are cutting their vigorous way through a bolt of " army blue " flannel. The pattern is not now on the giant scale prescribed in the early days by the Sanitary Commission " powers that be ; " a specimen of which, saucy sarcasm has nailed in " spread eagle " fashion to the wall yonder. Economy and womanly sense have reduced the dimensions to the proportions of ordinary humanity. The cut garments, duly rolled and ticketed, are stowed away in the " work-box," to be given out to ladies of the city or sent in packages to bridge over a financial gap in some country society. Two or three ladies, delegates from some neighljoring Branch, are narrowly watching this busy scene while receiving, from highest official sources, suggestions and sympathy, if need be. Under the same hospitable guidance the}^ make a tour of inspection through the great ro(~>m and into the little office in the rear, .E AID ROOM OFFICE. .ced from the main apartment only by i-ition. jme tokens of feminity have crept in, despite aent determination to give it a severe business A modest carpet covers the floor, the big box of uments in the corner, cunningly cushioned, takes mbitious rank as a sofa, some kind body has sent in a rocking chair, sometimes a bouquet graces the table, and two or three pictures have found their way upon the wall among railroad time-tables and shipping guides. But the latest war bulletin hangs with them there, and all these amenities fail to disguise the character of the room or to draw attention from tlie duties of the hour. Here, at her desk, sits one whom fate and the re- sponsibilities of office have called to " carry the bag " and to make the neatest of figures in the largest of ledgers. There stands another, knitting her brows over the complications of a country invoice or a " short " shijDping bill. A third is perpetually flitting between her entry-desk in the outer room and the office table, where two bright-eyed girls are folding circulars. A fourth drops her plethoric file of " un- answered letters," to read proof for the printer's boy at her elbow or to note down, for future use, the sanitary news as it falls fresh from the lips of an agent who has called in, en route from the front, to give a cordial hand to the ladies. The above may be called an instantaneous view of the Aid Rooms in their every-day estate, but the varying phases of experience there Avere like the ever- shifting combinations of a kaleidoscope. VARIED EXPERIElSrCE. 73 There were tlie shipping days, when committees fled to shelter while the porter rent the air with shrieking saw and resounding hammer, and draymen blockaded passage with a mountain of boxes and barrels that were tallied off by some half-distracted woman perched in a corner with check-book and pencil. To these succeeded grand cleaning and scrubbing seasons, when a deluge overwhelmed this little world and Babel with its confusion of tongues seemed to have arisen in the midst. There were unlucky days, when a soldier fresh from the fleld would come in to ask some trifling aid, because he "had never had anything from the Sanitary," — when desponding visitors reported that their Aid Society, disheartened by a similar experi- ence, was failing in numbers and interest, — - and when cautious correspondents detailed stories of waste and fraud, too vague to be traced out and disproved or remedied, yet plausible enough to plant an uncomfort- able sting. There were rare days, when the hive stopped its busy hum, as the honored and lamented Foote spoke a few memorable words to the listening group, — or the gallant Hooker, the modest Sigel, or some lesser luminary of the military firmament, came in to give a soldier's frank and hearty greeting, — or the Governor and State officials offered a word of cheer, — or the officers of another Branch in some distant city made a friendly call, — or the chief representatives of the U. S. Sanitary Commission appeared on a so* called "inspection," which they by subtile courtesy turned into a visit of compliment and approval. 74 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS. S(^nu' straiig'e occasions there were, as \vlieii a l)ril- liniit Zouave soldier in full uniform, with knapsack and jj;un, was discovered to be an adventurous maiden ill diso'uise, — and a suspicious looking woman who entered the Aid Room doors claimino; charity turned out to lu' a young desertt'r and spy, and Avas indig- nantly haihU'd over to the swift justice of the Provost Marshal ! There W(M'e dark days, when Union reverses fell heavily u})on the heart, — when wives and mothers with blanched faces thronged the Rooms, — when suiVering lifted up its voice in some new quarter, from iu>glected field or ill-appointed hospital. But the bright ihxys ! — rich in golden opportunities ! when a gi'ateful word from a passing soldier proved that these busy hands had woven at least one 2:leam- ing thread into the web of some clouded life, — when a friendly wcn'd, titly spoken, p\it to flight all discourage- ments, — when a letter of acknowledgment from some distant hospital l)ecanu' full payment for all the toils of Aid Room life, — when the stirrinir notes of vie- tory brought hope that the day of peace was not far otf! CIIAPTEK IV. Like most of tlie other Nortlieru States, Ohio liad its Relief Association, organized by Ohioans in gov- ernment offices at Washington, on l)ehalf of sohliers from their own State who were lying in hospital there. This association natnrally received the endorsement and protection of the Governor and the influence of the State authorities and prominent politicians. The officers of the Ohio Keliek Association were earnest in purpose and zealous in their attentions to Ohio men, visiting them daily l)y committees, supply- ing them with comforts, and reporting their condition to friends at home. July 2 2d, 1:e which the uniform kindness and watch- ful interest of Dr. Newuerry could aftbrd. The oflicers Av^ere constantly indebted to him for counsel and aid, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge here that his judicious advice and assistance were potent means of the success of the work which is detailed in this volume. For a history of five years of unintermitting and faithful labor in the service of the Sanitary Commis- MAN^VER OF FORWAEDIJN^G. 83 sion, during which Dr. Newberry adniinisttjied the aftairs of the Western Department with leniarkalde vigor and al)ility, the reader is referred to a ^vork lately issued by the Historical Bureau of the Sanitary Conuiiission entitled "Keport on the operations of the U. S. SAxrrARY Commission in the Valley of the Mississippi during the War of the Rebellion.'" The su])plies of the Cleveland Branch vveie irom this time mainly directed to Louisville. Sent by car load to Cincinnati, they were met there and trans- ferred to the mail boat l)y an agent avIio accompanied them to Louisville. Their destination ^^•as there deter- mined. The reports of their distrilnition, gleaned from letters of agents and inspectors, were communicated to the Brancli societies. This careful manner of forwarding stores ^von the confidence of tributary societies and gradually weak- ened their disposition to send independently to individuals in the army. It was necessary to act very cautiously against this desire, which in early da}'s had caused no small perplexity and had always ])roved injudicious and hazardous. For every package that failed to tind its way alone from the home to the army, the Sanitary Commission was luijustly considered responsible. Every such l)ox, stranded on the ])assage, "was l^rought forward as evidence against the Sanitary Commission shi2")2")ing system. When a pile of these waifs, — dragged to light tVom the recesses of a railroad or river Avarehouse, — fell under the auctioneer's hammer, great arose the 84 PRIVATE PACKAGES. cry that the officers of the Sanitary Commission were making fortunes from the charities of the public and that sanitary stores never reached the soldiers. No amount of argument ^vould dissipate this impres- sion. The people were slow to learn that the channel wliich they often mistrusted and studiously avoided actually led most directly to their own soldier boys. The Cleveland Aid Society never assumed the right to restrict tlie independent shipments of its tributary societies, correctly judging that experience would lead them to aljandon such ventures. The sending of private boxes was always discouraged and the ol)jec- tions were frankly stated, but it seemed imj^olitic and unkind to make an inflexible rule a2;ainst it. If these were brou2:ht to the Aid Rooms the ladies souo;ht to ensure their safe carriage, often paying express charges to remote points, but invarialdy prefjicing this favor with a chapter of warning and advice. Now, how- ever, on the establishment of Sanitary headquarters so near the front as Louisville, the time had come when some rule might be adopted. It was therefore announced that " hereafter the Aid Society will not be responsible for the conveyance of private packages beyond the Sanitary depot nearest their point of destination. If not called for there within a reason- able time, the contents Avill l)e distributed for the general good." The feeling that moved the people to send indi- vidual gifts to the army ^vas always respected by the officers of the Cleveland Society, ^v^ho from its pioneer days had themselves been constantly looking a-field, keenly watching the ever- varying dem.and and keeping SPECIAL SHIPMENTS. , 85 tlieir own sympathies aglow by direct communication witli the front. Letters and ap2)eals coming to them from the army were carefully considered, and either referred to headquarters of the Sanitary Commission or answered by boxes packed at the Aid Rooms with special reference to the demand. Such boxes were consigned to the Sanitary agent nearest the i)oint of need, to be delivered by him if his inspection proved that the apj)eal was a proper one. A duplicate invoice of these shipments was always sent to the central office of the Sanitary Commission at Louisville, and a written receipt was required of the surgeon l)y whom the call was made. The Branch societies, in their turn, often had sj^ecial appeals from their correspondents in the army. These appeals were usually referred to the central rooms. They were encouraged to gather supplies in response and to forward them to the Cleveland Aid Rooms. Here, such supplies were often supjilemented from the general stock and every facility of transportation was afforded. Even the messengers despatched to the army by Branch aid societies were furnished at the Cleveland Rooms with credentials that made them the authorized agents of the Sanitary Commission while distributing their supplies to the regiments which they visited. The object of this policy was to inculcate loyalty to the Sanitary Commission without incurring the danger of weakening the enthusiasm of the people, — a danger that would certainly have been o^reat, had the aid societies of Northern Ohio been suffered to become merely the collecting and shi])])ing agents of a great national charity* ST) MOUE TnAN"SPORTATIOX FAVOUs. The work of gathering and disbursing steadily increased thi-oiiQ-hont the fVdl and was without mate- rial chano-e. The usual supplies were pleasantly varied by a large quantit}^ of gi'apes, fresh from the vineyards of Kelley Island, — the gift of the Aid Society estab- lished there. Several boxes of these were distributed in the hospitals of Georgetown, D. C, by the Rev. F. T. BnowN, formerly a Cleveland pastor, and the remainder divided between the hosj)ital train of the Louisville and Nashville railroad and Louisville hos- pitals. A canvassing agent was at this time making the tour of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake counties. With the aid of the township military committees he was successful in securing a bountiful supply of apples and vegetables. These supplies were duly credited to the local societies and by them forwarded to Cleve- land. The favors of transportation granted to the Aid Society in forwarding stores to the front, have been mentioned on page 38. From this time,— October 28th, 1862,— all the railroads running into the city granted free carriage of packages consigned by country societies to the Cleveland Aid Rooms. Any advance charges that might have accrued were paid by the Cleveland Society. Thus all freight expenses were saved to the shippers and a heavy l)urden Avas lifted from the feebler Branches. CHAPTER V. The winter of 1862-3 found the Society licli in enthusiasm and tlie loyal supj^ort of more than four hundred Branches. Gifts of money were however few and small. The war had begun to pinch the pockets of many who were the firmest friends of the Sanitary Commission, The rapid depreciation of the currency and the ever-recurring calls for means to raise new reo'iments and to equip them for the field, were beginning to make even the rich feel poor and to develop the necessity for a prudence that was new to the citizens and farmers of the Western Reserve. Stores were coming in freely, though these were now less valuable in kind. The small field had been thoroughly worked for more than eighteen months. The surplus accumulation of clothing and bedding, the j)ride of every thrifty housewife, which had been freely and even lavishly given at the call of local aid socie- ties, was now exhausted. The high prices of cotton and woolen fabrics made it impossible for these little societies to buy enough to keep their fingers busy in makino* new g-arments. Boxes from the Branches contained at this time a greater proportion of edildes and farm products. At 88 ciRCtJLAii iro. 10. But tliese facts were no discourao-ement. A vi2;or- ous campaign was to be the policy of the forces in the fiehl, and right zealously did the army of home- workers enter upon the duties entailed by the increase and activity of the army at the front. Taught l)y a year's experience, they well knew the probable neces- sities of the troops during the coming winter months. Like them, they were eager to push forward while there was work to do. To the aid societies that disbursed their charities through the Cleveland Branch Commission, Circular No. 10 was addressed, December 1st, urging increased activity and containing accurate directions for work to suit the season, with some carefully prepared measure- ments and suggestions upon economy in cutting the material which war prices had now made doubly precious. Published reports of the condition of hos- pitals in Perry ville and Danville, Ky., and some urgent letters of agents who w^ere at work among the sick at Nashville and on the line of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, lately re-opened, gave point to this appeal and it was not unheeded. The faithful few to be found in every little society bent earnestly to its interests, and great industry and persistent canvassing l]>rought due reward. The season favored their plans and holiday pleasures again took on the garl) of charity. While creating and guiding the machinery of the Society, its officers had also the anxiety of financiering for its support. In most other like organizations the duty of raising funds was assumed by some outside irARD TIMES. 89 committee, hnt tlie officers of the Cleveland Aid Society Lad no sucli relief. Their very success in evoking the activity of so many tributaries was at once a stimulus and a per- plexity, so large was now the sum required merely for the current expenses of the Society in its character of receiving and shipping agent for these smaller organi- zations. Though often sorely pressed for means, no money was ever solicited from Branch societies nor was it accepted from them, though frequently offered. Sums of money thus sent in were invested in material at wholesale prices and in that form returned. It was thought to be unwise and unjust to cripple these weaker organizations by taking money from their treasuries. With the constant call upon its charities it cannot be supposed that the Society had ever been able or willing to accumulate supplies or to hoard its re- sources. The present winter was a time of peculiar embar- rassment. The flow of money into the treasury was small though continuous, and was perhaps as great as could be expected in the stringency of the times and the many other calls upon benevolence. There was no loss of friends nor withdrawal of public confidence. Besides individual contributions, there had been a lecture by Artemus Waiid, a lecture by Elihu BuRRiTT, tendered by the Cleveland Commercial Cob lege, a thanksgiving offering from the city churches, 90 FrNANCIEIlING. some collections made 1)y Sunday school cliildren, a benefit ])y an amateur dramatic club, and maii>' other gifts that showed the estimati(^n in which the work at the Aid Rooms was held l)y the citizens. But the Society had now assumed business relations and responsibilities that must seek more stable foun- dation than the shifting sands of popular charity. By the plan of honorary meml)erships, projected in November, it had been hoped to ol)tain a j^ei'manent revenue sufficient to support the Depot Hospital mentioned on page 51, and to meet current expenses. For this, a sum not less than two hundred dollars per month was required. Secure from the entanglement of delH, the ladies would then rely upon chance con- tribution, lectures, concerts and other entertainments for means to purchase material and for extending their plans as might be desired. The honorary memberships were necessarily slow in reporting, while the needs of soldiers were imme- diately pressing. The heavy monthly expenditure could not he curtailed without breaking faith with the auxiliaries and giving a ftital shock to the interests of the Society. It had been hard indeed to see cotton and woolen goods rise daily higher and higher in price and yet to be unable to lay in a stock for the winter's ^vork. Some advance purchases had been ventured on with much hesitation, and the time for payment Avas ex- tended by the kindness of the merchants. Every dollar that could be spared was applied to reduce this debt by instalments of fifty dollars, yet at the close of the year a large balance remained unpaid. With WAYS AND :\IEAN!^. 91 closest ecoiioniv the resources of tlie Society were l)arely sufficient to cover current expenses. It must not l)e supposed that these embarrassments were allowed continually to annoy and weary the public. It was well known that the Aid Society Avas to the highest degree receptive, that its resources were always far below its needs and that every dollar added to the treasury was a thrice welcome gift. These facts inculcated and established, the officers endeavored to keep the Society on an independent basis, so far as an institution drawing support from public benevolence could be considered independent, and to make it an honor to the community, not a constant bore to the citizens. The Cleveland Aid Society early dropped its mendicant character and took rank as a business estaldishment. Its business credit was always good. If an article Avas needed, it was bargained for and purchased l>y the officers, not begged. Whenever it was known what reduction the merchant made from his usual prices, this was entered and credited as his contribution. Frequent and stirring appeals through the press there certainly were, and persistent efforts to keep the wants of the soldiers before the public. Friends in the city often joined in self-constituted committees to add money to the treasury or goods to the store-room, l)ut personal solicitation of money by the officers was studiously avoided and was never resorted to, save in the aj^plication for honorary memberships, made at this time, and later for the specific object of building a Soldiers' Home. 02 RATINEST CONSTTLTATIONS. Knowing tliat popular sympathy goes with success and that worth is generally measured by the same rule, the ladies strove to prove the efficiency of the Society as almoner of the people's charity and thus to attract towards it a deserved support. Business men, glad to have the credit of the city for philanthropy sustained and the immediate burden of responsibility and care lifted from their own shoulders, willingly made the Aid Society a channel for their benefactions to the army. In times of its financial prosperity, the Society grate- fully made public acknowledgment of the support that was generously and cheerfully given. When ])ecu- niary embarrassments weighed heavily, all forebodings were confined within the little office Avliere the ladies met in daily consultation upon ways and means. Just now these consultations were especially ear- nest. It w\as not possible to enter at once upon any great scheme for raising money by entertainments, for the reason that a bazaar in the interest of the Cleveland Protestant Orphan Asylum had bespoken public favor months before and was still in preparation. To bring the claims of the Sanitar}' Commission prominentl}' forward at this time would endanger the success of this bazaar, and the ladies of the Aid Society thought it ungenerous to divert attention from so worthy an object. The city was too small to sustain a second strand charitable scheme immediatelv succeedino- the bazaar. This could be attempted only at great risk of failure. Some plans ^\-ere laid that promised well \'ov the future, but for the present it seemed almost 11 1 10 CALIFORNIA FUND. 93 li()[)t5lt'-ss to attempt to repair the fortunes of the Aid Society, and its managers were Ijearing a heavy burden of anxiety. At this crisis came " good news from a far coun- tO'-" California, too distant to furnish troops yet too loyal to shrink from the burdens of the war and too humane to neglect its sufferers, had sent, in October, 1802, one hundred thousand dollars to the general treasury of the Sanitary Commission, and fourteen days later another one hundred thousand, stipulating that one half of this last remittance should be given to the Western Sanitary Commission — an independ- (iiit organization having its headquarters in St. Louis — and the other half used in the interests of the United States Sanitary Commission, through its westei'u Branches. The partition of this gift had been long in discus- sion by the Executive Committee of the Sanitary Commission, in New York, and was now decided. By its provisions the Cincinnati Branch was to receive fifteen thousand dollars, Chicago ten thousand, Louis- ville ten thousand, Columbus five thousand and Cleveland ten thousand. The ladies of the Cleveland Branch could scarcely believe that ten thousand dollars actually lay in New York subject to their draft. This was indeed a dazzling ray of golden sunlight into their darkest day ! llovv much prosjierity to their Society, how much comfort to the soldiers, were represented by that great sum ! 94 SECOND THOUGHTS. After the first inomeiit of joyful excitement, sober second thouglit weighed cjirefnlly the real value of the s:ift. Thoiigli often carrying a light purse, the Society had never heen actually crippled by lack of money. Poverty had been its great capital, the rallying-cr}'^ l)y which its friends Avere summoned, and there now seemed to be a lurkiuo; dancrer in this sudden accession to fortune. The sum looked fabulously large ; in the event of an earl}' close of the Avar it might l)e more than sufficient; but who dared hope that the war would end this year, or the next, or the next i By making public acceptance of the gift it seemed certain tliat popular sympathy avouUI be withdra^\■n and the zeal of the tributaries weakened. The Society could better afford to relinquish all share in the California fund than to hazard the disbanding of that noble constituency which had l)een so carefully built up and Avas now the very life of its Avoik. Between the just pride that their own dear Society should receive its proportion with other Branches of the Sanitary Commission, the tempting thought of what comfort that o-reat sum of money Avould ensure to the disabled soldiers, and the imminent risk of ])aralyzing the vigorous auxiliaries l)y accepting it the ladies Avere sorelv troubled and almost at their wits' end. They at last decided to be governed by the same rule that they applied to their own Branch societies and to accept the gift in instalments, as a helping hand, devoting it exclusively to purchase of stores and material, but resolving still to provide for current IIEVIEW OF THE AVOKK. 95 expenses aud to spare no pains to keep up an inde- pendent treasury. With this understanding, tliey received from Dr. Newberry one thousand (hdhxrs on account of the California fund, canceKed the debt for material the same day, made further })urchases of cotton and flannel, continued to canvass for meml)erships and projected a series of entertainments to be given in the early spring. Through all this financial perplexity, now hapj)ily ended, the regular duties of the Society had been uninterrupted. The l)ooks at the close of 18(32 showed receipts of two hundred and twenty-four thousand articles of l)ed- ding and clothing, thirty-three thousand pounds and twenty-seven thousand articles of surgeons' supplies and hospital furnishings, one hundred and thirty-six thousand pounds of fruit and groceries, twenty thousand cans and bottles of jellies, wines, etc., seven thousand dozens of eggs, iive hundred bushels of vegetables, three hundred kegs of pickles and forty thousand unclassified articles. These st(n*es had been sent to points in Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, besides small supplies to the army of the Potomac. They had reached fifty-seven camps, regi- mental hospitals and I'ecruiting stations, forty general and post hospitals, and eighteen established or tem- porary depots of the Sanitary Commission, besides the floating hospitals and store boats of the Commis- sion. These disbui'sements had been submitted to the Sanitary Commission for approval, and nine-tenths 96 CA:\IP CLEVELAND HOSPITAL. of all the sliijiments had been made upon direct reqnisition of its agents in the field. The Society had already established a business reputation at the front. Under date of December 26th, an agent wrote from Memphis, Tenn., to the Cleveland Aid Rooms : " I have learned to ex2:)ect your goods every month as regularly as I look for the rising sun." While aiming to send comforts to distant hospitals, home charities had not been neglected. Blankets had been given to recruits on application, returned soldiers had received a share of aid and comfort, missing men had been looked up, the condition of sick or wounded ascertained for benefit of friends, and in the Depot Hospital nearly one thousand men had been fed, lodged, clothed and attended. Nor had the Society been unmindful of those in regiments temporarily encamped 'near the city, who suftered from diseases engendered by a sudden cliange from the comforts of home to the exposure of camp life. The officers and surgeons of the city camps and hospital had always been made welcome to dra^v upon the Aid Society for any supplemental stores that their sick required. An incident in the history of Camp Cleveland Military Hospital shows that, even at the North, the Sanitary Commission sometimes found occasion to bridge a gap between government supplies and the soldiers. January 1st, 1868, a new surgeon Avas assigned to charge of the post hospital at Camp Cleveland with orders to open it on the 10th as a General Military ( . AIT INCIDEXT. 97 Hospital. Thoroiigli repairs and a large addition to the l:)uilding were necessary to this change. On the 20th, ten days after the opening, the surgeon made his appearance at the Aid Rooms in great per- plexity. His government bedding had not arrived. It must surely have been ship2:)ed but it was strangely lela}'ed, and all his writing and telegraphing had failed to hurry it forward. Meanwhile, the medical director at Cincinnati, calmly confident that the hospital was ready to open because it had been ordered to open, had sent on a large squad of sick who were to arrive by train that very night. What was to be done! The kind-hearted surgeon could not bear to lay these sick men into empty bunks, yet the bedding of the old hospital was not half sufficient for them. In this dilemma he applied to the Aid. Society for a loan of bedding till government furnishings should come. The stock at the Aid Kooms was at that moment low, as a large shi^iment had just been made, but the will to help was not lacking. Two hundred sheets and fifty bed-sacks were counted out for the hospital. These were enough for the present emergency. The ladies further offered to make up a bale of army linen, and before another m^^ig of tobacco ! A certain dra\ver in the Aid lloonis Avas kept full of these comforts for such distribution. On Avritten order of the surgeon or chaplain, clothing n\ as given in cases Avhich could not be reached by government issues. The above comes within the limits of the special relief department and will be found in detail in the accompanying Special llelief lleport. The library of Camp Cleveland hos])ital was in gri'at ])art furnished and several times re])lenished by the Aid Society. The hospital ambulance was ordered to call at the Aid Rooms every day. All delicacies too ])erishable (o bear shipment to the front and many country (hiinties were sent b)' it to the special care of the matron. Many holiday occasions were maiU' })k'asant to the soldiers at Camp Cleveland. One of these is de- scribed in the following extract from Cleveland papers of ISO'J: (.'nuiisTM.vs AT C\MV CLEVELAND lIosprrAL. — Tlmiiks to tlu> <;rfncrosity of the ladios of tins city, the impromptu dinner at the hospital was a perfect success, (."hristmas, despite the inauspicious cUmds and weeiiinjj skies, was nu\de a " red letter day " both to the inmates of tlu> hospital and to those who superintended the entertainment. Early on Christmas morning the abundant gifts that had been st'ut into the Rooms of the Aid Society were loaded into a large furniture van, and, \Vith a dray-load of apples and vegetables and a barrel of cider, were sent A CIIKISTMAS DINNEi;. [)\) to the hospital by direction of the committee, Mrs. B. RousK, Mrs. WM. Melhinck, Mrs. D. CiriTTENDKN and Mrs. P. Thatcher, who cheerluUy {fjivo up their own Christmas festivities in order to secure to the sicl\ men the full enjoynunit of the feast. The surjjfcons of tlio hospital having previously given cordial assent to the plans of the ladies, now welcomed them heartily, introduced them into the wards and zealously seconded their aiTangements througliout the day. When this "surprise party" unfolded its benevolent designs to the invalid soldiers, pale faces flashed with eager expectation and dim eyes brightened with the thought that kind hearts had been moved to bring a tithe of Christmas pleasures into this abode of weariness and pain. The lirst stc]) in the day's programme was to care for those who were too ill to sit at table. At twelve o'clock each sick man received a bowl of nourishing chicken soup or oyster broth, a delicate bit of chicken (if allowed to eat it), a roasted ai)ple, a fresh biscuit spread with jelly or canned ])eaches, and a glass of custard by way of dessert. That there might be no •• slij) 'twixt cup and lip," these delicacies were carried to each bedside by the ladies themselves, who had the great satisfaction of seeing how keenly they were relished. The erysipelas ward and even the small-pox hospital, set apart on the slope of the hill, were visited by the ladies, who braved the danger of inlection in their zeal for the Christmas pleasures of the sick MU'U. When the sick had been thus provided for, the convalescents were invited into the dining room. There, oyster-soup, plump chickens and turkeys, jnicy ham and tongues, tender biscuits, crisp doughnuts, Indian puddings, apph', pumpkin and cranberry pies were set out with an abundance that Cleveland housewives well know how to furnish, and to which the guests on the present occasion proved themselves able to do full justice. Here the ladies again presided, and saw each man plentifully served with everything that the bountiful board supiditnl. After all had gone away satisfied, the employes of the hospital received their share. As there still remained enough and to spare, the soldiers of the guard were called in from their wet and weary round to i)artake of the feast until more than eight hundred men had taken their turns at table. The barrel of cider waa then tapped, and doughnuts, ap[)les and cider werii distri- buted through the camp to the groups of soldiers gathered about their lires. When the festivities of the day were over at the hospital, there still remained choice provisions enough for a generous dinner-party. These were gathered up and carried to the quarters of the paroled prisoners who were reqiu^sted to take them for their Christnuis supper. The " boys" wen; no way loth to accei)t the bounty that " Santa Claus " seemed to have showered down upon them and the ladies drove away amid their shouts of delight and gratitude, M. CHAPTER VI. The probability of a general engagement Ijelow Nashville had caused the field-agents of the Sanitary Commission in Tennessee to make urgent advance demands for stores. Their anticij^ations were realized by the battle of Btoiie River, fought at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, De- cember 31st, 18(32, and new year's day of 1863. Eight thousand of Rosecrx^ns' splendid army of the Cumber- land were disabled by this terrible battle, and for months the hospitals of Louisville, Nashville and Murfreesboro were filled with the wounded. The Sanitary Commission had the approval and published endorsement of General Roseceans, and by his orders all possible fixcilities were afforded its agents in their care of the wounded. The record of the preventive and relief service rendered in hospital and camp to the army of the Cumberland forms one of the l:)rightest chapters in the history of the Sanitary Commission. February brought the opening of the camj^aign against Vicksburg, and all eyes watched with intense interest the movements of the fleet that was descend- ing the Mississippi river. Under the indomitable leadership of General 1 THE SIEGE OF YICKSBURO. 101 Grant, the army of the Tennessee again hiid patient and persistent siege to the rebel stronghold that had twice been the object of iinsnccessfnl and disastrous assault. It was not now to yield ^v ithout a desperate resistance, and until its defenders were unearthed, like rats, from their burrows. The depressing influences of climate and the unfa- vorable location of camps soon developed in the Union army diseases of an exhaustive and malignant nature, more fatal than the casualties of l:)attle. The sick, received into rude hosj)itals from which they were often driven by the rising waters of the Missis- sippi, or placed on board transports wliere their surroundings were still more unfortunate, suffered severely from lack of food, medicines and clothing. Government, with its ponderous machinery and heavy burdens, could not supply these wants with necessary promptness. The resources of the sur- rounding region were exhausted, and if they had been al)undant would have been beyond the reach of lo^^al men. Scurvy began to show itself in hospital and camp. Every mail brought some new tale of suffering, some pleading call for help from the Sanitary agents who were working nobly there and finding a broad field of labor. Telegrams from Louisville announced the fitting out of a supply-steamer by the Sanitary Commission. To add to her cargo, the Cleveland Branch pushed forward the same day by passenger train seven hun- dred sets of hospital clothing and bedding, a large quantit}' of groceries and vegetaldes, Avith stimulants, 10!? TlIK STKA.^IKi; DlNLKlTir. surgeons' su])pUes iiiid miuor comforts. These stores were increased \)y succeeding sliipnients, and the steaiiiei- Dunleith h^ft Louisville for Yickslmrix, Ft^h- niarv 'iStli, having in her cargo five hundred boxes iVom the Cle\eland Branch. A few days latei' a car- h)ad was sent to re])lenish the Nashville store-rooms, now nearly empty again, and then ever}' etfort was turned towards pre])aring stores to meet the steamer on her I'eturn. The condition of the river hospitals was described in terms as strong as prudence would alhn\', and the country societies Avere called upon to arouse as never before and to redouble their contri- butions. This seemed to be a favorable time to raise money for the Societv. An en<>-ai»-ement Avith John B. (tougii, shortly before, had brought two hundred (h)llars into the treasurv, Avhich was the onlv beneht that had been received for several months. A plan h)ng projected now took shape in the anncnincement of a " (rrand Amateur Entertainment of ]\[usic and Tal)leaux TiNants," to be given IMarch ;>rd and 5th, at the Academy of Music. This exhibition was o-iven to the Aid Society by the tableau committee of the Orphan Asylum Bazaar and consisted in part of some of the most beautiful of the tableaux that had been sllo^\ u at the bazaar earh' in the winter. Extracts from h'tters of that date will best show the character of the entertainment and the interest Avith which it was undertaken by the citizens : Ct,evei,and Aid Rooms, March 4, 186:5. ExTKMT. — In the midst of the hurry and coufusion of our " o-rand lunatiMir pfrfoniiauci'," 1 snatch a few niomeuts to report upon matters and MUSIC AM) TABLEAVX. lOr*. things here in !)5 Banli street, nil of which, however, resolve themselves into angels, fairies, Indian princesses Jind suicidal lovers, iis I try to review the past week. The tahleiiu committee met again at our Hooms yestc^rday and we are delighted with the progress of things so far. Our citizens are taliing this up in their own noble way and we are confidcait of a grand success. We struggled hard to keep out of the vortex and to mind sanitary things only, but as at the last minute several angels wen^ found minus wings and two or three kings and fairy queens wert; discovered to be crownless, we were forced to throw ourselves into the breach, and for two entire days our little office has been transformed into a workshop where gauzi^ and tins(d quite overshadow inkstand and pencil. One more day, howcvcn-, will end this usur[)ation. Tlien we can puff away the cloudy tissue, shake ourselves free from the glittering spangles and return to duty again, with the great satisfaction of picking up about a thousand dollai'S as the result of three days voyaging in fairy land ! We have alnmdy had ono evening's entertainment, to everybody's supreme delight, and our ticket sales have reached six hundred and twelve dollars. We wiws^make a thousand ! The entertainment is a charming one? to the public, and will be so to us in proportion to the patronage it receives. You will see we look at it with a purely mercenary eye. March 7th. My last letter was a confused medley of giants, fairies, kings and queens, from which it might be inferred that we had all migrated to some distant sphere and left the earth and its inhabitants to their wars and rumors of wars without interference. The tableaux were a sad innovation upon our business ways. Now that the beautiful vision has passed, it does seem as though we had dropped down out of the clouds, and it will need a deal of fidgetting before we can settle quietly into our office chairs again. It was really charming to see how the people worked to get up the entertainment and then how they applauded and encored their own schemes ! The two evenings netted for us ten hundred and ninety-eight dollars, — even better than we had hoi)ed. Very few know, as we do, how much need there is for this money and for our work now. We dare not publish tlu; letters which we are receiving from agents in the Mississippi Hect, they are so discouraging, so truly appalling. It would be a great stimulus, of course, and just what our people need to stir their sympathies afresh, but we are afraid it would not be right. These sad, sad letters have lain heavily upon our hearts these days, and the scenes they describe were constantly Hitting between our eyes and the bright visions spread for our admiration, so that you will not wonder wo could not thoroughly enjoy the tableaux just now. 104 Murdoch's readings. Two weeks after tliese entertainments, James E. Murdoch, tlie well known tragedian, offered the Society an evening of Patriotic Readings ; one of a series of readinsfs beo-un in the Senate Chamher at Washington, January 10th, and continued in most of the eastern and western cities, the entire proceeds being given by Mr. Murdoch to associations for relief of the sick and w^onnded of the Union army. The patriotism of Mr. Murdoch and his signal services to our sick and wounded and to loyalty, should have more than a passing notice. When the rel)ellion broke out, Mr. Murdoch, who had been for many years one of the leaders of Ameri- can drama, was pursuing a brilliant career upon the stage. Aglow with patriotic fervor he at once threw up his dramatic engagements, resolving ne^'er to resume the profession till peace should return to his country. With his two sons he volunteered into the Union army. Finding his own health unequal to the duties of the field, he formed the idea of consecrating his fine talents to the service of the sick and wounded, whose sufferings he had witnessed in actual campaigns. In this resolution there was another object not less patriotic. It was that of stimulating the loyalty of the people b}- bringing to bear upon them such poetry and incidents as, when narrated with dramatic power, would best illustrate and arouse that noble sentiment. In all ages poetry has been the language of the higher emotions, the immortalizer of heroism, uncom- promising in its scorn of ignol^le deeds, and its divine character is never better exemplified than in the thrilling tones it has for patriotism and the terri])le CHANGE OF VICE-PRESIDENTS. lOf) invectives it utters against treason. Tliis power Murdoch laid hold of with a master hand. Words of fervid eloquence l)urned and glowed as they fell from his lips and kindled into active life the fires of true patriotism in every heart. Throughout the entire ])eriod of the war, his earn- estness and devotion to the \ydYt he had thus assumed were unfailing as aids to patriotism and were nation- ally conspicuous in their pecuniary results. Mr. Murdoch's oifer to the Cleveland Aid Societ}' was gladly accepted, and the Academy of Music was ao'ain filled March 19th. The enthusiasm of the audience, the tasteful decoration of the stage with the flags of the Union, the inspiring music of the T)antl, the cause and oT)ject of the Readings and the power with which they were rendered, conspired to form a scene which ^vill not soon be forgotten. This entertainment netted three hundred dollars to the Society. Towards the last of March the canvassing commit- tee reported one hundred and eighty-six gentlemen enrolled as honorary members, l)y a pledge of one dollar monthly. These subscriptions were for the year ending November, ISO-'). The committee ap- pointed to canvass among the ladies had also ol)tained many new names to the twenty-five cent monthl}' subscription list. At a regular monthly meeting, April 7th, 1863, Mrs. W]\i. Melhinch was confirmed first vice-president, Mrs. John Shelley havino: resis-ned that office some months before on occasion of remt>val fi'oni the citv. 1 fi COMMITTEES. Mrs. Lewis Burton was appointed second vice- president to fill the vacancy. This was the first chana-e that occurred amonof the ofiicers. To the lists of volunteer committees that have heen given on pages 24 and 01, should here be added the names of Mrs. Soutiiwortii, Mrs. Dr. Artek, Mrs. Hunt, Miss Mary Maiian, Miss Ruth Kellogg, Miss Julia Kellogg, Miss Matilda Pickands and Mrs. Mary Bradford, who were faithful attendants at the Aid Kooms during this period and later in the history of the Society. The removal of so great a proportion of the troops from West Viro'inia and the centerino; of o-eneral interest ujion military oi^erations in the south-west, had to a great degree excluded from public attention the hospitals in the Kanawha Valley and at the posts maintained alone: the line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The vicinity of Wheeling had been too heavily taxed to yield further supplies to the depot of the Sanitary Commission in that city, which was the base of relief work for West Virginia. The stores of that depot were at this time drawn almost wholly from the Rooms of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio. In no case had a request from that department been refused. Requisitions from the Sanitary agency at Leaven- worth, Kansas, came in from time to time and were answered by frequent shipments. These issues, however, formed only a small part of AN INSIDIOUS FOE. 107 the disbursements of tlie Society; nearly everything l^eino; turned southward for the benefit of the two f^reat armies of the Cunil)erland and the Tennessee. The army of the Cumberland, resting upon the liard-earned field at Murfreesboro, was strengthening its lines for an advance upon the rebel host that lay entrenched about forty miles below, at Tullahoma, ready to dispute its progress. The morale of our army was excellent and the issues of food and clothing were abundant. The con- dition of the trooj^s could hardly have been raised, except in one respect. From being long confined to rations of salt pork, men in nearly every regiment were beginning to show unmistakable signs of scurvy. This evil was slow of discovery even by the sur- geons. The sick, brought to their notice at morning call, were sent to hospital, where slight variations in diet and the supplies of vegetables drawn from Sanitary stores checked the symptoms of this much- dreaded disease before they l)ecame really apparent. It was among the men in camp, those calling them- selves well, that this foe was making its insidious way. When its presence was detected it had already seriously threatened the effective force of the entire army. The medical authorities made strong representation of this fact, and government supplies of onions and potatoes were ordered, l)ut these issues were insufh- cient. The chief medical inspectors and directors of the department sent urgent request, by J^yail and telegraph to Dr. Newbekry, for the aid of the Sani- 108 CAMPAIGN AGAINST SCURVY. tary Commission in battling this new and formidable enemy. Tlie answer to these appeals was a steamer load of vegetal)les despatched at once to Nashville and a promise on the part of the Sanitary Commission to send down, from its headquarters at Louisville, to the army of the Cum1)erland, one hundred ])arrels of onions and j^otatoes daily throughout the summer. This was to be a special issue to the men in camp, with direct reference to the war against scurvy, and an addition to the regular supplies furnished by the Commission to hospitals. For these daily shipments of vegetables and for all the su2:>plies of the Sanitary Commission, the General Commanding furnished am23le transj^ortation. The officers of the department seconded this relief work with gi'eat cordiality. To fulhl its promise to the army of the Cumber- land, the Sanitary Commission was obliged to make purchases of vegetables, to invoke the [ strenuous efforts of the supply Branches and to send canvassing ao;ents tlirou2i;h the rich farmino; districts of the north-west. The Branches of the Western Department quickly apprehended the importance of this new movement and entered with enthusiasm upon their duties. The honorable record of Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Chicas-o is to be found elsewhere. The present report will touch only upon the action of the Cleveland Bi-anch in the grand campaign against scurvy. . uv' On receiving from the Central office at Louisville THE VEGETABLE RAID. 109 clespatclies announcing the urgency of the case and the })rompt measures taken by the Sanitary Commis- sion, the Cleveland Branch pledged itself to forward to Louisville one car load of vegetables per week, throughout the summer, in addition to its regular shipments in the same direction. In giving this pledge, the Society stepped over the l)0unds of recognized duty in the sujiply department, which had not until now extended beyond the for- warding of Iwsjiital stores. Regiments on duty or in camp had been left to the care of quartermaster and commissary, and all interference with these officials was scrupulously avoided. Even the vegetables hitli- erto sent to the front had been designed exclusively for hospital use. But it seemed clearly within the sphere of army relief to furnish the " ounce of ])revention " which proverbially outweighs even the " pound of cure." Now began what was known among the aid societies of Northern Ohio as the " errand vecretable raid " of the Sanitary Commission. . Published appeals, circulars and j^t'i'sonal letters wakened the generosity of the public and prejiared the way for the canvassing committees that were sent out through every township by the officers of each little society. The members of county military committees often assumed this duty of canvassing. Nearly every school district could furnish some active, earnest man whose love for his country or his own '~*"*l^iWJ3oy impelled him to aid in collecting. In .c^ral instances, the good women of a feel^le Aid Society took this work into their own hands. Driving 110 CANVASSING AND LECTURING. their horse from door to door, they j^ersistently assailed their neighbors, sliaming into wonderful generosity even the grudging giver. Towns and villages vied with each otlier in the amount of sup])lies furnished. A cross-roads settle- ment sent as one instalment twenty-eight l>arrcls of potatoes. One little village forwarded sixty barrels. Every town within shipping distance of Cleveland sent again and again its offering. Three agents employed by the Sanitary Conunission, Key. Wm. C. Tukner, Kev. N. P. Bailey and Dr. H. C. CoATEs, were acting in Northern Oliio as the apos- tles of its cause, their lecturing tour marked out l)y the ladies of the Cleveland Branch. Wherever a feeble society gave signs of decay, or prejudicial rumors or internal dissensions threatened the disintegration of a valuable auxiliary, one of these agents was desired to go, to strengthen the hands of the faithful and to l)ring his own personal knowledge of Sanitary work at the fi'ont against ignorance or mischievous hearsay. These lectures were under the inmiediate superin- tendence of the Aid Society of the town where they were given, and were free to the public unless the local society chose to fix an entrance fee for the benefit of its own treasury. All personal expenses of these agents were paid l>y the general Commission. Their railroad fare was usually reduced to half rates by the kindness of railroad officials. The ladies of country societies often lessened the expenses by enter- taining: the airents at their own liouses, and in all cases treated them with great cordiality and gladly accepted their aid. PUKCHASING VEGETABLES. Ill These home agents were instructed to give special weight to their appeals for vegetables, pickles and all farm and dairy products. At the close of the lecture the agent \vould some- times telegraph to the Cleveland Aid Rooms, stating the number of bushels pledged. Empty barrels and sacks would then be sent from Cleveland to secure the supplies which the farmers brought to the nearest railroad station in l)ulk. Thus every eftbrt was made to ensure the co-operation of the farming community. The Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula railroad company on several occasions furnished cars to be loaded at way stations with vegetables consigned to the Cleveland Aid Rooms. For these and many other favors the Society is indebted to the kindness of Mr. H. Nottingham, superintendent of that road. The Cleveland Branch used freely of its means to purchase potatoes and onions, and became the agent of the general Sanitary Commission in making very heavy purchases of vegetal^les and in forwarding large lots that were bought in northern New York. These purchased vegetables were delivered in Cleveland hy the car or boat-load in bulk. The barrelinir and shipping were superintended by the ladies of the Society. The purchasing of vegetables was done very (piietly and through a third party, lest, should it become known that the Sanitary Commission had entered the market as a buyer, the price of these products might rise, and some prudent holders be disposed to sell what otherwise they would Avillingly have given away. 1 12 ^^PE^TAL ( AKS. The pledge of the Cleveland Soeiet}' to tlie Sanitciiy Commission was more than fulfilled throuirhout this summer. Unlimited favors of transportation were atforded 1)V the Cleveland, Columlnis and Cincinnati railroad company, both to contributed and purchased supplies. Special cars were always furnished to the Societ>'. These were run off upon a side ti'ack at the depot and could there be loaded at leisure. Attached to freight or passenger trains, they were hurried forward, and any accidental detention Avas promptly I'emedied by the ever courteous officials of the road. Cars secured by the Aid Society padlock received especial attention and seemed to have the ri^-ht of way l^efore all others. For these favors the Aid Societv would make o-rateful acknowledi2:ment to Messrs. L. M. Hubby, president, E. S. Flixt, su])erintendent, and A. Kills, general freight agent of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati railroad. If the Sanitary Commission had built a railroad of its own throuo'h Ohio it could scarcely have been more independent in matters of transj^tortation. Aecompanied by a shipping agent of the Sanitary Commission, the stores sent down from Cleveland were transferred at Cincinnati to the mail boat and consiirned to the Central office at Louisville, AVlien they arrived there, the responsibility of the Cleveland Branch ended. At Louisville, supplies were divided into two great streams of beneficence, — one flowing southward over the Louisville and Nashville railroad towards the army of the Cumberland, the other following the ANOTHER JOUKNEY. 113 course of the Ohio and Mississi])pi rivers to the aimy of the Tennessee, still thundering at the gates of Vicksluirg. Here the supply ^vork of the Western and the United States Sanitary Conunissions was in full and splendid operation. Their agents Avere dis- pensing with so liberal a hand as almost to justify the saying, some months later, " potatoes and onions captured Vicksburg ! " May 5th, the secretary of the Cleveland Aid Society left home for Louisville, Nashville and Murfreesboro, which was still " the front " of the army of the Ciuuberland. This trip embraced three weeks of sight-seeing and hospital visiting, and was undertaken with the double purpose of recreation from office duties and of gaining accurate and vivid ideas of relief-work in the held that might be used to advan- tage in stimulating supplies at home. Two ladies of the Norwalk Branch were of the party, Avliich enjoyed the escort of Dr. A. N. Read, chief Inspector of the Sanitary Commission in that department. At Cincinnati and Louisville, visits were paid to the Soldiers' Homes, the hospitals, the offices and vvarehouses of the Sanitary Commission and to many places which war had invested with ne\v interest. Leaving Louisville for Nashville, the luggage of the travelers was inspected by the proper officer who, after satisfying himself that the ladies ^vere not carry- ing to the enemy any " aid or comfort " in the shape of morphine, quinine or ammunition, placed across each keydiole a little strip of white muslin, duly lU TRAVELING IN DIXIE, fastened alcove and below with an ostentatious bit of red wax upon wliicli was set tlie seal of Uncle Sam's approval. Provided witli military passes, in wliicli name, age, weight, height, color of eyes and hair, and undoul)ted loyalty were conspicuously recorded, the party ^vas admitted to seats in the cars of the Louis- ville and Nashville railroad. Bardstown, Leljanon Junction, Elizabethtdwn, No- lin, Bacon Creek and Munfordsville were all passed, in turn. It was difficult to associate these places with the former visit or to realize that the red waves of war had only one year before rolled over hills now covered ^vitli verdure and fields now rich with ripen- ing gram. But after dashing through the tunnels, creeping over the bridges and curving around the angles of the Muldraugh hills, the train moved more cautiously. The guard retired into stockade cars and with cocked rifles kept a sharp watch upon the hillsides ; throw- ing suspicious glances — and an occasional pistol shot — into the clumps of l^rushwood, for here was a stronghold of guerilla rule. The passengers were instructed to throw themselves upon the floor of the car at the first volley of musketry, receiving the comforting assurance that if they were to be " gobbled up " anywhere on the road, that interesting ceremony Avould take place at this stage of the journey ! Thanks to the vigilance of the brave soldiers who guarded every bridge and patrolled every cross-road, the guerillas were restrained from paying their com- pliments to this train. A sharp skirmish-fire, seen from the car window at the distance of half a mile, gave excitement, Avithout danger, to the journey. SIGHT- SEEING. 115 At Nashville the travelers became the guests of the Sanitary Commission household. Establishing head- quarters there, they spent day after day in visiting the hospitals, the camps lying out upon the hillsides, the fortifications, the convalescent (quarters, with their blooming and fruitful gardens, the Sanitary Connnis- sion supply depot and warehouses, and the Soldiers' Home. They further tempted fate by trips to Franklin and Murfreesboro, which were the outposts of two branches of the main army, encountering, however, nothing more hazardous than a railroad break-down and detention in a guerilla-haunted forest. During a stay of some days at Murfreesboro the party had unusual opportunities for seeing the army in camp and hospital, through the kindness of M. C. Read, Esq., agent of the Sanitary Commission, in charge there, and the courteousness of General Rose- CRANs and staif, who gave every fiicility of transporta- tion and escort. The fortifications, then considered a triumph of military engineering, the signal stations and the ordnance and commissary depots w^ere visited, and the battle-field of Stone River, — still strewn with the wreck of war and furro^ved with countless graves. For months the Sanitary Commission had been felt as a power for good in that army, and its agents and their w^ork were in cordial favor with officers and men. It was pleasant indeed to the visitors, as they passed from tent to tent of the evergreen-shaded camps, to hear this acknowledged and to see that it was true. 116 A CHEERING KEPOKT. Hospitals, convalescent camps, Sanitary gardens and the hospital train upon which they journeyed back to Nashville, told the same tale, so cheering to carry home to the faithful laborers in Ohio. It was the endeavor upon returning from this trip to the front, as on all similar occasions, to stir afresh the sympathies of the army of home-workers and to evoke their increased activity by representing to the Branch Societies, through published articles and per- sonal letters, the impressions that had been gained from observation of Sanitary work in the army. CHAPTER VII. To the zealous workers in the home field thei'e soon came the joyful news that liberal contributions and prompt shipment of vegetables had already stayed the progress of the much dreaded disease. In the same breath they were warned that it was of the last importance to continue these supplies so long as the season would allow, in order to confirm the health of the army and strengthen it for the trials which a sudden and severe engagement ^vould involve. So the good woi'k went on, and when planting time came, farmers and gardeners were exhorted to lay out a " soldiers' acre." Even children were encourairove, and of the military mass meetings and loyal conventions often proved a harvest to the aid socie- ties of the towns where they were held. At the close of such a meeting some one would propose "three cheers for the soldiers and a collection for the sick and Avounded," or the ladies of the local society would lay a net for these unwary leaguers by spreading a tempting supper-table or opening a " dining-tent " during the session of the convention. The officers of the Cleveland Society, on hearing of one or two ventures of this kind, issued, June 15th, Circular No. 11, advising their auxiliaries to seize similar occasions whenever presented, reminding them that strawberry season is the witching time for fairs, festivals and moonlight picnics, and that the ap])roach- ino- " fourth " offered o-reat inducements for entertain- ments. The suggestions of this circular were followed by nearly every branch society and always with success. A picnic or festival under the auspices of an aid society was sure to be well patronized. The little girls caught this spirit of charitable merry-making and devoted their play hours to hold- ing mimic bazaars and fairs, bringing with great pride their gains to the Aid Rooms. So lively w^as the interest of the people of Northern Ohio in the welfare of their soldier friends and broth- ers, that it was only necessary to suggest the wants of a hospital in order to ensure quick and hearty aid in any proposed measure of relief. THE SANITAKY llEPOKTER. 110 The tributary societies naturally looked to the Cleveland Aid Rooms for instruction, and it was the endeavor to engage this enthusiastic co-operation and turn it in the right direction Ly issuing frequent circulars, by preparing articles weekly for the city and country papers and by reporting fully upon the pi'o- gress of relief- work at the front. A much valued agency for this purpose was the " Sanitaiy lieporter" which appeared in June of this year. The SANrrARY Reporter was a semi-monthly news- ])a]^)er established by the Secretary of the Western Department, and was issued from the Central office at Louisville. It was published, as its prospectus announced, "for gratuitous distribution among the soldiers' aid societies and that portion of the peojile of the loyal states who care to l)e informed of the objects and work of the Sanitary Commission and who desire information as to the state of the army, its necessities and the best way to supply them." Seven hundred and fifty copies of each issue of the Sanitary Reporter were mailed by the Cleveland Branch to its auxiliary societies and to its friends in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The interesting letters and reports which this little paper contained were read aloud at the sewing meet- ings of many of the aid societies, nor did its mission end here. It was afterwards circulated through the neighborhood, that new friends might be gained to the Sanitary Commission in those who read this record of its efficiency. The mailing of the Sanitary Reporter and of the 120 MAILING DOCUMENTS. Sanitary Bulletin, — a semi-monthly pamphlet estab- lished in November, 1863, by the Eastern Department of the Commission, — added greatly to the duties of the document committee. The total number of Reporters, Bulletins and docu- ments of the general Commission issued by the Cleveland Branch is seventy-four thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. This, added to twenty- nine thousand five hundred and twenty-five copies of the Society's own publications, makes the total issue from the Document Committee at Cleveland reach one hundred and four thousand three hundred. This estimate is exclusive of minor circulars, blanks, cards and directions for work, and of several thousand copies of loyal league publications. It is a pleasure to recall and to acknowledge here the services of Mrs. Geo. Willey, Mrs. John M. Sterling, Jr., Miss Vaughan, Miss Stewart, Miss Anna Bald- win and Miss Annie Carter, members of the Docu- ment Committee during a period of more than two years of its heaviest duties. The names of other ladies who served on this committee earlier in the war are given on page 69. All mail matter issued from the Cleveland Aid Rooms was post free, through an informal arrange- ment effected with the Post Office Department by some friends of the Society. This favor was enjoyed from March, 1862, till April, 1865, and it enabled the Society to distribute its own documents and those of the Sanitary Commission more widely than the heavy expense of postage would have justified. Besides circulating Sanitary documents, the Society GOOD NEWS. 121 distributed in the army several thousand pamphlets of the Union League and Loyal Puldication houses of Philadelphia, New York and Boston. It seemed to the ladies as clearly their duty to confirm the moral and political health of the soldier as to minister to his physical welfare. Therefore, every publication that gave out the ring of ti'ue loyalty was assidu ously circulated in hospital and camp. Direct advices from Nashville and Murfreesl)oro, in June of this year, gave a cheering view of the sanitary condition of the army of the Cumberland. The Nashville hospitals were nearly all cleared of inmates and all the hospitals in the town of Murfrees- boro were closed, the few sick or unlit for duty being sent to the held hospital or convalescent camp. The hospital cars of the Sanitary Commission had been constantly transporting sick and discharged soldiers from Murfreesboro to Nashville, where, after the needful rest in the Soldiers' Home, they were again forwarded by hospital train to Louisville, thence to be sent to the hospitals nearest their homes, in accordance with late orders of the Surgeon General. The agents of the Sanitary Commission were still issuing vegetal)les to men in camp, and the sick were well sup])lied from the hos])ital gardens, ^^'llich now Ijegan to ])rove their value. These gardens had been established at Nashville and Murfrees})oro on suggestion of the Sanitary Commission, upon ground conhscated for the i)urpose by order of General Roseorans, who showed much interest in the ])roject. The seeds and garden imple- 122 SANITARY GARDENS. ments were furnislied by the Commission. Conva- lescent soldiers were detailed to do the garden work, planting and weeding a few hours each day as strength would permit. So much pride had many of them in this work that they transplanted wild flowers from the woods to ornament the borders and pathways. Hearing of this attempt at horticulture and desirous to encourage it, one of the young ladies of the Cleveland Branch solicited from the green-houses of her friends more than a hundred pots of choice roses, geraniums, verbenas and other bedding-out plants and also obtained from the seedsmen large packages of flower seeds. The Aid Society added to this gift by purchasing a barrel of dahlia l)ulbs. All were forwarded to the hospital gardens by the American Express company, fi'ee of charge, and were soon grow- ing finely. Tlie following description of the Sanitary Gardens at Chattanooga was written a year later T)y the young lady whose efforts to beautify the soldiers' flower-beds have just 1)een mentioned : " Cliattanooo-a, situated in tlie midst of the valley, on the banks of the Tennessee, and surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills, was once noted for its beauty. Shady, carefully kept groves of ancient trees covered the hills and plains, and the houses were surrounded by gardens that bloomed with the most exquisite flowers. The plains around the houses were dotted with fine plantations where were raised the magnificent crops for which East Tennessee is so celebrated. Now the plains are swept literally bare, so that guns on Fort Wood can command the whole valley from Mission Ridge around to Cameron Hill, and the town itself is reduced to an army post, hot, dusty, and swarming with soldiers. A walk in any direction brings you into a deserted camp, and you stumble over old shoes, ragged, torn coats and rusty canteens, telling of where our soldiers lived, before, following the universal custom of Yankees on the first of May, they " moved " A DESCRIPTION. 123 in search of better quarters. But one tiling redeems this sad picture of the havoc that war has made at Chattanooga, and that is the Sanitary Gardens, consisting of a hundred and fifty acres, given by the General Commanding to the United States Sanitary Commission, to be cultivated for the benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers. These gardens lie along the banks of the Tennessee, about three-ijuarters of a mile from the town, up the river. The only approach to them is across a narrow bridge over a little creek, and should you attempt to enter, an imperative " halt " from the sentry with leveled bayonet disagreeably reminds you that passes, anywhere and everywhere and for all sorts of reasons, are the most essential things in Dixie. Once through that barrier, you find yourself upon a level plain, with long rows of onions, beets, turnips, parsnips, etc., stretching away from you on either hand. In one corner of the field you notice a detach- ment of Uncle Sam's " unbleached American " children in their neat blue uniforms, hoeing away for dear life at the potatoes, as they never hoed before at " de cotton and de corn." The hundred and fifty acres do not lie together, but are separated by a creek or arm of the river into different fields, so that Mr. Wills, the head gardener, has been able to separate his crops, taking one entire field for potatoes, another for corn, and still another for onions, etc. The whole garden is now planted. Nearly in the center of the garden is an Indian mound, so elevated above the plain that, stand- ing on its top, you can at a glance take in the whole magnificent scenery. At your left lies the blue Tennessee, glittering out from beyond Mission Kidge and winding through the valley to the base of Lookout, tangling the hills in a silver braid ; opposite, on the Ridge, is that fatal cornfield where Sherman fought so long and so well, and the heights our brave men stormed and won, and further on towards the right stands old Lookout, a great sentinel, visible for miles away. The sides of this beaiitiful mound are now green with lettuce, radishes, mustard, etc., but when these are gone the mound will be a fragrant bouquet of fiowers from foot to summit. In the center of the level space on the top is a tent with rustic seats around, and the Sanitary Commission proposes to give Cleveland the honor of placing a Union flag over the tent, an emblem of the benevolence as well as the patriotism of the loyal North. Near the mound are the tents and accommodations for the workmen and teams. Besides a large force perma- nently employed, Mr. M. C. Read, of Hudson, 0., the Agent of the Commis- sion, to whom the success of the gardens is chiefly due, has obtained from the Government one company to be stationed there as guards, and also a company from one of the colored regiments to assist in cultivating. He employs from twenty to thirty horses and mules in plowing and teaming. Every day ambulances fi-om the various hospitals are sent to the gardens, and these return laden with the bounties that nature so readily yields to a willing, industrious hand. Already hundreds of bushels of lettuce and other greens have been given to the hospitals at Chattanooga and on 124 A PIC-NIC DINNER. Lookout, and should the abundant harvests that are now promised j>row to a reality, there will be vegetables enout>'li to supply all the hospitals at that point during the coming summer and fall. Early in April Mr. Read discovered four tine vineyards along the line of the railroad beyond Mission liidge, and on application to Gen. Thomas they were placed under his control. The vines are cultivated on short poles, and when I saw them a few weeks ago the grapes were set in large quantities. How refreshing to our sutfering soldiers, who have lain for nearly three months in crowded wards imder the burning Southern sun, will be this delicious fruit next fall ! For, sad to say, it takes months for a wound to heal, and the patience of a soldier must be even greater than his braverv. C. All occasion for giving a little pleasure to tlie soldiers in the city camp svas presented in tlie appi'oacliing fourtli of July, and tlie ladies of the Aid Society arranged a })icnic dinner for the four hnndred inmates of Canip Cleveland military hospital. The Aid llooms on Bank street and a In'ancli depot on the west side of the city Avere the ap})ointed receiving-stations for viands of every description. So liberal were the supplies that an abundant feast was spread not only for the patients and all inmates of the hos])ital Imt also for the eight hundred recruits in camp. Besides these contributions in kind, from the ladies of the city and vicinity, there were many gifts of money from gentlemen, on behalf of the soldiers' dinner. The Aid Society at this time received several "ben- efits" of which it may be j)roper to make special mention. From the finance committee of the Union Mass Convention held in the city came the welcome o-ift of three hundred dollars, being the surplus of an amount collected from citizens to defray the expenses A GLORIOUS " FOURTH. 125 of that assembly. The young people of Ashtabula sent in one hundred and fourteen dollars, the avails of a successful amateur concert. The scholars of Mrs. Day's school held a pleasant bazaar by which seventy- five dollars ^vere raised for the soldiers. Four little girls on St. Clair street planned a school-i'oom fair and sent in twenty-nine dollars as the result, and there were many other little fixirs among the children. One very little girl brought to the Aid Kooms a dollar Avhich had been sent to her by her soldiei' brother to be spent in fire works for her anuisement on the fourth of July. The " glorious fourth " da\vned and Avas duly cele- brated in the Northern States, while prayers for our brave armies breathed from each loyal heart and tempered yet intensified every j^'^ti'iotic utterance. All day long the electric wires trembled with the distant mutteriugs of l^attle, and before another day had ended a shout of triumph and thanksgiving pealed through the North. Glad tidings of victory had Inirst upon us from the West, only to be caught up and re-echoed by the exult- ant armies of the East. Vicksburg, the Gibraltar of the enemy, had fallen before its gallant besiegers, and in the East the hordes that had overrun and devastated a portion of one of our fairest northern states, and proudly threatened to bring the horrors of war to our very doors, had been met at Gettyslnirg and driven back in confusion and defeat. 12(\ TBIELY SUPPLIES. The brilliant generalship and heroic deeds of these battle-fields absorbed the first glad moments of triumph. Soon, tli(3 heart-sickening details of the struggle ; the names of those who were, but are not ; and of those Avho with maimed and shattered limbs had been gathered into the temporary shelter of improvised hospitals, began to reach the eye and to fall like a death-stroke upon the heart of many a Rachel, be- wailing her dead or mourning with yet keener anguish for him whose f\ite is shrouded in the dread uncer- tainty that hangs over the unrecorded history of the battle-field. While watching with intense anxiety the progress of the siege of Vicksburg, it had been a joy to know that the sufferers in our army Avere not to wait the tardy coming of supplies gathered and sent forward after the news of battle had reached the ears of their northern friends. Into the general storehouses of the Sanitary Com- mission at Louisville and Cairo had flowed the contributions of all the northern Branches, and these supplies were thus concentrated only to be distributed among the sub-depots still nearer the army. Thanks to the well organized system of supply-steamers that for months had been running upon the Ohio and Mississippi, the Sanitary stations at the front now contained stores suited to the exigencies of the situa- tion. These were soon largely increased by the carg-oes of several steamers that had been sent in anticipation of this special need and were far on their way down the river when the victory was announced. A THANK-OFFEEING. 127 The capture of Vicksbiirg opened the Mississippi river as a broad channel into which to pour the gifts of a people grateful from the dejiths of their ]oyal hearts for the repossession of the great connnercial highway that secession had so long usurped. The Sanitary supply-steamers followed closely in tlie wake of our victorious gunboats and our reviving river trade, and it was the ambition of every northern Branch to send them Liden with a thank-oftering to the brave men ^vho had taken part in the struggle that resulted so gloriously to our cause. The eastern Branches of the Sanitary Commission were nobly, at work among the wounded at Gettys- burg, The value of the principal Sanitary suj^plies given out upon that fiekl during the four weeks after the battle, is estimated at seventy-five thousand dollars. In compliance with suggestions received from the Central office, the Cleveland Branch Commission held its stores ready for any need that might arise at Gettysburg, l:)ut no call was made for them, and the forwarding of a fe^v boxes of surgeons' supplies, on special request of the Pittsburgh Branch, was the extent of its work in Gettysburg hospitals. The relief that the Cleveland Branch o-ave to the wounded of Gettysburg was confined to the hospitali- ties rendered to those of them who, returning on furlough to their homes in the West, sought rest and refreshment in the Depot Hospital. The Depot Hospital, from its establishment in April, 1862 — see page 51 — had been a haven of rest to many a worn and broken traveler. No part of the relief-work recorded in this volume was more 128 KETURNING HEROES. successful or brouglit more cheering returns than that which was done within its walls. Not a day passed but some waif from the eM)-tide of war's crimson river was cast Avithin reach, and when the ilood-gates of battle Avere opened, the capacity of this little wayside-inn was often tested to the utmost. In August of this year, the return through Cleve- land of fourteen regiments of New England soldiers, heroes of Port Hudson, gave occasion for offering personal care to the many feeble and disabled and refreshment to all. In these offices of hospitality the Society recognized no new duties, no stepping aside from tlie purposes of its organization. It Avas only that tlie objects of care had come nearer, had been brought to tlie very door, so that with outstretched hand they coidd reach the comforts that until now liad l)een sent by trusty at'-ents and through well known clumnels to the far-off regions of trial and suffering from which they had just been released. The presence of tliese reginu'uts -wakened an enthu- siastic benevolence that is an honor to the citizens of Cleveland. The response to the calls of the Aid Society for table supplies or delicacies for the sick was unflagging and most generous. A\'ines and other stimulants Avere even lavishlv ijriven and Avere of the choicest (piality. Fruits and vegetables were plentiful, soup and broth and delicate morsels of sick diet were sent tt) tempt the feeble api)etite. Everything that gener- osity could provide or the skill of the housewife prepare Avas offered in abundance. A rORESII ADO WING. 129 The sympathy of many was sliown by tlieir constant personal attendance upon the sick in tlie Depot Hos- pital, where the gravest cases ^ve^e carried on the arrival of each train. The details of this work are properly embraced in the special relief service of the Society. A sketch of the rece])tion of these Port Ilndson regiments will be found in the accompanying Special lielief Report. This experience in the entertainment of returning regiments was only a foreshadowing of the duties that later months of the war would develoj). The accommodations of the little Depot Hospital were barely sufficient for invalid soldiers coming singly or in small squads, and care could ])e better and more conveniently given to these under other arrangements. For the reception of any considerable numl)er of sick and certainly for offering hospitality to a regiment, more space and greater facilities were indispensable. The time had come when these were needed, and the darling project of Iniilding a Soldiers' Home became an all-absorbing subject of consultation at the Aid Rooms. How to raise the money for this, was the first and most important question. The current expenses of the Society were daily becoming heavier as its supply work steadily increased. It w^as clear that nothing could be spared from the monthly receipts. The California fund was held sacred to the purchase of material and hos2)ital stores and it was not thought right to divert any portion of it to this new enterprise. The Soldiers' Homes in most other Northern cities 130 A NEW PROJECT. were local institutions built l)y contributions of citi- zens. After much (leli],)eration it was resolved to appl}' directly to the lousiness men of the city for money to erect the building, and trust to some i)lan of evening entertainments for the support of the Home when once it was oj^ened. This was decided with o;reat hesitation since it had always been the pride of the officers to avoid personal solicitation of money. There seemed, however, a peculiar propriety in asking from the citizens of Cleveland a direct contribution for this specific object. It was believed that every man wlio invested his money in such a building would at the same time take stock of interest and good will in the ^v<)rk to which it was devoted, and would feel a citizen's pride in sustaining a local charity whicli he had helped to establish. When this method of raisino- money was decided upon, the lirst vice-president and treasurer and one member of the Society sacrificed their distaste to the requirements of this new duty and, with the escoi't of two gentlemen who cordially favored the plan, called upon the business men, presented the need of a Soldiers' Home and asked for the means to 1)uild it. In two da}s of this canvassing, seventeen hundred dollars ^s^ere collected. Later contrilnitions increased this amount to two thousand dollars, more than suffi- cient to erect the proposed l)uilding. This includes the estimates of luml)er secured from lumber dealers by solicitation of the president of the Society. A buildino; spot was ixiven l)y the Cleveland and CLEVELAND SOLDIERs' HOME. 131 Columl)us railroad company, adjoining the Union railroad depot and well located for tlie purpose. Plans and specifications of the Louisville Home were furnished by Dr. Newberry. These were submitted to Mr. Rais-dall Crawford, who volunteered to modify and ada23t them, to purchase materials and to engage and superintend the workmen. The work was pushed forward rapidly enough to satisfy even the ladies of the Society, who watched its progress with eager impatience. December 12th, 186-3, the Cleveland Soldiers' HojrE was opened and dedicated to the special relief work which is detailed in the accompanying report. It will there be seen that the building, at first twenty- two feet wide and two hundred feet long, was increased by subsequent additions to an area of sixty- three hundred and eighty square feet ; that fifty-seven thousand six hundred and nine soldiers found temporary shelter there, to whom one hundred and eleven thousand nine hundred and one meals, and twenty-nine thousand nine hundred and seventy-four lodgings were given ; and that its hosj^itable doors were never closed till long after the happy return of peace. As summer advanced and the heaviei- lal)ors of harvest season were over, all friends in the country were enjoined to begin a vigorous work in their aid societies, that winter weather might not cause sutfer- ino; from lack of comforts that mio-ht have l)een furnished. Dried fruits, pickles, krout and vegetables were 132 THE summer's avork. placed prominently upon tlie list of mueli needed supplies. Housekeepers were admonished to remem- ber the sick soldier as they prepared the winter's stock of dried fruit and pickles for their own families. Blackberries in wine, cordial, jam, oi- sinipl)- dried were sought for by those in charge of hospitals. This fruit had medicinal virtues peculiarly suited to clieck the diseases then prevalent in our army. The many boys and girls who Avere daily asking "What can we do for the soldiers?'' were soon called upon to form a volunteer regiment to pick the T)erries which the ladies of the country societies would then prepare for hospital use. Societies Avere urged to replenish their funds by subscription or solicitation in order to furnish material for the Aveekly meetings through the autumn. The young ladies of each toAvn Avere invited to take upon themselA^es the Avork of collection and to make it their duty to supply funds for the local aid society. August Gth, appointed by President Lincolin' as a day of national thanksgiving for the success of the Union armies, seemed an approj^riate time for a thank- offering to Avounded soldiers. A request Avas made to the pastors of the city churches to take up a collec- tion at the close of religious services upon that day. Clergymen throughout Northern Ohio Avere desired to influence the gifts of their churches toAvard the sup- port of the local aid societies. It Avas not knoAvn, at the time of making this sug- gestion, that the Christian Commission had just sent a similar request to each loyal pulpit in l)ehalf of its OAvn relief Avork in army and naA^y. As soon as this was discovered no furtlier action was taken in tlie matter by the Aid Society. Tlie contributions of several city cliurclies were handed in, aggregating two hundred and twenty-five dollars. Some country aid societies received the collections made in their churclies, but the money contributed on that day was mostly sent to the treasury of the Christian Commis- sion at Philadelphia. No other attempt was made this summer to raise money, exce23t the special collection for building the Soldiers' Home, which has been mentioned. The California fund had been freely drawn upon in purchasing vegetables for the warfare against scurvy and in keeping the work committee supplied with material. All material furnished to Branch societies was cut at the Aid Rooms by economical and experienced hands, and sent out in packages of ten, twenty or thirty garments. Each j)ackage was charged against the society to which it w^s sent and the finished garments were credited and acknowledged in print as " returned work." Promise of such aid was never given until other means of maintaining the vigor of a society had been faithfully tried, and then this was offered as a temporary support, to be withdrawn so soon as independent standing was regained. As the nature of hospital supplies changed from this time and now represented a greater money value but less amount of time in preparation, it was neces- sary to give the ofiicers of Branch societies more support, in furnishing work .l^y Avhich they could 134 SUSTAINING THE IIO]ME. snstcain their sewing meetings and prevent the falling off of members while vegetables, pickles and krout were being gathered for the army. The suppl3--work of the Society had been heavy this summer and its responsibilities in sustaining its feebler Branches and in supplying the Soldiers' Home ^vere increasing and requiring more liberal outlay. It was designed to sustain the Home by raising a fund especially for that j^urpose and quite independ- ent of the resources of the supply department. CHAPTER VIII. In August of this year the managers of tlie Chicago Branch Sanitary Commision had announced a " Sani- tary Fair," to be held in that city during the coining Octol)er. Vast preparations had been going forward through the summer, and, with an enthusiasm that was regarded chimerical, the Chicago ladies had de- clared their belief that twenty-five thousand dollars would be cleared by this project. The president, vice-president and treasurer of the Cleveland Branch accepted an invitation to attend the Chicago fair and spent three days in that whirlpool of enthusiastic charity, where the flood of benevo- lence swelled the hoped-for sum of twenty-five thousand to a real benefit of seventy-eight thousand dollars. The spirit of emulation excited by the wonderful success of the Chicago Fair gave rise, in other cities, to a series of Sanitary fairs, — the most splendid exhibitions of charity that the world has ever known, — which opened a new era in the history of benevo- lent eftbrt. In these magnificent fairs, all that taste, skill, energy, loyalty, humanity and national or sectional pride could accomplish was laid under tribute. Their aggregate cash receipts were millions I 3 130 SANITARY FAIRS, of dollars. Their indirect results in tlie momentum given to patriotism and pliilantliroj^y, through this war and to all time, are beyond estimate. The officers of the Cleveland Aid Society had visited the Chicago Fair with a somewhat vague pur- pose of gaining ideas for the benefit of their own work and especially with a view to some effort for the supj^ort of their Soldiers' Home. Their plans had not extended beyond a series of evening amusements, a picture gallery, or a three days' bazaar. They returned home with enlarged views, aglow with the enthusiasm of the hour, and resolved to launch their own little boat upon the wave of prosperity. November 24tli, they were fully committed to this venture by the following circular, which was No. 1 2 of the series : Rooms Soi.diees' Aid Society, No. 95 Bakk Street, } Cleveland, O., November 24, 18(io. )' To the People of Northern Ohio : We propose liolding a Grand Festival, commencing on tlie 22d of Febru" ary, for tlie benefit of our sick and wounded soldiers. The necessity for some effort of this kind is pressing. The loyal people of our State have given freely and often ; yet the present year, while it promises no abatement in the wants of our army, finds us limited by means totally insufficient to meet the demand made upon us. Our expenses are also necessarily increased by the higher rates of material, and to meet this emergency we propose to the Avomen of Northern Ohio to imitate the example of our sisters ot the northwest who, by their recent splendid effort, have given a new impetus to Sanitary work in that department. The first step in this enterprise must be to secure the co-operation of those friends whose warm sympathies and liberal benefactions have hei'eto fore carried us on so successfully in our work. From each member of the Branch Societies and from all who have contributed to this cause wo ask assistance to enable us to prosecute our labors with renewed energy. We feel satisfied that the i^roject can be succcessful without imposing upon any individual a heavy tax or in any way retarding our daily labor by drawing from the current supplies. FOLLOWING THE EXAJIPLE. 18 f Aside from the pecuniary benefit which we promise ourselves in this undertakino:, an opportunity will he offered to extend a cordial personal greeting- to many with whom we are connected in a common cause. To them is due no small share of the honor which has made the Soldiers' "Aid Society of Northern Ohio a strong arm of the Commission, known and recognized no less on the bloody battle-field than in many a hospital which the soldier has consecrated by sickness and suffering, through the length and breadth of the West. We call upon our friends to join us, that we may work with new zeal and a more ardent patriotism in an undertaking whose scope and aims cannot be over-estimated. This early appeal is set forth that the attention of every town and society may be secured. We shall hope to receive from each according to its ability. We propose to devote a separate portion of the hall to the respective contributions of each Branch. It is impossible at this early day to furnish a definite programme of the festival. No effort will spared to render it in the highest degree profitable and attractive. The plan pursued Avill be similar to that of the Chicago Fair, and will comprise the sale of every variety of fancy and useful articles. During the continuance of the Fair a daily dinner will be furnished, and we must look to our friends in the country to assist us with contributions of milk, cream, butter, eggs, vegetables and poultry. A series of attractive entertainments will be presented. Further particu- lars and information will be furnished as the occasion demands. We would suggest that each society convene its members and lay this circular before them, that we may secure their immediate and prompt action. Arrangements will be made with the various Railroad Companies by which an opportunity will be afforded of coming to Cleveland and returning the same day. We ask of those who have never failed to respond to our appeals, with firm faith in their continued well-doing. Mrs. B. Rouse, President. Mrs. Wm. Melhinch, } j^ „ . Mrs. L. Burton, )' ^ • ^''^* ''■ Mary Clark Brayton, Secretary. Ellen F. Terry, Treasurer: The opening day of the fair, February 2 2d, was chosen as being far enough distant to allow ample time for maturing the yet halfformed plan and because, from being a national holiday, it was most likely to arrest public attention and l)e retained in memory. A few days after the announcement of this contem- plated Sanitary Fail', the managers of the Cleveland 138 AN EMBARRASSMENT. Protestant Orphan Asylum gave public notice of an intention to hold their third annual Bazaar about the middle of January; proposing to unite with this bazaar some effort for relief of destitute soldiers' fomilies living in the city. The reasons given for bringing forward the soldiers' families in connection with this bazaar were that the Orphan Asylum, having received from two previous annual bazaars large sums that had been funded at interest, was now in need only of money enough for the current expenses of the winter, — less than would probably be raised by a bazaar, — and the managers of the Asylum, sympathizing with the charities which the accident of war had developed, were willing to accept only a specified sum and to relinquish the remainder to the ward committees that were organ- ized for the care of soldiers' families. With all cordial feeling for the Orphan Asylum and for soldiers' families, the officers of the Aid Society saw at a glance that the proposed bazaar would be fatal to the success of their Sanitary Fair. It would be dangerous enough to have a bazaar in whatever interest, on so large a scale as was proposed, in preparation all winter and opened four weeks in advance of the fair ; but when, added to this, the pa- triotic element was to be evoked, through this effort for soldiers' families, it was certain that this sentiment would not so soon respond again, and that the fair would fall to the ground, a dead failure, or be at best only a partial success that might prove equally dam- aging to the interests of the Sanitary Commission. The fair had not been proposed as a means of CONFLICTING INTERESTS. 139 raising money for any temporary emergency, nor for the work of one winter only, nor even of one year. It was rather to take advantage of tliis mania of generosity, this wonderful epidemic cliarity, that was breaking out in Sanitary fairs, east and west, and that might soon disappear with paralyzing reaction. So vast and exhaustive an undertaking must be made to bear proportionate results and to place the Society in a condition of absolute financial security to the end of its existence. With these convictions the officers of the Aid Society felt that the orphan and soldiers' families bazaar was a positive barrier to their own j^lans. This was talked over in friendly council and several business meetings were called to consider it. A pro- posal was made to hasten preparations for the bazaar, and to open it early in December, thus removing it farther from the time of holding the fair. This seemed likely to conflict with some other charitable schemes that were going forward then, and was not thought possible. The ladies of the Orphan Asylum claimed that having originated in Cleveland the system of holding bazaars they were by courtesy entitled to the exclusive privilege of raising money by that means, and that they were at liberty to introduce any element that promised to ensure success. The ladies of the Aid Society urged that to hold a bazaar for the benefit of soldiers' families as well as for the orphans — and this so near the opening of the Sanitary Fair — would necessarily embarrass their ope- rations and virtually destroy the fair. 140 A ('OMPi{o:\rrsE. Both entertaiuments liad been announced to the public and preparations to some extent had already been made for each. A compromise must be effected and these conflicting interests harmonized in the spirit of good will that had always prevailed in the public charities of Cleveland. The committee to which the matter was referred, — representing jointly the Aid Society, the Orphan Asylum and the soldiers' families, — reported in favor of holding a grand Union Bazaar which should re- present the interests of both Orphan Asylum and Aid Society; three thousand dollars of the net receipts to be pledged to the Orphan Asylum and the balance given to the Aid Society. This committee deemed it prudent to drop the sol- diers' families from the project, since a third of the sum raised by a bazaar would be but a fraction of the amount required for their support during the winter and it seemed certain that the promise of this tempo- rary resource would check the activity and embarrass the canvassing system of the ward committees having these families in charge, and thus do an injury out- weighing any advantage that would accrue to them from an incorporation with the bazaar. When it is remembered that the receipts of chari- table entertainments in Cleveland had heretofore been counted by hundreds only, and never — save in the two Orphan Asylum bazaars, which had been called bril- liant in result — could be estimated by tJioiisands, it is not stransre that the ward relief committees declined to accept a third of a bazaar that was yet in embryo, or that the three thousand dollai's that were to be AN^ OPPORTtTNE LEGACY. 141 ensured to the Orplian Asylum seemed like the lion's sliare of the possible proceeds. The high hopes with which the ladies of the Aid Society had retimied tVom the Chicago Fair were sud- denly dashed l)y this unexpected entanglement. Besides the discouraging prospect of receiving only a fraction of tlie avails in event of success, there was another view of the case that made tlie Union Bazaar still more distasteful to them. For the Sanitary Fail", the aid of all Northern Ohio and of adjoining States had been solicited. The co- operation of the l)rancli aid societies was indispensalde to success. But it could not be hoped to secure this when it 1)8 jams known that the proceeds of the fair were to l)e divided with a strictly local charity. Though sincerely in sympathy with the l)enevolent purposes of the Orplian Asylum, the officers of the Aid Society felt that this proposed Union Bazaar was very unfortunate for the cause they represented, and no doubt the managei's of the Asylum were ecpially annoyed by it. Both parties, however, acquiesced in the decision of the committee, and a special meeting was called to make preliminary arrangements. Into that meetino; the news was brouo-ht that a citizen just deceased had bequeathed to the Protestant Orplian Asylum of Cleveland the sum of forty thou- sand dollars. This munificent legacy relieved the Asylum most oj^portunely from business perplexity, and the managers relinquished all claim to the pro- ceeds of the projected bazaar. This left to the Aid Society a free field of operation and liberty to pursue the designs announced in the preliminary circular. 142 NOETIIERiS^ OHIO SANITARY FAIR. So auspicious was the inception of the Northern Ohio Sanitary Fair ! The committee that had been formed to conduct the now abandoned Union Bazaar increased its numbers and l:)ecame the Executive Committee of the Fair. The followino; were the honorary officers and Execu- tive Committee of the Fair Association : NOETHERN OHIO SANITARY FAIR. HOXORARY OFFICERS. Governor John Brough, Ex-Governor David Tod, Hon. Salmox P. Chase, Hon. Benj. F. Wade, Hon. John SHEn^rAN, Maj.-Gen'l J. A. Gaefield, Mavor Irvine U. Masters. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. T. P. Handy, Mrs. B. Rouse, H. M. Chapik, Mrs. Wm. Melhinch, Dr. J. S. Newberry, Mrs. L. Burton, Amasa Stone, Jr., Mart Clark Bratton, Stillman Witt, Ellen F. Terry, Wm. B. Castle, Mrs. John Shelley, Samuel L. Mather, Mrs. J. A. Harris, Joseph Perkins, Mrs. Chas. A. Terry, Geo. B. Senter, ' Mrs. S. Williamson, Peter Thatcher, Jr., Mrs. Geo. A. Benedict, Mrs. L. M. Hubby, Mrs. Wm. B. Castle, T. P. Handy, C'hairmau. H. M. Chapin, 1 Mary Clark Brayton. }- Secretaries. Ellen F. Terry, J . Headquarters were established at the Aid Societ}' Rooms, No. 95 Bank street, and an office was rented in the same building for the use of the secretaries and the registration committee. Daily meetings of the Executive Committee were held at 4 o'clock, P. M. COMMITTEES FOll THE FAIR. 148 The circulars, notices and reports of the Sanitary Fairs of Chicago, Boston and Cincinnati were collected and filed for consultation and a general programme was formed from these precedents. This embraced a Ladies' Bazaar, Kefreshment Hall, Exhil)iti<)n of Machinery, Manufactures and Produce, Fine Art Gallery, Floral Hall, Museum of Curiosities and War "Relics and a series of Evenino- Entertain- ments. The Executive Committee appointed the chairmen of twenty-one special committees, as follows : Fkter Thatohrk, Jr., ou Euildino'rt and Halla. 1. U. Masters, on Reception. T. N. Bond, on Decorations. J. G. HussEY, on Produce. M. C. YouNGt.oVE, on Macliiuery. Wm. BiNflirAM, on Merchandise. J. V. X. Yates, on Wood and Coal. Mrs. Fayette Brown, on Booths and Fancy Tables. Mrs. A. G. Col WELL, on Fancy Articles. Mrs. Dr. E. Sterling, on Floral Hall. Wm. Edwards and Mrs. M. C. Yot-xglovk, on Tahles and Taljlo Furniture. Mrs. T. BuRNHAM, on Refreshments. H. F. Brayton, on Memorials and Ciii-iosities. Wm. J. BoARDMAN, on Fine Art Hall. T. P. Handy, on Musical Entertainments. Geo. Willey, on Tableaux. D. P. Eells, on Lectures. John F. Warner, on Registration. A. W. Fairbanks, on Printing and Stationery. Col. W. H. Hayward, on Military. John N. Frazee, on Police. These chairmen formed their own committees, whicli were enlarged and subdivided in later meetings at discretion. Pi'ominent business men and manufac- turers throughout Ohio and Western Pennsylvania 144 ISSUING CIRCULARS. were created associate members of tliese committees and tlieii' personal influence was thus secured. (For a full list of the fair committees see ap]3endix E.) The first duty of most of the committees was to prepare a special appeal to the public. Eleven suT> circulars were issued and each committee nndertook to send to friends and business acquaintances tar and near a certain niunber of the circulars of its own and every other department. A general circular was puldished in the newspaj^ers of Northern Ohio with the request that every one who read it would send for a ])ackage of special circulars or furnish the names of persons to whom these might be mailed. Notice was given to citizens to send in the names of relatives and friends who lived in the country, that circulars might be sent to them. All the ingenuity that had evoked the first response, in the early days of the Society, was repeated in behalf of the fair, aided by the machinery which nearly three years' experience had nicely adjusted to this purpose. All circulars were mailed from the Aid Rooms under the franking privilege enjoyed by the Society. To secure the aid of the Branches was a matter of vital moment, and to do this without disturbing or checking tlie routine of their duties, was equally imj^ortant. With all their desire to excite an interest in the a2:)proaching ftiir, the oflicers of the Cleveland Aid Society were very solicitous lest preparations for it might encroach upon their own regular business or that of their tril)utaries. They would not advise any APPOINTING DELEGATES. 145 Brancli to draw on its treasury to piuvliase materials for fancy articles, nor to suffer the regular scAviug meetings to give place to assemblies on behalf of the fair. The aim was to help the cause, which surely would not be attained by exhausting the sources from which the very life of the work flowed. It was rather the design to use the influence of these Branches in securing and forwarding such arti- cles, solicited by an outside conunittee, as would not naturally come into the list of their receipts ; so that contributions to the fair mio'ht be additions to the usual supplies, not an interference Avdth them. The secretary and treasurer of the Aid Society, as associate secretaries of the fliir, assumed the specific duty of engaging the interest and co-operation of the Branches. A personal letter was written to the president of each of these Branch societies, ^vith notice of her appointment as delegate to the fair and soliciting her services and influence in the preparations. Upon notice of acceptance, the delegate was furnished with a package of circulars containing, first, a general ap2:)eal in Avhich each de^^artment was briefly described and aj)propriate gifts suggested, with a summary of the attractions promised to visitors ; second, the special circulars of the mercantile, manufactures, machinery, produce, fine arts, floral hall, museum, fancy work and refreshment committees, each fully explaining itself; third, a large sheet-invoice to be filled out and re- turned with the aggregate results of the township canvassing, and some smaller invoice-blanks to accom- pany individual gifts. 1 146 PLANNING. On receipt of these docuuients, the delegate was to lay them before her society and to distribute them as would best promote an interest in the fair. It Avas advised that a committee of two really active, earnest men should be appointed in each town- ship to solicit contributions in conjunction with the local society and, if necessary, to go al)Out with teams from farm to farm and gather up everything that could be secured. The military conunittees of each county were sup- plied with circulars and requested to act as '' head centers'" in collecting and forwarding. AVhen pre- ferred, these appointments were authorized by com- missions sent from the officers of the fair association. It was necessary to rouse Northern Ohio thoroughly and to make the appeals specially pointed and search- ing, for the reason that Cincinnati had just opened a fair that had drawn heavily upon the whole State. Its circulars and appeals had been freely distributed in Cleveland and vicinity, and had been responded to with much liberality. Many towns from which great things were hoped had given largely to Cincinnati and it was feared these were scarcely ready to repeat their generosity. But sectional pride soon came in to help on the work. It was determined that Cleveland should have a fair commensurate with the resources of the Reserve and the patriotism of its people. In furtherance of this resolution the circulars of each committee were issued till the corpulent mail- bags grew to positive obesity. The office of post- master could have been no sinecure in Ohio during these preliminary days of the fair. THOROUGH CANVASSINCt. 147 To this proclamation period succeeded the canvass- ing era. Committee-men with memorandum book and pencil were making the round of the city, each eager to secure for his own department the pledge of his neighl)or. Fe^v waited for such solicitation, ])ut by this thorough canvassing no one escaped. The gift of one thousand dollars each from several city insurance and manufacturing companies encouraged the can- vassers at the outset, and from day to day the city papers helped on their work l)y mentioning various valuable articles of machinery or merchandise that had rewarded the labor of solicitation. It was urged that as an industrial exposition the fair 'would promote the interests of the community, an object which Avas thought proper to be mentioned as a stimulus to contribution. Facilities were promised to manufacturers and inventors for the display of fabrics and machines Avhich they wished to introduce to the public, — the business card of the donor to be attached to each article. All classes, trades and professions were to be en- listed in this cause. Soliciting committees were reminded that there was nothins; in the rano;e of known possessions, having money value or historic interest, but would lind a place and a welcome at the fair. At each one's hand lay his own appropriate offering. The mechanic could give the product of his skill, the merchant his wares, the manufacturer his huished article or the material from which it was made, the laborer a portion of his wages, the farmer his grain, the storage of his cellars, the wood from his 148 LADIES AT WOEK. broad acres or the stock from Lis 2:)astiires. The hor- ticulturist or gardener could add to the decorations of Floral Hall or the supplies of the restaurant, the antiquarian or curiosity-hunter might give or lend his time-honored relics and his wonders to the Museum, the skilful workwoman could find space for her handicraft in the Bazaar, and the good things of the housewife would suppl}^ the tables of the Dining Hall. The ladies of the city ceased to be recognized as individuals and existed only as committee-women and priestesses of bazaar, floral hall and restaurant. The infection of this great charity pervaded every parlor and school room, Avhere pretty usefuls in needle- work, marvels of embroidery, delicate conceits in fancy work and airy trifles in crotchet grew rapidly under fingers winged with j^atriotism and humanity. The ladies of the refreshment committee were plan- ning a system of continuous contribution to the dining hall, in order to ensure stated supplies of provisions for each day of the fair. The city was districted and the written pledge of each household taken for the kind and quantity which it would furnish upon a specified day. Towns upon the lines of raih'oad cen- terins: in the citv were notified of the davs when boxes of good things should be shipped, and general rules were laid down to ecj^ualize the supplies sent in by railroad and team. Countr}' dainties of pantry, dairy and poultry yard were especially levied upon. The notable matrons of the "VVestei'n Reserve were besought to deal out to their households sparingly and to contribute liberally, till the opening of the THE PROPOSED BUILDING. 149 great dining liall should give opportunity to tlieir husl)ands, sons and l)rotliers to avenge their wrongs by an attack upon its abundant tables. The committee on, buildings and halls, charged with the duty of providing suitable accommodations for the fair, had decided at once that no public build- ing in Cleveland was spacious enough to contain all the departments, and that to scatter these through the city in different halls would destroy the unity and the attractions of the fair and endanger the results. The success of Sanitary fairs in other cities had been limited only by the capacity of the buildings in which they were held. The building committee took warning from this experience and resolved that no want of space should check the progress of the Cleve- land fair. After due deliberation in nightly session, they advised the erection in the Public Square of a tem- porary structure that should give ample room for all departments. This situation, from its central position and accessibility, was unsurpassed and the building- was designed to present in itself a peculiar attraction of the fair. The proposed building covered an area of sixty-four thousand square feet and the estimated cost was ten thousand dollars. No charitable enterprise ever projected in Cleveland had afforded (//-os-^ receipts of more than eight thou- sand dollars. Great as were the hopes of success in the present scheme, few had ventured to hint at more than twenty thousand dollars as the possible gross 150 AN OMINOUS SILENCE. results. To ajiproj^riate lialf tlie imaginary proceeds to the one item of a building in whicli to hold the fair was a proj^osal that could not be accepted without some misgivings. But the counsels of the buihling committee prevailed, and time proved that they were founded on wisdom. As soon as their plans were adopted, an elevation of the proposed structure was engraved and used as heading for the circulars and stationery employed in the business of the fair. Even so small a thins; as this was not without good results in awakening an interest in the preparations. Between the issue of circulars and their material results there was a period of suspense and anxiety that was positively appalling, — especially to the secre- taries, who, ill their dismal little office, shut out from contact with the enthusiasm that was spreading through the city, had been exhausting their wits on personal letters, circulars and newspaper appeals. An ominous silence seemed to have taken possession of their correspondents, broken only by a significant line such as one good clergyman wrote, " I was sj^eak- ing to the farmers of my church about your fair to-day, and I find they have been thinking about it." An occasional item would creep into the city papers, showing that the ladies of a certain township had met and laid out their plans. Festivals and concerts were heard of, in adjoining towns, for the benefit of bazaar committees. Schools and lyceums were turning their holiday exercises into exhibitions for swelling the receipts. The silence of correspondents was indeed ominous, but it boded only good. The people were too l)usy in peiibrmance to have time for promises. TORJrENTIISrG DOUBTS. 151 Faitli, born of experience, forl)ade the officers of the Aid Society to fear that Northern Ohio would fail to respond to any call of patriotism or philanthropy. But, would these generous givers realize the vastness of the requirements ? — did they kno^v how much it would take to fill the rising structure whose sixty-four thousand square feet of extent seemed so boundless a storehouse ? These tormenting doubts brooded with fateful wing over the anxious hearts of those who were vitally in- terested in the cause, and were only put to flight when the opening day saw the great building stocked and even crowded, while gifts continued to come u]) to the very close of the fair. The secret of this long silence and late response was in the fact that as the societies in county seats acted as centers of collection, townships and minor societies reported to them and not directly to the fair association, and thus the ofterings of each county were brought up as a unit to the fair. This plan, though most systematic and efficacious, w^as embarrassing to the managers and especially to the bazaar committee, making it impossible for them to judge of the space that would be required by any one county. When, just before the opening, the representatives of societies and counties came in, brinofino; to the bazaar their wealth of contribution, the space as- signed to many of them was far too small. Some could not display half their goods at the opening. The delegations from two counties that had reported their inability to All any space in the bazaar, came in at the eleventh hour loaded with fancy articles and 152 SNOW VERSUS CARPENTERS. were unavoidably crowded togetlier into one bootli witli very small opportunity for exhibiting their treasures. The gift of ten thousand feet of lumber from one citizen, with the use of his men and teams ; of a large quantity of nails and hardware from manufacturers ; a generous discount on all purchases, and the volun- teered services of master builder and many \^'orkmen, somewhat lessened the estimated cost of the building and certainly lightened the hearts of the committee. Four weeks before the opening day, the materials were on the spot and the energetic building commit- tee might have been seen on the Public Square, pacing off the ground and planting certain significant little stakes at sundry corners. These inexplicable movements were watched with o])en-mouthed curiosity by a crowd of juveniles and idlers, " and still they gazed, and still the w^onder grew," when, next morn- ing, a small army of workmen invaded the Square and began to fashion timbers and la}' beams upon some evidently preconcerted plan. A blinding whirl of sleet and snow had half en- wrapped these mysterious proceedings and soon entirely concealed them under a fleecy mantle that lay in drifted heaps, while the furiously roaring storm held hi£i:h carnival above the abandoned work. For nearly a week the elements conspired against committee and carpenters^ but at last the sun showed his smiling face in a clear wintry sky. The commandant of Camp Cleveland detailed a company of the sixth Ohio cavalry, who worked PLAN OF THE BUILDING. 158 Hway cheerily with shovel and snow-plow, exhuming Imried lumber and searchino; for lost land-marks. The sturdy blows of adze and hammer, wielded by many skilful and willing hands, rapidly developed the mystery. As the great structure rose to view and progressed to completion, doubt gave way to faith and interest deepened to enthusiasm, in every one who beheld this indisputable evidence that the Northern Ohio Sanitary Fair was no longer an idea, but a fact. The plan adopted was of a group of halls in the form of a Greek cross, the center rising in a dome to an elevation of sixty-five feet and enclosing the statue of Commodore Perry. The central hall was an octagon, seventy-five feet in diameter, and was ornamented as a Floral Hall. On the A vest was the Ladies' Bazaar, one hundred and seventy-six feet long by ninety- three feet wide and twenty-five feet high. On the east an Audience Room, for evening entertainments, two hundred and eight by ninety-three feet and t'sventy-five feet high. This was fitted with a large stage and anterooms and with rising seats for two thousand persons. On the south, at right angles with audience room and bazaar, was the hall for Machinery, Manufactures and Pro- duce, one hundred and eighty-four feet long by fifty-one feet wide and twenty feet high. On the north was the Dining Hall, one hundred and ninety feet long, fifty-one feet wide and twenty feet high. The right-angle corners where Floral Hall joined the other buildings were divided into ofiices and commit- tee rooms. Messrs. J. M. Blackburn and S. C. Brooks 154 DECOIIATING THE HALLS. were tlie arcliitect and iiiaster builder, liaving offered tlieir services iu behalf of the fair. The Picture Gallery and Museum were opened in the Court House, at the northwest corner of the Square, where the valuable collection of loaned arti- cles could be secure from fire. The Sanitary fair building, though hastily con- structed for temporary use and without pretension to architectural beauty, was symmetrical in its propor- tions and well adapted to the purposes of the fair. It had been carefully planned for the convenience of committees and the pleasure of visitors, and was well ventilated, lighted and Avarmed, and made secure against storms. There was no attempt to ornament the exterior walls, but the ever-beautiful stars and stripes threw out their broad folds from its dome and floated above every roof peak, while hundreds of smaller flags fluttered at angle and archway. The tasteful artifices of the decorating committee conspired to transform the unhewn rafters and rough siding of the spacious halls into graceful flower- wreathed arches and gaily bannered walls. This was not effected Avithout much cunniuo; contrivance, confusion of tongues, hard labor and adventurous climbing, crowded into the few days that intervened between the completion of the building and tlsl^ opeu- inc: of the fair. Flags of all sizes were borrowed from far and near and many clever devices in tarleton, tissue paper and tinsel were employed to embellish the Ladles' Bazaak. Of the booths and stalls designed for the display EVERGREENS AND BANNERS. 155 and sale of fancy articles, one half were to be occuj^ied by saleswomen in the costume of different nations, and the other half by delegates from Branch societies, classed in counties, one booth being assigned to each county. The costume booths alternated with the county booths, down each side of the long bazaar hall. The young ladies who were to occupy the costume booths decorated these with much taste. Many representatives of counties came up a few days before the opening and worked busily in fitting up the spaces assigned to them. A laudable rivalry between the proprietors of different booths, and the endeavor to excel in elegance and appropriateness of decoration, resulted in many exhibitions of remarkable beauty and taste. Farm wagons and railroad cars came in loaded with evergreens for decoration, bearing, too, a more precious freight of village youths and maidens who came, at the almost despairing call of the over-burdened com- mittee, to develop the beautiful iloral designs. Under the deft workmanship of many hands the embowering shades and odorous freshness of Floral Hall rivaled the sylvan beauty of some fairy-haunted dell of the " merrie greenwood." The Dining Hall was festooned with flags and garlands, and hung with portraits of our victorious generals. Scores of pretty girls in grisette apron and jaunty coiffure were duly marshalled and drilled to act as table waiters. Before their preparations were fully made, these amateur Avaitresses had occasion to practice their newly acquired art, in serving two re- 156 LAST PREPARATIONS. turned regiments tliat were feasted in the half finished dining hall. In Mechanics' Hall the useful predominated over the beautiful. A few flags and wreaths were the only decorations attempted. The great space was fast fill- ing up with articles of more or less bulk and value. Barrels of produce were rolling in. Anxious exhibi- tors jostled each other in their eagerness to secure a favorable place for their inventions. In the Art Hall and Museum, gay with hangings of tri-color, another phase of preparation prevailed. Easels and standards were being constructed and screens arranged to temper and convey the light to the paintings that were fast covering the walls. In- numerable articles of antiquity or curious interest, exhumed from the obscurity of j^rivate collections, already crowded the cases. Great boxes of war relics were arriving from the front, unclassified fossils cum- bered the corners, masses of mineral blockaded the passages and hopelessly embarrassed the task of organizing this wealth of wonders. Tableau committees and dramatic clubs were in daily, semi-daily and nightly session ; rallying their forces for rehearsal or desperately raiding for cos- tumes. Two hundred old-fashioned singers, who had been summoned from town and country, were tuning their voices and reviving the toilettes and the manners of other days, in anticipation of an Old Folks' Concert in the grand Audience Room. All the busy activity that for weeks and mouths had been working out the splendid success of the enterprise, seemed concentrated in these last days of ENTERTAINING THE DELEGATES. 157 preparation. None but the largest faith could foresee that order would ever come out of the Babel of tongues and chaos of matter that distracted and over- whelmed the devoted committee-men and women in the last twenty-four hours of indescribable hurry and Vnistle before the curtain rose ujion the great fair. The committe on reception had canvassed the city to provide lodging places for the delegates and representatives of Branch societies who were already beginning to arrive. No provision more ample was made in other cities on similar occasions. Though it is impossible to give the number of strangers that were entertained, it is safe to say that several thous- and enjoyed the hospitality of the citizens durino- the progress of the fair. The cordiality with which houses were opened and guests welcomed, through this busy time, when Cleveland ladies were already overburdened with the cares and responsibilities of committee-work and daily attendance in various de- partments, must not be allowed to jjass without a tribute of grateful recognition. The officers of the Aid Society had each spent a day or two, in turn, visiting the Cincinnati Sanitary fair, which opened in December. By the kindness of the Cincinnati committees they learned much of the practical details which they afterwards found valuable in arranging their own fair. The ticket system adopted was based upon the experience of the Cincinnati managers, and it proved convenient and satisfactory. A single ticket at twen- ty-five cents gave one admission to either hall. Tickets were also sold in packages of five for one 158 THE TICKET SYSTEM. dollar and twenty for three dollars. For the conven- ience of persons coming in from the country, these tickets were on sale at each way-station of all railroads centering in the city. By the generosity of the railroad companies, return transportation A\as given to every one who })urchased, ^y\t\l his raihvay ticket to Cleveland, one dollar s worth of fair tickets. No free admissions were granted to conunittees, delegates or exhibitors. By the payment of one dol- lar, these were furnished with an " assistant's check," Avhich served as a season ticket of admission, and Avas not transferable. These checks were returned to the Executive Committee if a delegate left the city before the tair closed, and any person Avho came up to relieve the delegate by taking her place in the booth was reqiured to purchase her own admission check. The dining hall had a distinct ticket system. Din- ner cost iifty cents, supper or lunch in the restaurant twenty-five cents, oysters and crackers thirty cents, coftee ten cents, tea live cents. Single tickets for evening entertainments were iifty cents. No variation was allowed from these prices and no season tickets were issued for audience room or dining hall. All packages consigned to the fair were exempt from freio'ht charges over the railroads runnina: into Cleveland. Light and valuable packages were carried by any of the express companies, without charge. CHAPTER IX. Monday, February 2 2d, 18G4, the anniversary of the birthday of Washington, and henceforth to be remembered by Clevelanders as the inaugural day of the great Sanitary Fair, opened inauspiciously witli clouds and rain. But by nine o'clock the sun peered through the clouds, the sky cleared, the morning air was balmy and spring-like, and nature smiled in hap- piest mood. Above the fair building, around and in which the workers still clustered, thickly and busily as bees, floated the flag of the Union, and from housetops and flagstaffs throughout the city the stars and stripes were flung out. The streets were thronged with citizens and strangers. The crowd was especially great at the ticket oflices for the fair, which were located at the halls of the great building and in the principal music and bookstores. It had been announced that the Governor and statf, the State Legislature and other invited guests from abroad would arrive on the mornino; train from Columbus, and due preparations were made to receive and escort them. The various companies of the 29th Ohio National Gruard mustered in full resralia, and 15 9 160 THE OPENING DAY. after a brilliant parade niarelied into the Sanitary fair dining hall, where a bounteous dinner had been spread for them. At two o'clock the lines re-formed upon Bank street headed by Leland's band, breathing melodious and patriotic strains. Next followed the " 29th,'' the mayor and city council, city officers, Major Generals Heintzelman and Garfield, the Lieutenant Governor and stafJ', State officers, and the Ohio Legislature. A detachment of soldiers closed up the rear. The procession swept up Superior street around the south side of the Square to the custom house and into the Square, entering the audience room of the tair building at its east end and appearing upon the plat- form, whence the Legislature passed to seats in the body of the hall. The stage was occupied by many distino-uished ^-uests and the o-reat hall filled with a brilliant assembly. At three o'clock the audience was called to order by Mayor Masters and the exercises were opened by prayer from the venerable Dr. Aiken, of the First Presbyterian Church. The band then gave " TTome again," and Lieutenant Governor Anderson held the audience enchained during a brief address of excpiisite beauty of word-painting. The following dedication ode, prepared for the occasion, was sung by a glee club, the audience join- ing in chorus : THE INAUGUEAL ODE. 161 ! hallowed the day when our Chieftain was born, The Hero, the Patriot, who with form e'er commandin*^, 'Mid the sunshine of peace or in battle's thick storm, The Ship of State guided and kept it from stranding. For the Flag that waved o'er him, the stars and the blue, Had been caught down from heaven by brave men and true. cnoKUS. 01 say, does the Star Spangled Banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave V n. Again by the tempest our Country was rocked. Till it labored and reeled like a ship in mid ocean, Our flag it was taunted, our Union was mocked, \A'hen up sprang to vengeance, thank God ! a great nation ! Past the graves of their fathers the serried ranks SAveep, And the lanterns of battle swing out o'er the deep. CHORUS. That the Star Spangled Banner in triumph might wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. 111. O ! the red fields of battle, the hospital tent, Where our brave ones lie bleeding, or in stranger hands languish ; Up the heights, crowned with glory, we cheered their ascent. Who would dare to pass by them when hurled back in anguish ? All honor to true hearts who, brave amid tears. Follow close on our armies with blessings and prayers. CHORUS. That the Star Spangled Banner in triumph may wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. IV. ! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation. Blessed with victory and peace, may the heaven rescued laud Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just. And this lie our motto, " In God is our trust." CHORUS. And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. I 1 162 CEREMONIES OF THE DAY. Mayor Masters then introduced General Ja:\ies A. Garfield, who was received ^vith enthusiastic cheers, and who spoke for an hour and a half in his own earnest, eloquent and logical manner, fre- quently interrupted by rounds of applause. Speaker Hubbell was next presented. In a few Avords, spoken on behalf of the Ohio Legislature, he expressed an interest in the occasion and an acknowl- edg-ment of the courtesies that had l)een extended. The formalities of the day ^vere now over and the fair duly inaugurated. The audience dispersed with rins-ino; cheers for Garfield, the soldier-statesman, for the army in the field, and the Sanitary Fair. THE BAZAAR. The Ladies' Bazaar was thrown open at 7 o'clock in the evening and was filled with an eager, admiring throng of visitors, to whom the brilliant display seemed like one of the bright-hued visions of oriental enchantment. The roof and its supporting pillars are canopied with flags and wreathed with evergreens. Soft dra- peries of rainbow tint float from arch and column. Garlands twine around or alternate with the waving tri-color. The light streams down upon rich stuff's and costly wares and is flashed liack from countless mirrors. From booth to booth the eye falls upon gay demoi- selles of France, yellow-haired frauleins of Germany, dark-eyed senoritas of Spain, bewitching houris of Turkey, Italia's graceful signorinas, bonnie lassies of Scotland, rosy maidens of England, frank and merry THE ladies' bazaae, 163 daughters of Kriii, Russian damsels in furs, belles of the Celestial empire, America's Idooming beauties and wide-awake Yankee girls. Tt is difficult to fix the attention upon the details that make up this kaleidoscope view, l)ut tlu^ scene, so l)e\vildering as a whole, will on closer inspection reveal new charms. Every l)ooth in the Bazaar is a beautiful pictiu'e set in a worthy frame and ^vell merits a more minute description. The visitor, delivering his ticket at the dot)r of the Bazaar, is ushered in by the blue-coated police and emerges from the vestibule into the grand hall, pass- ing under the decorated gallery where a l)and is discoursiuij: sweet music. First on the right stands the Book Stall, where periodicals, stationery, bound volumes, engravings and pliotographs are offered. Ashland and Geauga counties unite in a booth which occupies the corner l)eyond. The names of these counties are enclosed in an evergreen wreath over the front, and on the wall hangs a portrait of Lincoln. Articles of needlework, useful and fanciful, are piled ui)on the tables and suspended from the ceiling. Silk patchwork quilting of elaborate fashion, woolwork, pin cushions and cobweb knitting tempt the purses of Iniyers. The blue and yello\v drapery of the Celestials is conspicuous in the next l)ooth. Chinese lanterns with their grotesijue imagery, silken flags and embroidered scarfs ornament the walls, and a huge Chinese um- ])rella canopies the Avhole. Large mirrors reflect the gay and varying scene. A T)evy of little-footed beau- 164 THE BOOTHS. ties in tlie rich and (jiiaint costume of tlie flowery land, with wondronsly conceived pagoda hats edged with tinkling bells, dispense tiny cups of fragrant tea and offer curious, rare and valuable articles, veritable importations from China and Japan. Vases of trans- parent porcelain, sandalwood boxes and fims that perfume the air, portfolios, lacquered ware, ivory puzzles, hammocks, delicate cups and saucers that would delight the heart of a collector of old china, nodding mandarins, pungent scents and spices, chests of tea and curious carvings, are piled up wherever space can be found. The ladies of Lor Am county occupy the thii'd booth and a large stand directly in front, both of which are crowded with a variety of beautiful and useful arti- cles. With thoughtfulness for the little folks, these ladies have for sale dolls' houses of every size and style, dolls' beds, daintily furnished, and toys for dolly's young mamma. An exquisitely embroidered chair, a fine set of Irving's works, some rich dressing- gowns, curious husk work, and an Oberlin scholarship are the most noticeable among the countless treasures displayed in this attractive booth. Here hangs the magnificent afghan, the central glory of this part of the bazaar, which is always surrounded by an admir- ing crowd. The land of song and stor}^, of Wallace, Scott and Burks, is well represented l»y a group of High- land lassies in the traditional tartan of their hills, looped with the thistle and crowned with the heron's plume. The plaid also decorates the Avails, and above is the national banner, bearino- the thistle with its TkEIK DECOR ATIOKS. 105 defiant motto, '-'■Nemo me impune lacesslty On one pillar are Scottish shields, and on the other hangs a portrait of Ca:mpbell of Argyle. This booth is well supplied with hair and cone work, papier mache' trinkets in tartan, fancy needlework and toilet articles. A beautiful model of a steam-tug, and a miniature l;)it of winter scenery representing a portion of Niagara Falls, and made of minerals from all parts of the world, finished with twigs and mosses from the graves of the fallen heroes of the Ohio seventh rea-iment, are worthy of sj^ecial mention among the treasures of the Scotch booth. Summit county occupies the next booth. Lace cur- tains looj)ed and trimmed Avith evergreens form a graceful decoration, and a basket of crystal work depends from the arch above. The side walls are hung with mirrors and pictures. The words '• Summit County," in gilt letters wreathed with flowers, gleam from the rear. On the counters are heaped fancy work of every variety, silverware, statuettes, dolls and dolls' furniture. The stand directly in front is also filled by this county, and here the great attraction is a splendid stuffed eagle. From his beak float ribbons with the name of the county inscribed upon them. Here too is a doll's house inside which a whole family is arranged, even to the baby in the cradle, the dog on the mat, and the parrot in the cage. A step and we are in sunny Italy. A beautiful statuette of the " Flower Girl " is the central decora- tion of this booth, with " Italy " worked in evergreen under a golden harp. Painting and sculpture are typified by pallette and brush and the marbles and 166 PENNS YLVANI a's'sH ARll bronzes that are set in every niclie. The warljlings of eaixed ])irds symbolize the musical tastes of the classic hind of song. Here ahibaster clocks, statuettes, silverware, bronze ornaments, sheet music and musical insti'uments are oifered to the purchaser by ladies in the picturesque costume of the nation. Mead\ille, with her tributary towns in ^^'estern Pennsylvania, is nobly represented in tlie bazaar, find- ing an entire l)ooth scarcely spacious enough for the beautiful and \alualde contributions. Over this l)Ooth is a framework of evero-reeus enclosino- the words "Meadville, Pa.'' Other frames bear these inscri])tions : " Home responses to our boys in the field," " AVe labor while we wait," " For our Heroes, from tlie girls they left behind them," "From the Keystone and Hearthstone to the Camp," '' Belles versus re-bels." This booth is very attractive with its draperies of lace curtains, crystal hangings, mir- rors, pictures, profusion of skilful needlework, wax flowers, babies' garments, gorgeous smoking caps, ato'hans and brioche cushions. An ino-enious little fortune-telling doll here discloses the secrets of the future and takes in the cash of the present. In front of the INEeadville booth is a stand lilled by the industry of the Kockport ladies. Much ingenuity is shown in some of these articles. There are in the EocKPOKT booth tasteful and curious moss baskets, cases of stufi'ed birds, wax dolls, children's garments and embroidered slippers. Here is also a log cottage with its chimney of interlacing sticks. The Avoman of the house sits on the doorstep and a man is perched on the rail fence with his violin. In one Titll AMElilOAN BOOTH. 1()7 corner of the little yard is a tiny wood pile and the lilliputian farmer has evidently done some chopping on one of the logs. This little cottage, intended to represent a scene in the " Arkansas Traveler," is the work of the inmates of the West Pennsylvania Insane Retreat at Dixmont near Pittsburgh, who have sent to the fair contributions of tiincy articles to the value of one hundred and fifty dollars. The tarleton drapery of this stand is studded with silver stars. The booth midway down this side of the hall is of double size and displays the American Hag. High above the entrance is a golden eagle resting on a globe. From his beak stream red, white and blue ribbons looped back with rich laces. Upon the wall is inscribed in evergreen letters, " Amekica, stripes for her foes, stars for her defenders." In the evening a series of gas jets forms the word " Excelsior." Below this is a niche in which stands a bust of Washington. The walls are covered with pictures illustrative of American history, portraits of her heroes, and military trophies and insignia. Crouched in one corner under a forest tree is a large deer, squirrels and birds are perched on the twigs, Indian trappings hang from the In-anches. The Genius of America is personated by the central figure of the group of attendants, costumed in the red, white and blue, decked with a galaxy of stars, and bearing the national insignia. An Indian maiden stands near, and with her jetty hair, deerskin robe, and barbaric trinkets of beads and tinkling bells, looks the dark eyed Pocahontas to the very life. Just behind is a matron in the costume of ''"70," while the 168 LAKE COUNTY AND RUSSIA. spirit of the present day is symbolized by the semi-mili- tary cap on the head of a lady robed in army blue, with military buttons, chevrons and corps l;)adge. Indian curiosities, bouquets, trinkets in nameless variety, rich silks, laces, embroidered cloaks and many articles of elegant and tasteful ^\ orkmauship are dis- played here. The decorations of Lake county booth, which is next in order, are peculiarly elaborate and tasteful. Interlacing branches form the entrance arch, above which is a semi-circle of stars that encloses an eagle bearino- a banner inscribed with the name of the county. From the starry semi-circle is festooned a scroll with this motto, " Offerings of a grateful ^eo- pie to their brave and suffering defenders." On the branches that form the arch are the names of the battles in which the soldiers of Lake county have borne a part. An Indian club, shield, bow and quiver, with mirrors and pictures, make up the orna- mentation of this booth. A stand in front has also been pre-empted by Lake county and both are filled with beautiful needlework, designs in cones and mosses, models, toys and embroideries. Siberian snows, sledges and reindeer, ice palaces — all the characteristics of the arctic empire under autocratic sway, seem by magical ingenuity to find representation in the Russian booth. The incidental decorations are all appropriate. Over the front is a young bear, breaking his way through snow-laden fir branches. Stag horns and deer heads appear in the background, snow birds, minks and an arctic owl perch aloft. The l)0oth is tapestried and U...,x^r ^A ^T^»r.Tr " EllIN GO BEACtII. 109 carpeted with soft aud costly skins. Pretty maidens in fur-edged garments of the latest Muscovite fashion invite the visitor to select from their loaded counters anythino- that will make a Siberian winter comforta- ble or add to the pleasures of the skating season. The Erie county booth is conspicuous for its motto, " We work and pray for our defenders." Lace cur- tains, flowers and hano-ino; baskets ornament the entrance, and beautiful shell, bead, and hair designs, cone frames, and usefuls in needlework are heaj'yed upon the tallies and suspended fi-om the walls. Ireland, the gem of the sea, has a booth well filled with fancy wares arranged with much taste. Lace draperies are surmounted by a green banner on which is the harj:) of Erin, with the national motto. The curtains are trimmed with shamrocks, the dark glossy leaves making a pretty effect against the white lace. The booth is roofed with evergreen arches and filled with mirrors, crucifixes and relics. A picture of Christ blessing little children hangs here, and the motto " Erin 2:0 lirag^h " is worked in shamrock leaves upon the inner wall. Merry lasses in rich In'ogue seduce money from the pockets of visitors, while Bidd}^ McCoy, in exagger- ated cap-border, harangues the crowd with native eloquence aud irresistible wit. The ladies of Columbiana county have the next booth, wdiich they have fitted up tastefully with wreaths and floral designs. The name of the county is in gilt letters over the entrance, with the motto *' Columbiana repudiates her traitor son." The sup- 2)ly of articles on sale is large, varied and choice. 170 THE EESTAURANt. The stand in front, occupied by tlie townships of SoLox and Chagrin Falls, is gaily festooned with tarle- ton and well filled with clever devices of needle, wool, and leather work, and useful articles of children's wear. Among the noticeable things here is a military coat into the lining of which is stitched the inscrip- tion, " None but the brave will I enfold." The visitor has now reached the west end of the hall, where the Restaurant, gay with its canopy of flags, its mirrors, pictures and curtains, and redolent of appetizing odors, tempts one to accept the hospi- talities of the notable housewives who are dispensing hot oysters, fragrant coffee, sandwiches, jellies, cakes and ices, over the long counter. After a refection in this pleasant nook, where smiles are served with every dish, one turns to the south- west corner where Medina county has opened a booth and filled it with domestic handicraft and fancy de- signs that heap the tables and load down the branches of an evergreen tree that stands in the background. A fine steel engraving of Henry Clay is the central decoration here and other pictures ornament the walls. The French booth is thoroughly characteristic. The fluted canopy within is of softest lace and gauze, showing the tri-color in the purity of rainbow hues. Delicate embroideries and rich cashmeres form the hangings everywhere. A portrait of the first Kapo- LEON overhangs the entrance. Innumerable articles of bijouterie adorn the walls. Sevres vases and ornaments, glove boxes, handker- chief cases and toilette nicknacks, perfumeries and lingerie are oftered by demoiselles in toilettes of BAUGHTERS OF MOLLY STARK. 171 Parisian elegance, coqiiettisli grisette costume or Nor- mandy peasant dress. Maiionixct county booth is designated by a large eagle, ingeniously made of dried leaves, whicli spreads its broad wins^s over the front. Damask curtains form a draj^ery below. Among goods of every variety are beautiful afghans and rugs, leaf and cone work, and elaborate pen-drawing. One of the ladies in charge here appears every evening in genuine Chinese cos- tume of the present year. Turkish pipes, slippers, vases, pictures, cheroots, camel's hair shawls and scarfs are displayed in the next booth, which is hung with red and green in costly stuff's, glittering with golden crescents. The attendants here appear in oriental costiyne, splendid with " barbaric pearls and gold." The ladies of Stark county have done nobly in contributions. Their booth is tastefully ornamented and bears the inscription, " Loyal Daughters of Molly Stark, enlisted for the war." Fancy work is here in endless diversity, and an ample stock of ladies' and children's wear, besides patriotic pictures and a lithograph copy of the Emancipation proclamation. The abundance of Stark county has overfowed into the prettily decollated stand in front, where dainty needlework, woolwork, afghans, skeleton bouquets, and many other beautiful things are heaped up in bewildering confusion. The Massillon ladies have the immediate charge of this stand, its contents l)eing mostly of their preparation. They have shrewdly con- trived to make their contributions do double duty in the good cause, for they displayed at home the articles 172 GERMAN LIBERALITY. prepared for the fair and cleared one hundred and sixty dollars 1>y tlie exhibition ! The German booth is one of double size, and the taste of the German ladies of Cleveland is disj^layed in every detail. A flag used in the revolution of '48, tasseled and faced with gold and intert^vined with the stars and stripes, a l:)ust of Schiller crowned with l^ays, the statuettes of two knights clad in armor, one reposing on his shield and the other in the attitude of attack, are skilfullv arrans-ed in decoration. The German motto — " O, Avalle liiu du Opferbraud Hinilber Land und Meer L^nd scliling ein edles Bruder band Um alle Volker her," is inscribed upon the inner wall. The well-known industry and skill of the Germans are shown in the endowment of their booth. They have a costly tapestry rug, mats and cushions in ber- lin-work, marvels of knitting and crotchet, glittering tinsel and bead- work, exquisite paintings on satin and velvet, an easy chair of million-stitched embroidery, Bohemian glassware, laces, jewelry, quaint china, meerschaums and pouches. There are for the little folks Christmas trees in full l:)earing and a curious mechanical picture. The ladies attending here are all native Germans, from the statel}^ " damen " of the court to the high- capped peasantry with their wooden shoes and knitting work. One gay little fraulein is dressed as a dashing young German soldier, in uniform of scarlet and gold- AsHTABULA couuty lias the next booth, hung with SENOKITAS AND BUCKEYE GIRLS. 173 laces and evergreens, above wliich is a drapery in blue, spangled witli golden stars and enwreathing a bust of Lincoln. " Ashtabula," in gilt lettering upon a rustic arcli of hemlock twigs, flashes in tlie rear. Several fine engravings adorn the walls, autographs of Lincoln are for sale here, and useful and fancy o;oods of every variety. Newburgii township has a stand in front of Ashta- bula. This is tastefully decked with gauze and o-arlands and filled to overflow with iuo;enious devices in every material and substantial for household use. The orange and red colors of Spain 2:)revail in the next booth. " Querida Hispania," in letters of gold, is the motto here. Two guitars are crossed above the entrance, and a warbling canary in a gilded cage is suspended beneath them. This booth is arrano-ed with much taste and filled Avitli characteristic ^vares, among which are parasols, fans, veils, coifture ornaments, tortoise-shell trinkets, cigarettes, and Cuban curiosities. Dark eyed senoritas and bewitching peasant girls fitly represent this land of enchantment. Portage county booth is draped ^vith laces and decorated wdth flags and festooning garlands. Pic- tures and brackets cover the walls of the interior, and everywhere are displayed beautiful sjoecimens of handiwork, breakfast shawls of gossamer texture and brilliant hues, cone and shell frames, photograj)lis, embroidered baskets and innumerable articles of orna- ment or service. The townships of Ekuoxlyn, Koyalton, Erigiitox and Dover unite in the next stand. This is distin- 174 ENGLAND AND YANKEE LAND. g-uished by a pair of ononuous antlers that sui'inount it, and abounds in treasures of industry and skill. The royal arms of Great llivitain designate the Enolish booth, whieh is elaborately draped and gar- landed with flowers. A lion peeps out from his eovert, and the ihig of the nation floats proudly t)ver the whole. Portraits of Vr^tokia and Au'.Kirr, a fox liuntini-' scene, a erieket mateh and other distiiu'tivelv national embellislunents are seen within. Two hidies attend here costumed as tlie aristocracy and the third is as rosy a country lass as ever tripped over tlie downs. C'hlhhvn's suits handsomely trim- med, end)roidered handkerclnefs, engraA^ings, rich and tasteful articles of all kinds make u]) the valuable stock. Some modern kimi- Aktiiuk lias made a i>enuine English pudding, "and stuft'ed it all with jdums." This is served hot, at evening, in this booth. TRU^kiBFLL county is represented in the next booth, and the ladies have crowded every corner and piled the tables with things of beauty and utilit}'. " Old Trund)ull, slow but sure," is the motto, and beneath this are hangings of tinted gauze, festooned and trinnned with evergreens. Scarfs, sontags, children's clothing, shawls, canvas embroider)' and fam-y knit- tins: ivre to be found here. A constant crowd, shouts of laughter and the high- pitched nasal twang of the genuine " down-easter '' are xuunistakable guides to the Yankee booth, which in essence and spirit is Yankee land itself in carica- ture. An ea^T'le, the national tlag and Union Jack and an TJIE POST OFFICE. 175 arch of colored ^lolx's, form the eiitrunce to this New Eni;-hin(l kitchen. Ilei'c the hospitable mistress, with scant gown, high comh, and hnge feather fan, hustles about, sets a straiglit-backed wooden chair for lici* custoniei", dispenses doughnuts, cidtjr, chewing gum, patent liniment and a host of notions, drives a shrewd bargain, launches a sharp joke, and gives her orders to the pert ^' gals '' wlio assist her. Holmes county and the St. Claik Koad Society share together a booth in the southeast corner of the liall. " Holmes " encircled ^vith evero-reens desimiates this l)ooth, which is draped in the national colors. A little goddess of liberty, in full regalia, stands on the counter. (Quilting and piecework, frames of moss, cone and leather, knitted usefuls and pretty oddities fill up the tables here. Now, the sound of a post horn announces that "■ the mail is in," and the crowd surges towards the Post Office. Every a])])licant is sure of a letter by bal- loon mail from any part of the world, ^vithout a moment's detention. The rates of postage may be high, but the news is always good and so fresh that the wafer has scarcely dried above it. St, Valentine has kindly consented to postpone his anniversary, for this occasion only, and has thrown his entire business into the hands of the obliging clerks whose bright eyes peep out from the curtained apertures of the Sanitaiy Fair post office. Business letters, marked " ofticial," " immediate," and " important," are handed out with great despatch. That open sheet, Avhich its possessor has just read with so much delight, contains good news from the agent of his Spanish estates. 176 THE JSTEWSPAPER. This one gives notice of the fortunate completion of his castles in the air. A third bears the tidings of a legacy left by an orange-colored uncle in the East Indies. Here, a brave soldier is astonished by receiv- ing orders to report immediately to the War Depart- ment to take command of the army of the Potomac ; and there, a citizen of doubtful political complexion is confounded with a voluminous document of greeting from his friends over the line and a commission as Major General in the rebel army ! Photographs, postage stamps and autographs are on sale here, and a pretty juvenile book, called " Mam- ma's talks with Charlie," which is dedicated to the fair and published expressly for it. Having made the tour of the booths that are rauged around the bazaar hall, one turns to look down the center, where a large platform stand is occupied as the office of the Sanitary Fair Gazette. Here the matter for that spicy little sheet is set up and printed. One corner is the " sanctum " where two young ladies are scissoring and scribbling with edi- torial dignity, taking instantaneous pen-and-ink views of the panorama below, and eagerly accepting the communications of contributors. At their elbow a compositor is putting these hasty notes into type, and in the other corner of this tiny establishment a two-power press is throwing off the semi-daily issue, which is folded and sold through the halls by a corps of little girls, enrolled and badged as carriers. Telegraph wires link the Gazette office with Floral Hall and the Museum, and lively messages are con- A FORMIDABLE BATTERY. 177 stantly flying over them. Communication has been established, too, with the associated press. The latest war despatches are to be found in the columns of this little paper, and this gives it ready sale. Evidently, the amateur editors of the Gazette are prepared to defend or enforce their opinions, for an array of gleaming artillery shows its inch-scale pro- jiortions over the parapet of the little office. This formidable battery consists of four miniature guns from the celebrated Fort Pitt works, models of the monster fifteen and twenty inch Dahlgren and Rod- man guns. Under the shadow of these guns sits an armless soldier, soliciting from passers the money to buy arti- ficial arms. An enthusiastic woman has established her desk near and is obtaining names to a loyal league association. In the rear of the Gazette office and quite in the center of the hall, four cashiers are enthroned under a starry canopy. Their practised fingers are scarcely nimble enough to answer the demands for " change " and " cash " that come in from every quarter. Over their desk hangs a large nugget of California gold, suspended by a chain carved by a miner from a solid piece of wood. Near by is a little stand dis- playing the American and English colors and fancifully decked with balls of colored glass. On the supporting columns, snow-owls and wood duck are perched. An aquarium filled with fish and two cases of stuffed birds stand in front. Within, a glass blower is work- ing his enchantments, creating beautiful and endlessly varied figures that are sold to the delighted spectators. \2 \ 178 THE BOWER OF REST. Glass is spun fine as a liair, tied into skeins and sold. Microscopes and lenses are to be found here. In a hollow square formed by four tables covered with an attractive display of sweet things and brightly decorated, a group of young misses have opened a candy store to the great temptation of the little folks. A circular pavilion fitted up with sofas, easy chairs and piano, is called the " bower of rest." Here the tired visitor may secure half an hour's sitting, with a sightly outlook upon the whole scene. The young ladies in charge here are pleasant and cordial hostesses. Pianos, melodeons, sewing machines and a sideboard are gathered into this part of the room, and later in the progress of the fair the bower of rest is perverted from its hosi:)itable uses and filled by a billiard table too lar2;e to find room elsewhere. Every available space upon the columns is occupied by fancy clocks, j^ictures and brackets, for which no place could be found in the booths. One column is devoted to a collection of battlefield memorials of the unknown dead, — photographs, trinkets and letters, — placed here with the hope of identification by some friend. A little stand near the exit door, in which sits a policeman who takes charge of lost articles, is the only one that remains to be noticed. Two rooms on either side of the entrance are de- voted to the use of committees. That on the right is the ofiice of the Executive Committee, the registra- tion committee and the secretaries, and is general business head(|uarters. Above the grim surroundings of this busy corner THE "crazy bedquilt." 179 hangs the " crazy bedqiiilt," a grotesque piece of news- paper patchwork, which is sold by lot every day, with the express condition that the unlucky possessor is not oliliged to keep it, but will be allowed to present it to the fair. A considerable sum of money and a great deal of fun are realized l)y this transaction which takes place every noon just as the clock strikes twelve. The room on the left is given up to the ladies of the fancy-work committees who receive here all arti- cles contributed to the bazaar, and appraise and ticket them l)efore distributing them upon the tables of the booths. Two store rooms are in the rear of the committee rooms. CHAPTER X. FLORAL HALL. The crowning beauty of the fair and tlie feature that will be longest remembered by the visitor is the Floral Hall. Here, well skilled art, taking its text from nature, has created bowers fit for the garden of a king ; grottoes that might have been fairy homes ; waterfalls, I'ocky hillsides and tangled copses that vie with na- ture itself The hall is an octagon, seventy-five feet in diameter, standing in the center of the Square. The rotunda rises sixty -five feet, enclosing the statue of Commo- dore Perry, a central object, to which all parts of the general desigu are subordinate. High above, n fluted canopy of the American colors breaks the efl^ect of the evergreen-thatched walls, and the light from the dome throws forest shadows across winding paths and mossy banks. Rising around the >'jedestal of the statue are designs which merit a detailed description. That on the south is a natural hillside of the Alleghanies, rocky and pjecipitous, with rhododen- drons, cedars, kalmias, sumaoh and other wild moun- tain growth, struggling out between huge boulders. \ ? FLORAL HALL. l8l On tlie north side is a deep grotto of lichen covered rocks, old tree trunks and fungi, and carpeted with spongy moss. Within the grotto is a marble figure, illuminated by a concealed light from above. The west side represents a forest nook, a wild tan- gle of ferns, roots and weeds. From the rocky summit a cascade shoots down over the spreading roots of a fallen tree. A lonely bittern is perched on the old stump. Further down, the stream widens into a sedgy pool and on its slimy edge an alligator expands his bristling jaws. On the east face of the mound is a master-piece of patience, taste and skill. The design is of a scene on the upper Rhine, and the elaborate details will bear the closest scrutiny while the general effect is j^erfect. A picturesque castle crowns the summit of precip- itous rocks. Tower and donjon are boldly presented above the highest pinnacle. Down the steep moun- tain winds the road communicating with the estates below. A cascade leaps forth from the rocks and turns the wheel of a mill that is grinding the wheat for the baron and his vassals. Lower down is a cot- tage full of busy life. Here is a beautiful rural scene. Children, joeasants, a cow, pet lambs, dogs and poultry are grouped in the little farm-yard. Cattle and goats are browsing on the hillsides, a shepherd tends his flock on the plateau. At the base is a pond, its banks overgrown with ferns and water plants. A fountain in the center sends up a grateful stream. An angler on a point of rock just below is struggling to land his fish. On the mountain road are tiny figures of peasantry going to and from the castle, — the farmer's 182 ARBORS AND COTTAGES. boy on his patient donkey, the miller's cart loaded with sacks of grain, the laborer carrying home his grist, peasant girls gracefully balancing their heavy burdens. The rotunda is supported by eight pillars covered Avith laurel and hemlock to simulate forest trees. Evergreen arches extend from pillar to pillar and fes- toons of rare flowers hang from every arch. Rustic vases and statuettes peep out from niches in the leaf covered walls, birds' nests are cunningly hidden in the branches, rabbits and wood-mice burrow in the mossy hummocks. In the corners of the hall, outside the circle of columns, are arbors and cottages of rustic work. The first on the right, as one enters the hall from the south, is a picturesque structure of logs and rough bark in three compartments. One is occupied as an office for the sale of fruit trees, plants, shrubs and vines, on commission from the city nurseries. The middle division is a fruit store where apples, grapes, nuts, canned fruits, cordials and native wines are sold by a bevy of young ladies. The third room of this little building contains a telegraph station whence messages are sent to the other halls or to any part of the country, the wires being in connection with the general Telegraph office. Here, also, is a stand for the sale of books on farming or horticulture and for subscriptions to agricultural magazines and news- papers. In the northeast corner is a beautiful summer-house consisting of sections of two octagonal buildings con- nected by an ornamental trellis. The whole is of THE WIGWAM. 18;3 open rustic work, wreathed with ivy and trailing plants and covered by a latticed vine-shaded roof. The right wing of this bower is devoted to the sale of cone work. Elegant specimens in every variety decorate the front and hang in profusion within. The central part is in charge of flower girls in costuDie, who offer blooming plants, wax flowers and exquisite bouquets. The left wing is roofed with fragrant pine and hemlock boughs and filled with rustic brackets, vases, frames and carvings. The attendants here are in the fanciful dress of Swiss peasants. A pyramid of flowering plants separates this bower from the structure that occupies the center of the north side. This structure was designed for a gothic cottage, the general outline being in that style. It has, however, been forcibly seized by a tribe of Indians who have converted it into a wigwam, put their big bark canoe away for the winter on the thatched roof, hung up their snow-shoes and bows and arrows over the door, placed a great grey owl, a white coon and a huge pair of antlers on the gable peak, as trophies of the chase, hung up the skins, taken in many a hunt, in the interior of the wigwam, and folded a couple of birch-bark tents away in a corner. The " big Injun " has buried the hatchet and sits in the doorway, in all the glory of wampum and feathers, smoking a peaceful pipe. The squaws and dark eyed maidens who dwell in the tent of this mighty redskin, resplendent in all the trinketry of beads and quill embroidery, are silently plying their arts or in pantomime ofl:ering for sale their moccasins, fans, bead work and mococks. 184 TTiE "wayside inn. Another stand of flowers intervenes l^etween the wigwam and a rustic pagoda covered with thatch and trellised. The right wing of this building is an ice cream stand assiduously tended day and evening by ladies who find ready sale for the dainties they spread. The other wing is charmingly fitted up as a tea garden, where quaint old china is filled with tea or coffee for the refreshment of the weary visitor. The obliging mistress of this little nook has tea by the chest or pound, Chinese fans, trinkets and puzzles, to tempt the passers. The main portion of this building, connecting the two wings, is a vine- wreathed verandah enclosed by a rustic paling whose wicket gate stands hospitably open. Over the porch swings the sign, " Wayside Inn." The sweet notes of a music-box, choice engrav- ings, capacious garden chairs and the smiles of fair hostesses invite entrance here, to rest awhile, served with refreshments from the ice cream booth or the tea garden on either side, which connect by lattices with this little hostelry. In the southwest corner, near the exit door, is a modest cottage. Its time-stained roof is covered with moss, and creeping plants climb over the gnarled trunks that support its overhanging porch. Here some artificial-flower makers seem to have fixed their huml)le abode, and the bouquets and wreaths they sell almost rival nature's floral beauties. Two wild eyed gipsies are inviting passers to cross their swarthy hands with silver and learn the mjs- teries of fate. By the shouts of laughter that issue RUSTIC WORK. 185 from their tent in the edge of the forest yonder, it may be inferred that the star of hapjDy fortune directs their prophesies. Between the entrance and exit doors is an aviary. Sweet- voiced canaries fill the air with song, a mocking bird pipes his shrill notes, and stuffed birds of bright plumage are perched upon the shrubbery. In front is an enclosure where stuffed beasts are grouped in a copse of forest underwood, with marble figures, beautiful flowers, grottoes and a plashing foun- tain. This little spot is called the Garden of Eden. On each side of the paths that run their winding course through the hall are fancy stands, garden chairs, flowering plants, jets, and countless designs in rustic work. A moss-grown stumj) forming a pedestal for the sup- port of a globe of gold fish, a floAver stand curiously inlaid with pebbles and shells, a tree trunk and its branches fashioned into a garden ornament and bear- ing a number of hanging baskets, a cottage of pebbles and another of moss, a fountain falling into a marble basin, a cottage contrived from ears of corn, a gothic church built of pebbles and glass, a curious figure of an officer on horseback, wholly constructed from moss and lichens, a model farm house furnished throughout, a forest stump glossy with mistletoe, a Christmas tree well laden, an azalia tree with three thousand blossoms, a temple of beauty, and a model for a monument to the defenders of the Union, are a few of these. Floral Hall is heated to the temperature of summer by steam furnaces concealed beneath the floor. The 186 mechanics' hall. wuriu moist atmosphere adds to the illusion under which one wanders through this Avilderness of forest and fountain. All the halls of the fair open at 10 A. M. and close at 10 P. M. Four nia^hts in each week a dance is announced in Floral Hall immediately after the for- mal closing. An extra admission of one dollar a couple is charged to the dancers. The green in front of the Wayside Inn gives space for twenty quadrille sets. The novelty of dancing in this fairy dell and the fancy costumes of many of the dancers complete the enchantment of the scene. MECHANICS' HALL. Mechanics' Hall is now Avell filled with machinery, merchandise and produce. From such a variety of contrilnitions it is impossible to single out those most worthy of record. The stove manufacturers and dealers have almost blockaded passage by their nu- merous patents in parlor and cook stoves, which are ticketed with a list of wonderful achievements per- formed with fabulous economy of fuel. All are warranted " to save half the wood," and some will save the whole — • by burning coal ! A row of patent spring-beds, looking like an array of gigantic steel traps, leads through a forest of hay-forks, cradling- scythes, step-ladders, hoes and axe handles. One emerges from these into a labyrinth of monster machines for field and farm house. Hay elevators, reapers and mowers, plows, fanning mills, corn plant- ers, cultivators, clover hullers, cider presses, straw cutters, seed drills and self-opening gates succeed to ITS CONTRIBUTIONS. 187 cheese vats, churns, water drawers, clothes wringers, patent drying horses and grinding mills. Sewing machines, chairs, lounges and other cabinet ware, melodeons, pianos and a billiard table, properly classed in this hall, have been removed to the Bazaar as a more appropriate place of exhibition. Cutters, wagons, harness, bridles, saddles, platform scales, sheets of boiler plate, steel bars, all sorts of stoneware, coal oil lamps, casks of glassware, grind- stones, willow cabs, wheelbarrows, patent wheel chairs, patent wagon gear, patent oil l)arrels, a brass oil pump, a steamboat gong of beautiful finish, a set of blank books, marble mantle and grate, rolls of oil cloth and bales of oakum catch the eye in a hasty survey of the long room. Each article is ticketed with the business card of the donor, and exhibitors are here to press the merits of their inventions. In the center of the hall a little steam engine is puffing out its hot breath in an honest endeavor to supply motive power to nail-making, shoe-pegging and knitting machines that are working busily away for the amusement of bystanders and giving the product of their labor to swell the receipts of the fair. Near by is a model of a patent reversible oscilla- ting engine, so tiny that a man may cover it with his hat, yet so plucky as to try a brisk race with the larger engine. Two sleek setter dogs, coupled together, are tugging at their chain, in ineifectual leaps toward some fancy fowls that are uncomfortably cooped up, a pig pokes his nose through the bars of a little enclosure, a 188 REl^'RESHMENT HAtt. grey wolf looks greedily from his kennel at some sheep that are panting in their narrow pen. Two horses stand at the rear door, ticketed to attract pur- chasers. Groceries in packages, cheeses, jars and kegs of butter and ^ggf^, firkins of apple-butter, poultry, hams, sacks and barrels of flour, grain, apples and vegetables are heaped up in the rear end of the hall, which is the province of the produce committee. Here, at the open door, a grocery and produce shop has been established and trade is invited from the crowd outside. Poultry and dairy stores are sent to replenish the supplies of the dining hall, if need arises there, and the unsold barrels of vegetables are despatched to the Aid Rooms and from thence, with other Sanitary stores, to the army. Loads of wood are sold at auction every day from the rear door, and the pledges of coal dealers, for delivery of coal from the mines in the coming fall. REFRESHMENT HALL. The stentorian announcement of " dinner," enforced by the deafening uproar of a gong, draws a crowd of hungry sight-seers towards the Dining Hall. When the great double doors are thrown open, they disclose a wreathed and l^annered room, long and spacious. Two tables run the entire length of the hall and shorter ones are ranged on either side at right angles with the wall. All are bouquet-bedecked, spread with glittering neatness, and furnished in abundance with the best that town and country can supply. GOOD CHEEE. 189 The presiding genii, grouped near the entrance, smile a cordial welcome and consign each guest to the assiduous care of some one of the host of pretty girls who, in tidy chintz, with coquettish apron, bewitch- ing cap, and symbolic waiter and napkin, are flitting, nimble-footed, through the hall. Comfortably seated at one of the tables, — which is numbered to correspond with the figures stamped upon the badge of the attendant Hebe, — there ensues a feast of fat things that abides with savory memory even unto this day. No niggardly restaurant meal is this, with infinitesi- mal dishes placed and removed in clatter and confusion by waiters whose tardy steps are Avinged only by a fee. It is a generously appointed board, where one may linger long, served with a grace that would con- vert a life-long ascetic to the pleasures of the table. The ambition of each attendant for the supply of her table often tempts an audacious raid into the store room, or a sly poaching upon a neighbor's domain for the coveted chicken pie which is a popular and leading dish in the Sanitary fair dining room. The gallant skirmishing that follows no doubt sharpens the relish for these stolen fruits and adds not a little to the amusement of those who profit thereby. Everybody dines here, for Cleveland housekeepers would deem it treason to the good cause to spread any rival attractions at home. All the guests are enthusiastic over the good cheer and every body leaves the dining hall on the best of terms with himself and all the world, first buying his post-prandial cigar of the Turkish beauty who sits near the exit door. 190 MYSTERIOUS PRECINCTS. Far be it from the purposes of this report to set an intrusive foot within the kitchens beyond, where hot and worried committee women give orders and counter orders to a throng of cooks and scullions, enveloped in the steam of seething, boiling and endless dishwashing ; or into the store rooms and larder, where other digni- taries, in their role of caterers to this great eating house, measure out the provisions and weigh the probabilities of to-morrow's demand. If anxieties arose in these mysterious precincts they were bravely wrestled with and cast out. It is enough to say, in praise of the generosity of donors and the efficiency of managers, that during the sixteen days' continuance of the fair one thousand persons were entertained here daily, without sensible depletion of the plethora of good things. Dinner was served from 12 o'clock till 2^ P.M., tea from 6 o'clock till 71 and supper at the close of the evening entertainments, and all at a charge that ran in dangerous competition with modern hotel prices. FINE ART HALL. Leaving the varied attractions of the fair building and passing to the Court House at the northwest corner of the park, a new pleasure awaits the visitor. Judge, jury and counsel have resigned their seats at the demand of philanthropy. The great Court room has been converted into a gallery where the art treasures collected by the wealth and taste of citizens, or l)roufrht from the artist's studio, are exhibited for the benefit of the fair. The number of paintings is small, — about one hundred and fifty, — but the selec- FINE AET HALL. 191 tion has been careful and some of the best modern artists are represented here. The copies from old masters are a fine Aurora, the Transfiguration, the Nativity, the Madonna contem- plating the crown of thorns, Judith and Ilolofernes, and a head of St. Paul. Among the best of the originals are a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots l:»y Holbein, a Magdalen by Guercino, a fine head of King Lear, Autumn on the White Mountains by Wm. Hart, a New England scene by James Hart, two of Beard's studies of animals, a poultry yard by Lemmens, Mig- not's sunset on the White Mountains, a head by Kauf man, a drinking scene by Teniers, a bit of sandy beach by Brown, a storm on the moor and landscape and cattle by Van Stalkenberg, a scene on the Kanawha and the hunter's lunch by Sontag, a landscape by Paul Weber, Swiss mountain scenery by Miiller, De Berg's Giant of the Alps, a Dutch interior by Manzoni, Washington and Lafayette at Mount Vernon by K-ossiter and Mignot, several landscape and cattle pieces by Weir, some bold scenery in Oregon and New Mexico by Wyant, a number of landscapes by Clough, several winter views of merit, still life studies, the Courtship of Miles Standish, two figure pieces by Lily Spencer, two striking water colors by Hamilton, and a gem of finished painting called the " Nameless Pill." A cast of Canova's Ecce Homo, a number of fine bronzes, busts of statesmen, medallion heads and figures skilfully arranged on black velvet, a collection of Rogers' statuette groups, and some choice engravings add to the attractions of the room. Many pictures in water colors, oil and pencil, contributed^by amateur or 192 THE MUSEUM. professed artists, were sold by auction at the close of the fair and tlie proceeds placed to the credit of the the Art Gallery. MUSEUM. Four rooms adjoining Fine Art Hall are filled with curiosities, relics and trophies, composing the MusEu:\r, Here, to prevent a confused passing and repassing in the narrow ways between cabinets of heaped-up wonders, a labyrinthine Avalk has l)een contrived, forming a continuous circuit from entrance to exit. The guiding hand-rail is tAvined with tri-color and all the decorations of the rooms are appropriate and eifective. Ladies and gentlemen of the committee are here to point out or explain the curiosities and to superintend the sale of such as have been given to the fair. The first room contains minerals, ores and the wonders of geology, zoology and ornithology. Insects from foreign lands, rare, curious, repulsive or beautiful, are impaled here in great nmnbers. This collection is thought to be unusually good. Relics of the pre-historic inhabitants of the State are seen, — stone axes, mauls, skids, and pieces of wood marked with axes wielded fifteen centuries ago. The collection of weapons and missiles is large, — from the cruel implements of savage destruction to the latest inventions of modern warfare. Guns from Austria, Russia, Germany, Spain and England are among these, and there are many relics and trophies of the Revolution, the w^ar of 1812, the Mexican war and the great rebellion. There is a fine collection of ITS TREASUEES. 193 specimens of all the arms ever used in the wars of America down to the present time. Almost every battle-field of this war is represented by guns that did loyal service or were dishonored by rebel hands, while the flags they defended and the flags they captured hang their scarred and tattered folds above them. There are all varieties of shells and balls, canister, solid and spherical case-shot. Here is a pistol that Putnam pulled at the red coats in the gallant days of '76, pistols taken at Bunker Hill, at the Redan, at Lookout and Shiloh. Side by side with trophies of later wars are memen- toes of our earliest national history, — swords of the revolution, and more graceful heirlooms in the sha23e of colonial documents and worm eaten title deeds, bearing the signatures of great and noble names. Countless autographs of men brave, wise and good, in every degree of illegibility, one thousand rare coins of every date and nation, Chinese curiosities and pictures, collections from the Holy Land, speci- mens of ancient Jewish caligraphy. Sandwich Island calabash, mats, and catamaran boats, old English manuscript, exquisitely beautiful Roman mosiac-work, bright colored blankets from New Mexico, broken stocks and fetters from a Charleston slave pen, a palmetto tree from Hilton Head, relics from the May- flower, the original ordinance of secession of Louisiana, a walrus-skin coat from Siberia, a wedding dress one hundred years old. South Sea Island war clubs, rail- road torpedoes from rebeldom, a mummy shawl, Arab and Nubian costume, carvings from chamois horn, ancient Venetian vases, and Theban idols, — in this 1 3 194 ArEMORIALS. thesaurus of things rare, curious and antique, these are only a few of tlie most striking. Two fine stereo- scopes, well supplied with choice views, have been fitted up here for tlie entertainment of visitors. The fourth room of the Museuim is filled with arti- cles that have been given to the fair and are to be sold for its benefit. Among these are photographs and autographs of leading generals, and a large variety of shell ornaments, skilfully cut, brooches, necklaces, rings and pins, elaborately carved pipes, curious frames and mauA^ trinkets, the Avork of the soldier's leisure hours in camp, ^\•illingly ottered to the Sanitary fair. Ruder in execution are the memorials of prison life, — carvings of wood and bone, done to charm away hun- ger and heartache. Sadder relics still are the trinkets gathered from the unknown dead of many a battle-field. The most of these were collected by a detail of soldiers, who, about a month before the fair opened, visited the fields of Chickamauga, Lookout, Kinggold and Mission Ridge to cover the yet imburied bodies of the Union dead. From all upon whom any scrap of paper, en- velope, picture, trinket or name could be found, these were taken, constituting a collection of about one hundi'ed articles. These memorials have been sent to the fair for possible identification. Lists of these are published daily in the Gazette. A number of tliem have been delivered to friends, their only souvenir of the lost. Towards the close of the fair, daily auctions were held of the museum property not disposed of by pri- vate sale. CHAPTER XL EVENING ENTEKTAINMENTS. Apakt from the attractions of the fair ])roper Avere evening entertainments of interesting and varied char- acter, given in the Audience Room and at the Academy of Music. These opened with tableaux vivants and music, so enthusiastically received and so well meriting favor that again and again, on succeeding evenings, a repeti- tion was demanded. No entertainments ever offered in Cleveland were more deservedly popular and none contributed so largely, with so insignificant outlay, to the pecuniary success of the fair. The obliging readi- ness of taldeaux committees and musical artistes and amateurs to prepare at short notice these charming exhibitions on several occasions when other announced amusements accidentally failed, merits grateful record here. Such representations as " Franklin at the coui-t of France," the "Artist's Studio," the " Picture Gallery," the " Vision of Queen Catharine," the six scene pan- tomime of the " Mistletoe Bough," and some of the patriotic tableaux shown on these occasions will remain in memory a joy forever. 1 9 5 196 CONTINENTAL TEA-PARTY. A unique and admirable entertainment was pro- jected by ladies and gentlemen of Painesville and furnished and carried out exclusively by themselves. This was a Continental tea-party in tlie costume and style of 1776. The following is the card of invi- tation that was issued : George Washington and lady, Mary the mother of Washington, General Putnam and lady, General Stark and lady. General Greene and lady. General Warren and lady, General Knox and lady, General Marion and lady. Marquis de Lafayette, James Madison and lady, Thomas Jefferson and lady, John Hancock and lady, John Jay and lady, Robert Morris and lady, Alexander Hamilton and lady. Young ladies, belles of 1776, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin, Quaker family, descendants of Wm. Penn, Indians, Van Horn and Shipping families. Will be pleased to see their friends to tea from 9 to 10 P. M., in the Audience Room of the Sanitary Fair building. Gentlemen ushers and colored servants in attendance. Friday, February 26th. The only drawback to the enjoyment of this even- ing was a lack of space in the great Audience Room. So vast was the crowd of guests that not one half could partake of the bountiful refreshments or shake hands with or even see the hosts and hostesses who so admirably represented, in dress and demeanor, the fair women and brave men of the revolution. The tea tables of the Continentals were arranged MANNERS OF THE OLD SCHOOL* 197 in the center of the hall and set with the taste and precision of the olden time. The delicate china and massive silverware upon them were treasured heir- looms that had come down as precious family relics from generation to generation. The pewter platters on the hospitable board of the Yankee Shipping family bore the date 1721 on their broad rim. The most interesting of the relics were upon the table of General and Mrs. Washington. In the center stood an enormous punch bowl, rich and quaint, from which Washino-ton once drank, and beside it were two tall candlesticks used by Lafayette on the occa- sion of a visit in Hartford. A chair placed at this table was one in which Washington, Lafayette, Tal- leyrand and Count Rochambeau had sat, and over which Dr. Bellamy had often prayed. Beautiful tableaux were presented at intervals, as tea was being served and gossiped over. After the tea drinking was done the Continentals passed across the stage and were formally presented to their guests. They also made the tour of the hall so far as the crowd would permit, and omitted nothing that would gratify their guests and make the entertainment ge- nial and hospitable. Their rich costumes, dignified carriage and careful personation of look and manner pictured with the vividness of reality the true ladies and gentlemen of the old school, the distinguished men and women of '76. Nothing was caricatured. The Quakers, the Indians, the Van Horn and Shipping families and even the ushers and colored servants were truthful representa- tives of the persons, tastes, dresses, customs and humors of the early days of the Republic. 19s oM) folks' concert. On Monday of the second week, tlie Amateur Dramatic club gave tlieir first performance, — the "Honeymoon," — with great success, following this with a repetition of tlie " Mistletoe Bough," which liad Ijeen already twice received with unusual favor. This was given in the Academy of Music where the actors could have the benefit of stage scener}^ The next evening an Old Folks' Concert was given in the Audience Room. The spacious stage was occu- pied by two hundred singers, representing the best vocal talent of Ohio, and dressed in the quaint style of the olden time. The music was the good old fash- ioned melody that delighted our grandfathers and grandmothers in their younger days, and was well rendered by this great choir with orchestral accom- paniment. Every piece on the long programme was loudly applauded and several were called for again and ao-ain. The o-randest of the whole was " Corona- tion," in which the audience took part. The concert closed with the " Doxology in long metre," in which the assembly rose and joined. This concert gave delight to both young and old, — to the young as they looked upon ancestral dresses and listened to ancestral symphonies, — especially to the old as they looked back, by the light of this new reminder, to the days of long ago. A general desire was expressed that the " old folks " repeat their con- cert. A grand exhibition of the Sons of Malta, with public initiation ceremonies, was the announcement for the next evening. Curiosity had been roused to the highest point by various dark hints and mysterious SONS OF MALTA. 199 preparations, and the Andience lioom was filled at an early hour by an assembly impatient for the fun that they naturally expected would attend a disclosure of the rites of that Ancient and Honorable Ordei'. The stage was draped with peculiarly fantastic devices and the members appeared in solemn state and full regalia. Space would fail to tell of all the im- posing ceremonials, wonderful disappearances, funereal dirges, awful revelations and astounding experiences of novitiates. The performance evidently afforded great amuse- ment to the worthy members of the venerable order themselves, but the sj^ectators dispersed with a pro- found impression of the mystery of the proceedings and a lurking suspicion of humbug that remaineth in their minds even unto this day. Succeedino: this was a second amateur dramatic performance at the Academy of Music, when the standard comedy of "Married Life" w^as produced. The house was most complimentary in applause and in demanding a repetition of this play. On the same evening, in the Audience Room of the fair building, an excellent concert of vocal and instru- mental music was given by the Cleveland Gesangverein and the city bands. Miss Anna Dickinson having been announced to deliver her famous lecture, " Words for the Hour," the next evenins: the attendance at the fair was greater than at any previous time. Owing* to the sudden illness of the speaker this lecture was postponed till the following Monday, when it was received with gratification. f^OO THE DliAMATIC CLtJ^. A concert by the Welsli Clioir of Newburgli, whicli had been arranged for Saturday evening, was pre- vented by a severe storm. The members of the choir gathered in the Bazaar hall and sang several choruses and glees in good style. On Monday, the fourteenth day of the fair, the Dramatic club again performed " Married Life," which had so delighted everybody on the former presenta- tion. The comedietta of the " Rough Diamond " concluded this evening's entertainment. The Drama- tic club on every occasion gave great pleasure to crowded houses and in their performances showed remarkable talent which, at no small sacrifice of per- sonal feeling, was first made public for the benefit of the fair. The closing entertainment in Audience Room was a second " Old Folks' Concert " with entire change of programme. This was, if possible, more successful than the first one. The grand old church music, the soul-stirring patriotic odes, the laughter-provoking songs, catches and glees were all given in the best manner. The quaint dresses and good voices of the " old folks " will long be remembered. The Academy of Music had been engaged by the Fair Association for the two weeks of the duration of the fair. A stereopticon was placed there, open every day and evening when the hall was not occupied by the dramatic club. This did not receive the patron- age that it merited, so many were the attractions at the fair building. It, however, paid exj^enses and served the purpose intended, that of monopolizing the hall and preventing any rival exhibition from coming to the city to draw against the fair. THU ATTENDANCE. SOl More beautiful weather than that which day after day favored this enterprise could not have been found in searching the calendar of the year. The bright glory of the sun, the cloudless splendor of the sky, the wintry garb of glittering sheen that all nature wore, seemed symbolic of happy progress and successful result. Clouds gathered and snow and rain fell repeatedly in the night time, but from dawn till dusk through the whole course of the fair, only excepting one day, sun, air and sky lent their genial influence, so that some said, with reverence, that the weather was God's donation to the fair. The attendance was satisfactory on the first days, steadily increasing as the merits of the exhibition were reported by visitors to their friends at home, or made known through the city i3ress, from which the foregoing description of the fair has been culled. The halls were pleasantly filled with a gay, delighted assembly, rarely were they uncomfoi'tably crowded. Bazaar and Floral hall were continually a scene of the most joyous character. The booths daily grew richer and more attractive by additions to their con- tents, and the ladies who presided over them were well satisfied with the rapidity of their sales. Many of the purchased articles were allowed to remain in the booths till the closing day, and the fading evergreens and other decorations were fre- quently renewed, so that the freshness of arrangement and ornamentation was scarcely impaired. No time had been decided on for the continuance of the fair, but two weeks were named as its probaljle duration. When that time expired, the })rilliantly -02 THE DRAFT-WirEEL. beautiful Av^eather and imdiminislied attendance de- cided the managers to continue it till Thursday of the third week, March 10th. The railroad companies generously extended half fare tickets to that date. The last days were enlivened by an animated " closing out^sale " of the various booths. " Grab bags," gift enterj)rises and many amusing devices were resorted to for the disposition of articles too valuable to find ready purchasers. The great cj^uestion, to raffle or not to raffle, had early agitated the counsels of the Executive Commit- tee and the final vote had been cast in the negative. Some enthusiastic spirits, ambitious for the results of the fair and not having the fear of the law before their eyes, were ingenious in avoiding the letter of this restriction. The Provost Marshal's draft-wheel was surreptitiously conveyed from booth to booth, where various persons were drafted to assume life membership of certain property on sale there. These decisions were accepted without a murmur, — no sub- stitutes were offered, no commutation fees paid. The victims of fortune's wheel met their fate with unflinch- ing heroism ! Most of the booths closed out their stock by auc- tions or "clearing out drafts," in which the entire contents of a booth were put into one subscription list. These schemes occasioned much merriment, and the amount of money taken on the last day was at least as large as on any 23revious day. The great fair virtually closed on the sixteenth day, and the beautiful vision faded like magic. The Bazaar, stripped of its gay ornamentation, be- (LOj^ing scenes. '20l\ came a l)leak and dreary storehouse into which the remaining ])roperty was gathered and arranged under direction of Messrs. H. M. Chapin, Wm. Edwards and John M. Sterling, Jr., who were appointed a coni- nuttee to dispose of it in the most advantageous way. These gentlemen were unwilling to sacrifice the really valuable stock at auction and resolved to offer the articles at j^rivate sale. For several days they patiently attended behind the counter of this novel variety-store and made satisfactory disposition of a large part of their wares. When it became necessary to renlo^^e the building, the heavier articles of ma- chinery were stoi'ed in ware houses of merchants who undertook to aid their sale. The lisrhter cfoods were removed to a little office over the Aid Rooms, where they were arranged as attractively as possible, though having, at best, very much the look of a second-hand notion stock. Mrs. L. M. HiTBiJY took immediate charge of this room and was indefatigable in effort to dispose of the articles. For weeks a dull traffic was persistently kept up and the goods were gradually worked off at fair prices. This conscientious administering upon the effects of the fair was of no small value in swelling the receipts. Many articles uncalled for by their owners, — the debris of booths, halls and tableaux, — long cumbered the Aid Kooms and were perj)etual souvenirs of the departed glories of those busy, prosperous weeks. Everything of this kind that was at all serviceable or appropriate to the Soldiers' Home was used there and eventually distributed among soldiers' families of the city. The curtains, gauzes and other parapher- 204 - SALE OF THE BUILDIIfG. nalia of the tableaux committees were kept for future exhibitions and loaned from time to time to Branch societies on occasion of their giving similar entertain- ments. The disposition of the fair building was a matter of some little discussion. There arose a feeble sus;- gestion of allowing it to stand till the end of the war, as a suitable place for receiving returned regiments and of conducting the appi'oaching presidential cam- paign, but this met with no favor. The risk of fire and of damage to the statue was too great and the managers were unwilling to leave so unsightly a reminder as the huge building, stripped of its decora- tions, had now l^ecome. It had been the original plan to balance the outlay for its construction by a sale of the four hundred thousand feet of lumber, which had already risen in price. This plan was now carried out and the build- ing was advertised for sale at auction on a specified day. Three gentlemen of Pittsburgh, representing the managers of a sanitary fair just projected in that city, had visited the Cleveland fair and learning the pro- posed disj)osition of the building had returned home and reported in favor of purchasing and erecting it in Pittsburgh. When the day of sale came there were a number of bids, by lumber dealers and builders, but the building was sold to the Pittsburgh committee for eighty-five hundred dollars, to be removed wdthin a fortnight, — the Cleveland and Pittsburgh railroad company giving facilities of transportation. The committee also bought SUCCESS OF THE FAIR. 205 the gas pipe and fixtures, queensware, cutlery, felt roofing and some miscellaneous property, increasing the amount of purchase to nearly ten thousand dollars. The ofiicers of the Cleveland fair were much pleased by this sale and cordially offered their aid to the Pitts- burgh enterprise. This was kindly accepted and a delegation of Pittsburgh ladies came up shortly after to learn practical details and to profit by the experi- ence of the Cleveland committees. The work of demolishing the Iniilding jirogressed rapidly. The roofing was stripped off and rolled up for transportation, the siding and beams carefully marked and shipped as fast as taken down. In a few days the great structure that had been for weeks the center of attraction had vanished from sight. Though overshadowed by the magnitude and splen- dor of the sanitary fairs that were afterwards held in the centers of population and wealth of the eastern states, yet when considered as the fruit of the patriot- ism of a relatively small population, inhabiting a mere fraction of the loyal North, the Cleveland fair cannot but be regarded as one of the most strikingly success- ful of the entire number. And it has been said that the joyous harmony of its animating sj^irit and the taste which controlled its adornment gave it claims to a higher consideration than that to which it was entitled by its pecuniary results. While it is impossible to mention all even of those who rendered prominent service in this enterprise, it is but simple justice to say that the triumphant issue 206 CASH RECEIPTS. of the Norfcherii Ohio Sanitary Fair was in great de- gree due to Mr. H. M. Ciiapi?^, a\ ho for a number of weeks left his own Large business in the hands of emph^yes and gave day and night to the interests of the ffiir, infusing into eveiy department his character- istic energy and enthusiasm, whicli, A\ith his ^videly known business ability and influence, were potent sources of success. Below^ is the official report of the treasurer : T. p. IIANUY, TKEASUREK, IN ACCOUNT WITH N. O. SANITARY FAIR. 1864. Dr. March. To amount received from 44 Booths in Bazaar, | 19,082 96 " Fine Art Hall and Museum, 1,880 68 " Mechanics' Hall, cash, 4,355 29 " Dramatic Entertainments, 1,040 15 " Stereopticon, 533 75 " Floral Hall Booths, 3,309 07 " Sale of admission tickets, 33,831 00 " other sources in Bazaar, 3,099 30 " Donations in money to April 1st, 1864, 15,439 63 " since received, 246 95 " Estimated am't in potatoes and other vegetables 2,400 00 1865. " Sales of property since April 1st, 1864, 4,037 99 " Fair buildings, furniture, etc., 9,94165 " Balance of interest on funds invested 3,103 70 !|100,191 06 1864. Cr. March 31st. By bills and expenses paid to this date, 21,543 92 " since " 714 83 " Potatoes and vegetables delivered at Aid Rooms. estimated value, 2,400 00 1865. " Cash paid Miss Ellen F. Terry, Treasurer Sol- diers' Aid Society, Cleveland, at various dates, 42,798 62 March 10th. Am't invested in U. S. 7-30 bonds on hand, 30,000 00 " cash paid Soldiers' Aid Society, bal. on hand, 2,733 69 $ 100.191 06 [E.E.] , T. P. Handy, Trem. Cleveland, March 10th, 1865. A "twice blessed" charity. 207 Inspired by tlie Cleveland fair the editor of the Sanitary Reporter wrote as follows : The fair at Cleveland, having continued more than a fortnight, has closed. The Cleveland newspapers and the reports of individual visitors unite in testifying to its complete success. The receipts of the treasury have been unexpectedly large — upwards of one hundred thousand dollars — and the gratification which contributors and visitors have received has been remarkably rich and varied. Every one has been astonished at the energy, good taste and delicate tact which have dextrously marshalled so many hidden resources and made them willing aids in the service of a grand patriotic charity. The managers as they look back on the past few weeks must feel that, imder the inspiration of a holy cause, they "builded better than they knew," and each contributor, however small his gift, must rejoice at having a share in the result. How many and how great were the obstacles to success, no one can know but those to whom success was most precious, and who, while feeling their weight and obstinacy, determined to achieve it. All friends of the soldier cannot but be delighted that the strong current of a generous and trustful devotion swept the obstacles away and left oracular croakers to the solitary enjoyment of their own monotonous echoes. We cannot but think that the good results of such fairs as have been held in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland and other cities are not to rest with the contributions to the soldier's comfort, alone, — are not to be estimated in so many dollars for socks, sourkrout, onions and potatoes. To promote the comfort of our soldiers, to be able to buy these essentials for the army is an incalculable good. But this charity is "twice blessed." A rich and subtile blessing must lie in the wide sympathies called out, the new relation^ of acquaintance, friendship and intimacy formed, and in the surprising revelation of talent and worth in remote and unexplored localities. Neigh- bors and neighborhoods must come to respect each other more, to depend upon each other more, and to wonder that they have missed finding each other out so long. Prejudice must be softened, artificial barriers must give way to a freer intercourse, and tenderness of feeling and judgment must take the place of sour suspicion. After so complete a flooding of all the field of life with the resistless tide of a sweet and noble enthusiasm, we cannot but look for a new bloom and unexampled harvests. CHAPTER XII. Through the busy winter montlis preceding the fair, Aid Room duties had been continued daily and with all possible regularity. In anticipation of an increase in the treasury, forty- five hundred dollars of the California fund had been drawn in January, leaving a balance of only five hundred dollars. This money was used to purchase material which was given out to branch societies to sustain their meetings during preparations for the fair. The superintending and providing for the Soldiers' Home were added to the usual routine of disbursing, shipping and the duties of special relief and of the work department. Besides the general direction of stores to the Louisville headquarters, there had been in February a considerable shipment to the Kansas agency, including supplies sent specially for the desti- tute and suffering inhabitants of Lawrence, Kansas, after the terrible Indian attack and massacre. The Aid Rooms were closed to general business only during the two weeks when the fair was actually in progress and even then almost daily shipments were made of vegetables and other supplies that had been sent down from Produce Hall. During those two weeks, the headquarters of the Society 2 8 AFTER TKE FAIR. 209- were removed to the fair building, where all interest centered. Many representatives of Branch societies, coming in to visit the fair, at this time first became personally known to the officers of the Society to whose care they had long consigned their boxes, and paid their first visit to the Aid Kooms, where they were made acquainted with the practical details of this sujiply center. It had been predicted that the unprecedented ex- citement and energy called forth by sanitary fairs would be followed by a reaction, damaging, if not fatal, to the cause. Many of the strongest friends of the Sanitary Commission doubted the wisdom of for- saking the smooth waters of a steady-flowing charity, to be swept along in this impetuous torrent of benev- olent enthusiasm. Had the interests involved been less, or the results of the fairs less bountiful, these predictions and doubts might have been confirmed. Certain it is that most of the branch societies of Northern Ohio, after contributing so largely to the success of the Cleveland fair, indicated some degree of exhaustion. This, however, had no perceptible effect upon the work, because in the interval of their recovery the pecuniary results of the fair more than balanced this temporary check, while the wide spread and securely rooted interest in the cause forbade any permanent lapse from duty. The reaction after this fair was not so aj^parent in the decrease of receipts from the country societies as in the falling off of committees and volunteer assist- ants at the Aid Rooms. 1 4 210 THE EEACTION. From this time till tlie end of its history, the officers of the Cleveland Branch were left nearly alone to carry on the business of office and store, with the help of those whom they employed to assist them. The monthly business meetings were almost deserted and only the faithful few came at intervals to share the labor and responsibilities that gathered weight with many succeeding months. The ladies of the city, after a winter spent in all- absorbing prej)arations for the great fair, felt their weariness when the excitement was over and success ensured. When they were fresh again, long inter- rupted home duties claimed their first thoughts and the broken chain of Aid Room work was not easily united. There was no lack of good will in the community nor of kindly expressed interest, but the Society was by the results of the fair deprived of its place in the daily thoughts and sympathies of even its warmest friends. The general feeling of the citizens seemed to be that they had schemed and labored with won- derful success to give the Aid Society ample means and could now leave it, in confidence, as the represent- ative of their charities, to pursue its philanthropic purposes, — themselves absolved, by their winter's work, from further personal responsibility. It was with real regret that the officers felt this change. Save for the ever-present thought of their increased means of usefulness to the soldiers, they doubtless would have echoed the experience of many a millionaire and declared that the days of buffeting with fortune were their happiest days. SPECIAL CALLS. 211 But the accumulation of work that pressed imme- diately upon the diminished force at the Aid Rooms left little time for such regrets or for rejoicing over the brilliant results of the fair. The large quantity of vegetables and fruit con- signed to the produce comjnittee and the forwarding of supplies purchased by the general Commission, made the shipments of Marcli and April unusually heavy. Besides the usual business, there were at this time some special shipments that are mentioned to illus- trate the nature of the calls to wMch the Society was constantly subject. A request for aid in furnishing beddino; for the Louisville Soldiers' Home met with willing response. Supplies were sent to Nashville for the relief of a company of teamsters who, through some irregularity in their communications with the quarter- master's department, had been stranded there, destitute and suffering. Several boxes of calicoes, shirting and sewing materials were prepared for the contraband women employed in hospital service at Knoxville, Tenn. Agents of the Sanitary Commission had re- ported the needy condition of these women, and as the wives of the surgeons offered to teach them to make their own garments, these materials were sent down to them. The Ohio National Guards — one hundred days men — on leaving the city were supplied with trifling comforts and followed to their camps in and around Washington Avith boxes of supplemental stores for their sick. The general results of the fair had been known at the time of its closing but the actual cash receipts were slow to be reported. 212 THE FAIR FUND. The Executive Committee, unwilling to embarrass the officers of the Aid Society by turning over the affairs in an unsettled state, had resolved that the treasurer of the fair should retain his office until the returns from the various committees had been sent in and all debts cancelled. By this resolution the final report of the treasurer was necessarily de- layed and the public waited impatiently for it. April 6th, a preliminary statement w^as published embracing some estimates of unsold property and giving notice that fifty thousand dollars of the receipts had been invested in United States interest bearing securities, to be used by the ladies of the Aid Society, from time to time, as their wants might require. On the 9th of April, the Society made the first draft upon the receipts of the fair, — three thousand dollars. The greater part of this sum was at once used for purchasing onions and potatoes, as the cam- paign against scurvy had re-opened this spring with much activity. April 18th, two thousand dollars were invested in further purchase of vegetables, with some outlay for cotton and woolen goods. May 13th, forty-nine hundred dollars were drawn and divided between the purchase of material and vegetables and the expenses of the Home and the supply department. In June, the last five hundred dollars of the Cali- fornia fund was disbursed, and from this time the Society was wholly dependent upon the ]3roceeds of the fair. Membership fees were no longer solicited and were not generally paid up. Individual contri- butions decreased or were made specifically for the Soldiers' Home and strictly used as designated. Increased expenditure. 213 The purchase of boxes and barrels and the hand- ling, eooj)erage and cartage on the vegetable shipments of this summer made a heavy increase in the current expenses, which, from the careful manner of preparing stores, had always been large. In the early days of the Society, second-hand pack- ing cases, given by merchants, had been used for repacking stores to go to the army. As the supply business became larger and the line of transportation longer, new and stout boxes were necessary. For some months these were given by Mr. Wm. Kattle, from his lumber factory. When this draft became too heavy, they were afforded at mere cost of lumber and nails. From this time, all boxes in which the more valu- able goods were packed were of new lumber, of a designated size and shape and heavy enough to bear any amount of rough handling in transit. Fruit was packed in sawdust, in heavy boxes made expressly for this purpose and just large enough to hold one dozen cans. Bottles of wine or cordial were also sent in sawdust, in cases of one dozen each. Blackberry and other medicinal wines were purchased by the keg or barrel and bottled and sealed at the Aid Rooms. Vegetables and fresh fruits were often contributed or purchased in bulk and for such supplies barrels and sacks were to be bought. The purchase of cotton and woolen goods made a large part of the disbursements from the fair fund this summer. Besides the army demand for this ma- terial in the form of hospital garments, there was a real necessity for furnishing it to country societies 214 ISSITING MATERIAL. to keep up tlieir organizations tlirougli the period of reaction after tlie fair. There was, moreover, justice no less than policy in giving liberally of material to societies at this time. The efforts and influence of these Ave hundred Branches had been the great element of success in the fair, and in devoting these so unreservedly many of the societies had exhausted or weakened their imme- diate resources. It was only due that their work should in some way feel the benefits that their indus- try had secured to the cause. To divide any part of the cash proceeds of the fair among so many societies, with just apj^ortionment, was evidently impracticable and might do an injury by checking theii* usual contributions. It was decided that the best way to help the Branches through the fair was to invest largely in material Avhich should be issued liberally to them. It has been sufficiently explained that material had been furnished to the branch societies with the sole object of affording a resource during some momentary ebb in their treasuries and ^vithheld so soon as the crisis was passed. No Branch forfeited independence by accepting such aid or ventured to relax effort and lean too heavily upon the central Society. The spirit of independence was still to be fostered as carefully as ever ; therefore no open notice Avas given of the intention to furnish material in increased quantity, now that the Society had means to do so. The same way of detecting the need and suj^plying it, the same watch over the fal- tering steps of a feelde tributary that had heretofore SELLING AT COST. 215 prevailed were continued, but the issues of material were more and more liberal from this time till the end of the war diminished the supply service. All the material given out was cut at the Aid Rooms, furnished with tape, buttons, and spool cottou, ,and sent in packages, ticketed and registered. When the work was finished and received back, printed acknowledgment was made and so many articles of "returned work" duly credited. Packages sent into the country were forwarded by express at expense of the consignee or delivered to the bearer of a written order. Besides issuing material to be made up for tlie cen- tral Rooms, there was another way of aiding the Branches in which vigorous and feeble societies might share equally, at discretion. The exorbitant prices that cotton and woolen fabrics had now reached were greatly disproportioned to the slender means of many little societies and even the liirgest among the Branches found it nearly impossible to gather in money enough to buy work for the busy fingers of their members. The Cleveland Society had always done a commission business for its tributaries, receiving their money by mail or messenger and ex- pending it as designated, in purchase of material, or selling to them, at cost, any goods on hand at the Aid Rooms. This business was now enlarged. Supplies of material, beyond the wants of the work committee^ were purchased at New York wholesale prices, to be sold again, at cost, to Branch societies in such quan- tity as their means enabled them to buy. From this time to the end of the supply service, a 216 I'lIE SALESROOM. large stock of material was kept on hand at the Aid Rooms, and whatever might have been the rise in the market, these goods were always sold at cost. Sheet- ing, shirting, chintz, ticking, canton flannel, army flannel, batting, woolen yarn, buttons, tapes and spool cotton formed the stock of this commission house. There were also patterns, cut in stiff j)aper, which were given out Avhen desired. Delegates from country societies, coming into the Aid Rooms for advice about S2:)ending their sums of ten, twenty or forty dollars, were oftered the oppor- tunity of purchasing here and w^ere then advised to look elsewhere through the city and compare prices. They invariably found an advantage in buying from the Aid Room stock. Five or six cents on a yard was the usual difference, no inconsiderable gain to a little society. Price lists were kept at the Aid Rooms or sent by mail to societies with each new lot of goods. The cash re23ort of the treasurer shows that during the months of July and August succeeding the fair, nineteen thousand nine hundred and twenty dollars were expended in the purchase of material. A large room above the Aid Rooms was rented for the stor- age of material and fitted with shelves and counters to accommodate this sales department and the cutting- committee. Here, bargains were made by delegates from the Branches, and it is perha23S needless to say that terms were satisfactory, liberal measures given and many little chance advantages thrown in favor of the purchaser. In anticipation of the irregular attendance of cut- TltE WORK BEl^ARTMENT. 21? ting committees during tlie preparations for the fair, Mrs. Emma L. Miller had been engaged to assist in the work department through the winter. When the fair closed and the falling off of committees threw the accumulated and ever increasing burden upon a few, this engagement was made permanent. Till the close of the sui^ply work in October, 1865, Mrs. Miller conducted the cutting department, which was her specialty, with great ability and engaged with re- markable energy in the many duties of the Aid Rooms. CHAPTER XIIL The disposition, leadership and movements of the Union forces, from the opening of active military operations in the spring of 1864, were such as to inspire in every loyal heart a glowing faith that took the place of the patient hope with which the delays, disappointments and quasi victories of previous cam- paigns had been so bravely borne. March 3d, the grade of Lieutenant General, revived by act of Congress, was conferred upon Major Gen- eral Geant, " in token of the nation's appreciation of what he had done and its reliance uj)on him for what remained to do." March 12th, army and people re- ceived, with universal joy, general orders from the War Department announcing that President LmcoLN had assio^ned the Lieutenant General to the command of the armies of the United States, Headquarters were established in the field, with the armj of the Potomac. It was now nine months since the army of the Potomac had fought a general battle and seven months since the battle of Chattanooga had fixed the western army in firm possession of that strategic point. The plan of the opening campaign was for an advance on Richmond by the army of the Potomac, under the a 1 a AEMY MOVEMENTS. 219 direct command of General Meade, simultaneously with a movement towards Atlanta, Ga., by tlie west- ern troops. The western troops — comprising the armies of the Cumberland, the Tennessee and the Ohio — were now massed under the general name of the Military Division of the Mississippi, and turned over by General Geant to the almost absolute leader- ship of Major General Sherman. The month of April was spent in thoroughly reor- ganizing all the forces and, by the western troops, in strengthening the line of communication between Nashville and Chattanooga, the primary and secondary supply bases, and in accumulating at Chattanooga immense supplies of commissary and military stores. It was felt that a critical period in the history of the war was at hand, and that upon the military achievements of this campaign the quick termination or almost endless protraction of the struggle would depend. The governors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, low^a and Wisconsin gave voice to the patriotism of their people by offering to the Government large volunteer forces of " one-hundred-days men " to relieve veteran soldiers from post and garrison duty and allow them to return to the active service of the field. The general movement, east and west, was to begin about the 5th of May. The troops of General Sher- man's department were massed around Ringgold, Ga., twenty-three miles southeast of Chattanooga. The opposing army lay in and near Dalton, fifteen miles ]:>elow, their advance being at Tunnel Hill, a station on the railroad l)etween Ringgold and Dalton. The triumphant progress of General Sherman's army,^ — 220 A MEMORABLE RECORD. the engagements at Kocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Dallas and Kenesaw Mountain, — the battles of July 20tli, 22nd and 28th, — the fighting at Jonesboro, — the marches, sieges, raids and brilliant manceuvring by which the Union lines closed surely around the doomed city of Atlanta and which ended in the cap- ture, Sej)tember 1st, of that "Gate City" of the enemy's position, — have their record in history among the memorable events of the great rebellion. Though military movements at the West were watched with great interest and the country was ring- ing with the exploits of Sherman's invincible men, it was from the operations of the army of the Potomac that the vital success of the camj)aign was expected. Greneral Grant's plan for this army was not merely the taking of Richmond, the objective point of all previous demonstrations in this quarter, but it in- cluded the breaking up of the entire railroad system of the enemy and the destruction of the rebel army. The grand army of the Potomac, roused from long inactivity, under the inspiring leadership of the hero who had never lost a battle, entered upon a series of engagements in which its valor and endurance were severely tested and most nobly proved. In those momentous times, — when the fate of the nation seemed to hang upon the achievements of a few short summer weeks, when the lives of thousands were the dear price of victory, and when to the agony of suspense or bereavement was added a keen sense of the interests involved in the result of each encounter with a desperate foe, — the peojole found their only relief from frenzied excitement in the despatches that OFFICIAL BULLETINS. 221 were issued over Secretary Stanton's name from the War Department. The very first of these, announcing that " it is de- signed to give accurate official statements of what is known to this Department in this great crisis and to withhold nothing from the public," was like an anchor sure and steadfast to the mind tossed by the distract ing contradictions of exaggerated rumor and news paper canard. The promise was faithfully kept Daily, semi-daily and sometimes hourly official bulle tins, giving brief expositions of the military situation, were heralded through the length and breadth of the North, by the associated press. Whether their pur- port were triumph or disaster, there was inexpressible comfort in these despatches, for the truth lay in their clear, concise wording. Joy over a victory was un- alloyed by dread that the good news might be unfounded. Defeat could not be long concealed by any sophistry of language, and it were better to know the worst at once and to bear it as a brave people best could. But from this summer the army of the Potomac had done with timid advance, dispiriting retreat and drawn battles. The generalship of Geant, Siieeman, Sheridan and Thomas ensured to the bulletins from the War Department the ring of victory. East and West, — fearfully precious victory ! bought with rivers of blood and made forever sacred by the sufferings of thousands of our bravest and our best. Fredericksburg, Va., was occupied by the Union forces, and extensive hospitals were opened there for 222 CLEVELAND ARMY COALAIIITEE. the army of the Potomac. Sanitary and Christian Commission agents, Avith nurses and supplies, pursued their work of mercy among the Avounded, establishing a base of operation at Acquia Creek. All who were able to endure removal were carried by Sanitary or Government transports to northern hospitals. Out of this urgent occasion for personal service in the hospitals of the Potomac grew the Cleveland Army Committee, an association of gentlemen organ- ized May -Ith, 1864, to co-operate with the United States Christian Commission " in promoting the physi- cal and especially the moral and religious welfare of their brethren in arms." The first business of this body was to raise a fund that would enable the churches of Cleveland to send a deleo;ation to the battleiields where Christian care and consolation were so much needed. At the tii'st meeting it was resolved to des23atch eight delegates to the front. Liberal subscriptions were made by citi- zens to defray the expenses of these agents, among whom Avere several of the city clergy. The delegates, after spending some weeks among the wounded of the army of the Potomac, ret\u"ned and gave, in a series of public meetings, an abstract of their rich experience on the battlefield and in hospi- tal. Most of them suffered in health from their severe and trying duties. One of their number — the Rev. S. W. Adams, D. D., the beloved and revered pastor of the First Baptist Church — died soon after, from disease contracted during this period of ftiithful ser- vice in the Christian Commission. As the Sanitary Commission was engaged in pro- ITS PLANS AND PURPOSES. 223 viding physical comforts for disabled soldiers, it was proposed to make arrangements by which delegates fi'om the Cleveland Army Committee could aid in distributing Sanitary stores, and it was resolved that if this could be effected the newly organized Army Committee should make no attempt to collect or for- ward such stores. This proposition was agreed to by the Cleveland Branch Sanitary Commission and cor- dially approved at headquarters in Louisville, where representatives of the Army Committee were always received with courtesy, accredited as agents in dis- tributing Sanitary stores, or aided in the transporta- tion of any goods which they had brought do^vn to the army. By the conditions of its union with the U. S. Sani- tary Commission, the stores of the Cleveland Branch were disbursed mostly to the armies of the southwest, where Sanitary agents had the favor of officers high in command and were now honorably excepted from General Sherman's stringent order excluding civilians from the front. The difficulty of maintaining com- nuinication between the army and its supply base, over a long and slender line of ill-constructed rail- road, — guerilla-haunted and overcrowded w^tli the passage of reinforcements, provisions and ammunition, — and the vital importance of secrecy in army move- ments, made this order a military necessity. Two agents of the Sanitary Commission were allowed to accompany the army in its advance and men were de- tailed from regiments to assist them in the care and disbursement of their hospital supplies. No other exceptions were made to this order save in rare cases 224 WORK OF THE DELEGATES. when persons could obtain the endorsement of the medical authorities as competent assistants in the care of the wounded on the field. One of the delegates appointed by the Cleveland Army Committee, the Rev. Samuel AVolcott, D. D., who traveled with joint credentials from Christian and Sanitary Commissions, in September of this year made an extended tour in Georgia, penetrating to the city of Atlanta soon after its occupation by the Union army and taking part in the care of the wounded in field hospital and at relief stations along the line. The observations of this journey, which were highly favorable to the Sanitary Commission, formed the subject of an interesting lecture and Avere afterwards published and ^videly circulated. With this exception, delegates of the Cleveland Army Committee, finding access to the army of the Potomac less diflicult, confined their ministrations there and were consequently out of range of the o;oods of the Cleveland Aid Society. For this rea- son, or in obedience to orders from headquarters of the Christian Commission in Philadelphia, the Cleve- land Army Committee subsequently made some effort to gather hospital stores. A few branch societies withdrew for a time to this new organization or divided their gifts between the Sanitary and Christian Commissions. At the close of the war the Cleveland Army Com- mittee was continued in behalf of the freedmen and refugees of Cairo, Leavenworth and elsewhere. The transportation facilities of the Aid Society were offered and frequently accepted in forwarding these supplies. SY.AU'ATHY. 225 TJie iinmediiite services and syDipatliies of tlie western Branclies of the Sanitary Commission Avere engaged for Siierjman's army, yet intense interest pre- vailed among them for the issue of the engagements at the East and there was constant occasion for show- ino- this in the care of the wounded who were traveling; westward to their homes. The records of the Cleveland Soldiers' Home at this date bear page after page of names of the suffer- ers in the terrible battles of the Wilderness who found shelter and refreshment there. The Aid Kooms were daily visited by groups of furloughed men, — one sorely wounded in the head, another with his poor right arm splintered and bandaged to hide the shattered bones, a third with his useless limb bound up and a pair of crutches aiding his painful motion, — every one bearing some honorable marks of the battle- iield. Kind words and comforts welcomed these visitors, a poor recognition of their services. The personal sympathies of the Aid Room corps were never more severely tried than in the attempt to console the afflicted ones who thronsred the Rooms on the announcement of a battle, — fathers, mothers, wives, sisters, coming w^th white, tear-stricken faces to point out in the long list of wounded a name that Avas all the world to them, and to beg for the help that the heart ached to give. How hard it was to be forced to discourage their lirst impulse to go and nurse the sufferer ! They never could press their way through, but how could one tell them so ! and it was so cold to Avrite — oidy — and the suspense of waiting so hard to bear ! I 5 226 LETTERS AND INQUIRIES. Sometimes when it seemed possible that they could make their way to a wounded friend, a little box was packed at the Aid Eooms for the journey, with oysters, beef-tea, a change of garments, soft bandages and a bottle of wine. Passes were solicited from the railroad authorities, letters written to the Sanitary agencies in cities at every stage of their route, detail- ing their errand and bespeaking kindness and aid, and a general letter of credentials furnished, to be pre- sented to railroad officials further on. There was also the tedious, almost hopeless, but persistent search by letter for missing men, the writ- ing here and there, clinging to a faint thread of inquiry, slowly j)ursuing the wanderer's steps and too often finding the traces vanish into a lonely grave. Then followed the gathering up of the details of the last moments, the sending for the effects and trinkets — dear mementoes — and their delivery to friends. The Aid Rooms were known to be general head- quarters for information on all points concerning sick or disabled soldiers. Lists of the casualties of each battle were kept on file in the office, and many matters of personal interest to soldiers or their friends, not strictly within the limits of sanitary work, were con- stantly referred there. It was not unusual to see one of the ladies of the Aid Rooms, pen in hand, taking down from the lips of some unlettered wife or mother the homely phrases of love and greeting to her far-off soldier. Memory brings up the picture of one poor old mother, broken by a life of toil, her face seamed with care and grief, who always came to the Aid Rooms with the open THE HOSPITAL DIRECTORY. 237 letter of her son, whicli she could not read, begging that some of the " dear ladies " would read it to her and write him word that she had " got it safe." Inquiry by letter for soldiers had been made, in- formally, from the beginning of the war, but was later conducted mostly through the Hospital Directory established in the autumn of 1862, by the Sanitary Commission. The Hospital Directory was a bureau of records giving the name, company, regiment and condition of the soldiers in general hospitals. The l)ooks, which contained the names of more than six hundred thou- sand men, were revised and corrected daily by returns from all parts of the field. More specific information would be procured for the benefit of friends within as short a time as possible after receiving an inquiry at one of the general offices, which were located at Washington, New York, Philadelphia and Louisville. The Louisville registry was opened in January, 1863, and it was naturally to that office that most of the inquiries were directed by the Cleveland Society. These inquiries invariably received courte- ous attention. The business of the Hospital Directory was admirably systematized and the clerical duties performed with fidelity. Beyond and above this was the spirit of true sympathy that animated its manage- ment, shown in the word of cheer or the tenderly- framed condolence often sent with the good or sorrowful tidings that were drawn from its fateful pages For details of this and other departments of the special relief system, the reader is referred to the 228 ONE INQUIKY, ONE ANSWER. series of histories and final statements that have been issued by the Sanitary Commission from its Histori- cal Bureau. A few facts briefly sketched in the following extract from a report of Mr. H. S. Holbkook, the superin- tendent of the Louisville office, will better illustrate the working of the Hospital Directory than any gen- eral statement or table of statistics that can be given in this volume : EXTRACT. — " ONE INQUIRY AND ONE ANSWER." An old man enters the office. He lias traveled from Northern Ohio to meet his son in this city ; he has been told to inquire at the Sanitary Com- mission rooms for direction to the hospital which contains him. While the clerk turns to the books, he chats of his son and home, of the different articles in his carpet-bag, put in by mothers and sisters at home, — each had sent some little comfort. He is all animation and hope, as if at the very door which is to admit him to the realization of all his happy anticipations. The record says — "died" — that very morning! The register says, one inquiry, one answer. It does not speak of the careful preparatory sugges- tions that sympathy tenderly makes toward the announcement of the saddening fact. It does not show that strong old man convulsed and weep- ing like a child. You see not his departure from the office stunned ■v\'ith grief. You feel not the stifled thanks of his farewell grasp — full payment for all your sympathy and care. He goes slowly and sadly away. One of the clerks accompanies him, who procures a burial case for the remains of his " poor boy," and assists him in all his preparations for his mournful journey home on the same day. The register says — one inquiry, one answer. A mother from Northern Indiana has received a despatch that her sou is sick in Nashville ; she is on her way to see him ; she applies for a pass, but passes for ladies are seldom granted, and not without a permit from head- quarters. Her credentials are all right, but she is told that it is more tlian doubtful if she is jiermitted to go. She comes to the Directory ; her son's name is on the books ; " telegraphing is expensive, and the result doubt- ful." " 'Tis too bad," she exclaims, " I have seven sons, and all of them in the anny, I do not wish them away, but I do want, if they get sick, the privilege of going to nurse them." " My dear madam, you shall go ; that fact will get you a pass," and so it did. The register says, one inquiry, one answer. A sprightly young wife is sent from the telegraph office to have a .\N EXTRACT. 229 despatch written for a permit to visit her husband in Nashvilh'. She is quite impatient at th(^ uscdess delay in consulting the records for his name. " She knows he is in Nashville, and all she wants is a despatch written, and will be obliged for as much haste as possible." "Are you sure he is in Nashville'?" "Certainly." "You would have no objections to meeting him here?" "You are playing with me, sir; will you give me the despatch T " I don't think you will need one. This ' abstract ' will jdease you better. There are directions where to find your husband, a few blocks off." With one look to be sure she was not being " j)layed " with, she was off from the office down street at what he would have called the " double quick," and found him not in NaKhvUle. Had she not conw to the Directory, possibly she might have obtained a pass to Nashville, and gone ; or failing in that would have gone home Avithout seeing him. A short time ago this case came vmder our notice. A soldier in hospital at Nashville writes to his wife that he is very sick, and requests her to come to him. The letter was dated the 5th of September. Two days afterward he is transferred to liouisville, but his letter informing her of the change never reached her. She leaves home and stops over night in Louis- ville, and goes to Nashville on the 15th. There she learns that lu^ is in Louisville. Delayed for lack of funds, she returns to this city on the 22d, and finds that he died on the night of the 16th, the next night after they lodged in the same citj-, so near to each other, yet never to meet. Had she known of the Hospital Directory, and consulted it, this lifelong grief would have been prevented. A father desires to visit a sick son. His statements accord with our record. The despatch written for him explains the case : " To Brigadier General J. A. Garfield, Chief of Staff, Murfreesboro, Tenn. : Had four sons in army ; two are dead ; two belong to the 89th Ohio, [Co. — . William C is sick at Gallatin, hospital 4. Please grant pass. A. C . J. S. Newberry, Voucher." The pass was granted. A father from Pennsylvania presents a letter from the surgeon of a hos- l)ital in Nashville, saying that his son will be discharged and sent to this city in charge of the Sanitary Commission, and requests the father to meet him here. He asks, " Where is he T We have no note of his arrival. " He must still be in hospital at Nashville. But stay ; here is a report just in." The name is there, and " died August 9th, 1863," the very day the father received the letter, and set out to meet him. His son had sent him word not to bring more money than necessary to pay his fare to Louisville, as he was paid off and had enough. What was to be doneV We loaned him his passage home ; made out the necessary papers to get the effects of his son : wrote to Nashville to Sanitary Commission agents to forward them, and he left for home that evening. / 280 HOSPITAL CARS. We might multiply similar cases indefinitely, eacli one possessing some peculiarity to vary the service needed to meet the wants of the applicant. But these must suffice. The results in figures fail to give any idea of the labor, patience and feel- ing involved in the necessary attention to the particulars of each case, burdened with peculiar and painful interest, and urgently appealing for SAnnpathy, information and aid. Oue might as well attempt to conjure \ip the drama of their real life, from the scattered bones of a strange burial place, as from these figures to reproduce the painful realities they simply tally. Each name is the name of a man dear to a circle of kindred and friends. Each inquiry bears the interest, anxiety, and earnestness of some relative. Between the parties stands the Directory with its registers and helpful agents. In conneetioii with tlie Hospital Directory was an arrangement effected by the Sanitary Commission Avith Government for removing and forwarding home, on request of friends, the bodies of sohliers who had died in hospital or were buried on the l^attlefield. This was done by the Sanitary Commission without charge, the actual outlay for disinterring, embalming and transporting 1)eing refunded by the friends ^vlio had ordered the removal. The Cleveland Aid Society had not unfrequently to act as assent in this, — talvino; the orders for disin- terment, receiving and remitting undertaker's and Express charges and delivering the remains, on arrival, to the relatives. Another phase of sjiecial relief work at the front, which has heen lu'iefly mentioned in these J)ages, was the transportation service of the Hospital Tkaixs established by the Sanitary Commission in the sum- mer of 1803. Though the charge of the hospital trains was soon assumed by Government, the Conunission never lost " ON A HOSPITAL TRAIN." 231 interest in tliem nor ceased to be known as an agent in their supervision. Supplies were furnished to each train from the Sanitary depot nearest at hand. Hot coffee, light food and stimulants were given to the feeble travelers at various feeding-stations opened along the line of transit. For a description of the hosj^ital train one cannot do better than read the follo^ving letter written by one of the young ladies of the Cleveland Aid Society during an extended tour among the hospitals and relief agencies of Louisville, Nashville and Chatta- nooga in May, 18G3 : EXTRACT. — ON A HOSPITAL TRAIN. * * * * Tliauks to the U. S. Sanitary Commission and to those gen- tlemen belonging to it whose genius and benevolence originated, planned, and carried it out, a Hospital Train is now running on almost all the roads over which it is necessary to transport sick or wounded men. These trains are now under the control of Grovernment, but the Sanitary Commission continues to furnish a great part of the stores that are used in them. My first experience of them was a sad one. A week before, the army had moved forward and concentrated near Tunnel Hill. The dull, monotonous rumble of army wagons as they rolled in long trains through the dusty street ; the measured tramp of thousands of bronzed and war-worn vete- rans ; the rattle and roar of the guns and caissons as they thundered on their mission of death ; the glittering sheen reflected from a thousand sabres, had all passed by and left us in the desolated town. We lived, as it were, with bated breath and eager ears, our nerves tensely strung with anxiety and suspense, waiting to catch the first sound of that coming strife where we knew so many of our bravest and best must fall. At last came the news of that terrible fight at Buzzard's Roost or Rocky Face Ridge, and the evening after, in came Dr. S straight from the front, and said, " the Hospital train is at the depot, wouldn't you like to see it ? " " Of course we would," chorused Mrs. Dr. S and myself, and forthwith we rushed for our hats and cloaks, filled two large baskets with soft crackers and oranges, and started off. A walk of a mile brought iis to the depot, and down in the further corner of the depot yard we saw a train of seven or eight cars standing, apparently unoccupied. " There it is," said Dr. S . "Why, it looks like any ordinary train," I innocently remarked, but I was soon to / 232 A DESCRIPTION. find out the difference. We chanced to see Dr. M , the surgeon in charge, on the first car into which we went, and he made us welcome to do and to give whatever we had for the men, and so, armed with authority, we went forward with confidence. Imagine a car a little wider than the ordinary one, placed on springs, and having on each side three tiers of berths or cots, suspended by rubber bands. These cots are so arranged as to yield to the motion of the car, thereby avoiding that jolting that is experienced even on the smoothest and best road. I didn't stop to investigate the plan of the car then, for I saw before me, on either hand, a long line of soldiers shot in almost every conceivable manner, their wounds fresh from the battlefield, and all were patient and quiet ; not a groan or complaint escaped them, though I saw some faces twisted into strange contortions with the agony of their wounds. I commenced distributing my oranges right and left, bixt soon realized the smallness of my basket and the largeness of the demand, and sadly passed by all but the worst cases. In the third car that we entered we found the Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, and Adjutant of the 29th Ohio, all severely wounded. We stopped and talked awhile. Mindful of the motto of my Commission, to give " aid and comfort," I trickled a little sympathy on them. " Poor fellows ! " said I. " No, indeed," said they. " We did suffer rid- ing twenty miles " — it couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen, but a shattered limb or a ball in one's side lengthens the miles astonishingly — " in those horrid ambulances to the cars." " We cried last night like child- ren, some of us," said a Lieutenant, " but we're all right now. This Hos- pital Train is a jolly thing. It goes like a cradle." Seeing my sympathy wasted I tried another tack. " Did you know that Sherman is in Dalton ? " " No ! " cried the Colonel, and all the men who could, raised themselves up and stared at me with eager, questioning eyes. " Is that so ? " " Yes," I replied, " it is true." " Then, I don't care for this little wound," said one fellow, slapping his right leg, which was pierced and torn by a minie ball. Brave men ! How I longed to pour out the wealth and luxury of our whole North at their feet ! A little further on in the car, I chanced to look down, and there at my feet lay a young man, not more than eighteen or nineteen years old ; hair tossed back from his white brow ; long lashes lying on his cheek ; his face as delicate and refined as a girl's. I spoke to him and he opened his eyes, but could not speak to me. I held an orange before him, and he looked a Yes ; so I cut a hole in it and squeezed some of the juice into his mouth. It seemed to revive him a little, and after sitting a short time by his side, I left him. Soon after, they carried him out on a stretcher — poor fellow! He was dying when I saw him, and I could but think of his mother and sis- ters who would have given worlds to stand beside him as I did. By this time it was growing dark, my oranges had given out, and we were sadly in the way ; so we left, to be haunted for many a day by the terrible pictures we had seen on our first visit to a Hospital Train. CONTINUED. 233 My next experience was much pleasanter. I liad tlic privilege of a ride on one from Cliattanooga to Nashville, and an opportunity of seeing the arrangements. There were three hundred and fourteen sick and wounded on board, occupying nine or ten cars, Avith the surgeon's car in the middle of the train. This car is divided into three compartments ; at one end is the store-room where are kept the eatables and bedding ; at the other, the kitchen ; and between the two is the surgeon's room, containing his bed, secretary, and shelves and pigeon holes for instruments, medicines, etc. A narrow hall connects the store-room and kitchen, and great windows or openings in the opposite sides of the car give a pleasant draft of air. Sit- ting in a comfortable arm-chair, one would not wish a pleasanter mode of traveling, especially through the glorious mountains of East Tennessee, and further on, over the fragrant, fertile meadows and the rolling hills and plains of Northern Alabama and middle Tennessee, clothed in their fresh green garments of new cotton and corn. This is all charming for a pas- senger, but a Hospital Train is a busy place for the surgeons and nurses. The men come on at evening, selected from the different hospitals, according to their ability to be moved, and after having had their tea, the wounds must be freshly dressed. This takes till midnight, perhaps longer, and the siirgeon must be on the watch continually, for on him falls the responsibility, not only of the welfare of the men, but of the safety of the train. There is a conductor and brakemen, and for them, too, there is no rest. Each finds enough to do as nurse or assistant. In the morning, after a breakfast of coffee or tea, dried beef, dried peaches, soft bread, cheese, etc., the wounds have to be dressed a second time, and again in the afternoon. In the intervals, the surgeon finds time to examine individual cases, and prescribe esi^ecially for them, and perhaps to take a little rest. As I walked through the car, I heard men say, " We haven't lived so well since we joined the army." " We are better treated than we ever were before." " This is the nicest j)lace we were ever in," etc. After breakfast next morning, when the wounds were all dressed, I had the pleasure of carrying into one car a pitcher of delicious blackberry wine that came from the Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio, and, with the advice of the assistant siirgeon, giving it to the men. The car into Avhich I went had only one tier of berths, supported like the others on rubber bands. Several times during the day I had an opportunity of gi\ing some little assistance in taking care of wounded men, and it was very pleasant. My journey lasted a night and a day, and I think I can never again pass another twenty-four hours so fraught with sweet and sad memo- ries as are connected with my second and last experience on a hospital train. C. CHAPTER XIY. It is not necessary to follow the daily routine of Aid Room duties through the year 1804, as it differed only in degree from that which has been already detailed. Beyond the constant round of receiving and ship- ping, corresponding and recording, and the superin- tendence of the work department and the Soldiers' Home, each day brought its special demands upon the time and sympathies and almost hourly occasion to consult the Hospital Directory or to listen to the thousand and one inquiries sent from the home to the hospital or from the soldier to his home, through that mutual friend and faithful medium, the Sanitary Commission. All the machinery that had been de- vised to promote the efficiency of the Society and its Branches was still employed and such new measures were adopted as the resources of the treasury now justified. THE PRINTING OFFICE. It was the constant endeavor of the managers of the Society to transmit to the Branches the stimulus which they themselves received from their own more direct and daily communication with the army. It has been shown that personal letters were addressed S34 THE PRIjSTTING OFFICE. 235 monthly, or even more frequently, to tlie secretary of each society, articles prepared weekly for publication in the city papers, and documents, reports and ac- knowledgments widely circulated. As a means of further interesting the tril)utaries, and of directing and encouraging their work, and as a matter of economy and convenience, a small hand printing-press was purchased in August of this year, and a corner of the cutting-room in the second story partitioned off and converted into a miniature printing office, conveniently fitted up and well supplied with tyj)e and other fixtures. Here the young ladies of the Aid Room corps addressed themselves with much persistence to learn- ing the art of type-setting and press-work. With a few directions from a practical printer and after some laughal)le experience at the outset, these amateur typos became quite dextrous with composing-stick and roller and were soon able to produce work that would have been no discredit to any printing-house. From this little office the Cleveland Aid Society issued frequent l:)ulletins that were circulated among the Branches and elsewhere. These bulletins con- tained a list of hospital stores, with directions for preparation, packing and shipment, the latest tele- grams from agents at the front, noting the nature and urgency of any special need, or letters received at the Aid Rooms from persons who had been aided by the Sanitary Commission or had witnessed its benefits to others. Monthly business statements, reports of the Soldiers' Home, and all matters of general or special interest were submitted to correspondents in the same way. 236 " AID SOCIETY PRINT. Tlie cards, l)ill-foi'ms, price-lists of material, letter- heads and all l)lanks used from tins time in the business of the Society also liore the impress, " Aid Society Print," and all were put in type, locked up, rolled and pressed off by the group of girls who added to their alread}' engrossing duties at the Aid Kooms the interesting but often laborious work of practical typography. It is only justice to mention that Miss Sara Maiian was foreman of this little printing office, and that Mrs. Miller, J\Iiss YounctLOVe and Miss Ruth Kel- logg were her persevering and competent assistants. Besides the estaldishment of the printing office, which really marked an era in Aid Room life, no changes of moment occurred this summer in the routine of duties that were always the same yet always fresh and always interesting to those who saw in them a reflex of the great work that was going surely forward, under southern suns, to a tri- umphant end. A frao-nient from a letter written at the Cleveland Aid Rooms, in August, 186-i, will serve as a picture of the busy life of this period : Mrs. R — ■ — is assorting and packing, Mrs. M snipping away at a great bale of blue and white stripe, N and S posting books, C ■wrapping innumerable documents, while Tni and the redoubtable Barney, after shouting, hammering and pushing all the morning, have just de- Bpatched a shipment, two full car-loads. Two other car-loads went down yesterday. Those were pickles and lime juice purchased at the East. Now they are shipping onions from the Frankfort street storehouse and rushing in here semi-occasionally for orders, leaving a long line of muddy boot- tracks on the floor which was so beautifully scrubbed after yesterday's clearance ! DOMiNic, (bless his good natured soul and his one eye !) has just appeared in the doorway, whip in hand, calling for " tally " to his next CANVASSING AND FOKWARDING. 237 load, and here comes Fbank, with his hands full of shipping-bills, and just at his heels is the Express man with the inevitable book which I must stop to receipt, * * * * next, a squad of soldiers from hospital, coming in for a friendly call and to ask for "just a sheet of paper and a steel pen, please, Miss," and one who is pale and feeble looks wistfully at the flannel shirts till good Mrs. M drops her shears and ties up for him in a snug bundle, a warm shirt and drawers, a little " comfort-bag " well filled and a white handkerchief. That completes the picture — ah no ! there goes Jerome, to the Home, carrying a baski^t of grapes and a carving knife, having left his request for a barrel of flour and sundry other supplies for our great household under the hill. Vegetables, pickles and krout — both purcliased and contributed — formed the great bulk of shipments to the southwest, and the demand for such supplies was still the burden of every letter from agents in the field. Tlie services of canvassers were continued with much success in influencing contributions and main- taining the branch societies. From the cutting and work department, which has been specially described, hospital clothing of excellent make and material was furnished in (piantity from week to week. Well-tested recipes for making blackberry syrups and cordials were widely scattered, and the medicinal virtues of these preparations were urged through city and country papers. A " blackberry army " of boys and girls was again recruited in many townships where the local societies were zealous in securino- the Avhole blackl)eiTy crop for hospital use. Fresh vege- tables in bulk and ripe currants were several times sent to the hospitals of CamjD Dennison, near Cincin. nati. Special requests from the surgeon of that post for bandages and dressings were honored from time to time. Garden seeds, onion-sets and flowering plants were again sent to the hospital gardens at Chatta- nooga. 238 HELP FOR PRISONERS. In June of this year a large number of boxes con- signed by country societies were forwarded through the Cleveland Aid Rooms to the Ohio Relief Associa- tion at Washington, and later, large quantities of pickles and other stores called for by the Quartermas- ter General of Ohio were forwarded to Columbus for returned prisoners who were arriving there. Several hundred weight of tobacco were purchased by the Norwalk Branch for two regiments from that section. This gift, on reaching its destination, drew forth a graceful letter of acknowledgment and of tribute to the general usefulness of the Sanitary Commission among the soldiers in the field. The comparatively small needs of the Wheeling depot were still drawn from Cleveland. The Soldiers' Home established by the Sanitary Commission at Jeftersonville, Ind., was largely furnished, on opening, with bedding from the Cleveland Aid Rooms. The Soldiers' Home at Nash- ville often received special supplies from the same source. In answer to some touching letters from Union prisoners in Florence, Ala., and Columbia, S. C, several vain attempts were made to send boxes of comforts to these perishing men. The pitiable condition of our soldiers in the rebel prisons at Cahawba, Ala., reported by some of the escaped of exchanged prison- ers, moved the officers of the Cleveland Aid Society to open communication with the rebel officials in charge of that post, and to ask their help in deliver- ing to these suffering prisoners some supplies of clothing. Fair promises, never fulfilled, were the only results of these negotiations which were at last regretfully abandoned. CHANGE OF VICE-PRESIDENTS. 239 Shipments to tlie Sanitary agency at Leavenworth, Kansas, were continued as usual. These goods had now free transportation over the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and Hannibal and St. Joseph railroads. In the duties of this agency, Mr. Brown was assisted by the Ladies' Aid Society of Leavenworth, which strug- gled through many difficulties to become an active and useful organization. The destitute state of the freedmen and Union i-efugees that were arriving in great numbers at Leavenworth was vividly brought to the notice of the Cleveland Society by the letters of Mrs. Hiram Griswold, a former resident of this city, who in removing to Kansas carried to this new home the quick sympathies and active loyalty that had made her for many months one of the most zeal- ous workers at the Cleveland Aid Rooms. At a regular meeting, November 1st, 1864, Mrs. J. A. Harris, who had been from its organization an active member of the Society, was chosen second vice- president. This office had been left vacant by the resignation, August 2d, of Mrs. Lewis Burton, whose charitable labors in other directions made her daily attendance at the Aid Rooms impossible. The officers and active members of the Society sometimes suffered in health from too laborious or exciting duty at the Rooms and were forced, occasion- ally, to seek rest and change for a few weeks — but, with the two exceptions noted above and on page 105, all were happily spared the pain of giving u]^, perma- nently, their places in a work that was all-engrossing and that brought day by day rich and all-satisfying reward to mind and heart. 240 REVIEW OF THE YEAR. The treasurer's books at the close of the year showed that the resources of the Society liad been liberally expended, but there was constant demand for a class of stores that money could not buy, — for bandages, dressings, articles of home ^vorkmanship and many little comforts that only generosity and skill could supply. Every call for these Avas answered with a promptness that should be gratefully recorded to the lasting honor of the aid societies of Northern Ohio. During the summei", tributaries had been urged to collect pickles, krout, potatoes, onions and anything that would prevent or arrest scurv)'. These appeals were made in behalf of Suerjian's men, Iviuir before Atlanta, When that splendid army, on its ever-famous " march to the sea," passed beyond the loving care of the North and could only be followed by the prayers of thousands of anxious hearts, the forces of Tno:\rAs, gathering about Nashville, received generous supplies from Northern Ohio. The hospital stores shipped from Cleveland still Avent mainly to the headquarters of the Sanitary Commission at Louisville, Ky., thence to be for- warded to Nashville, Chattanot)ga, Atlanta, Memphis, Vicksburg and the ever more distant "front," to be dispensed by agents whose experience iitted them to bestow the right thing in the right place and to use supplies with less waste and more eifect than could be done by any transient distributor however con- scientious or zealous. From Dr. Newjjerry's final I'eport it a])pears that the stores distributed by the Sanitary Commission in EXPENSES OF DISTRIBUTION. 241 the armies of the West were valued at five millions one hundred and twenty-three thousand two hundred and fifty-si:!^ dollars and twenty-nine cents, in the home field. The expenses of collecting, transporting and distributing these supplies amounted to one hun- dred and ninety-six thousand two hundred and thirty- seven dollars and eighteen cents, of which ninety-eight thousand eight hundred and ninety-four dollars and sixty-seven cents were paid for their distribution. In other words, the expense incurred outside of the home field, in transporting and distributing stores valued at over five millions of dollars was less than one hundred thousand dollars, or less than two per cent, of their valuation, a lower per centage than was claimed by any other organization of a similar charac- ter. If the work of the supply department of the West had been done as a commercial transaction, — if the stores had all been purchased, and the expenses of transporting and distributing them all paid in cash, — it certainly could not have been done where and as it was done for a less sum than ten millions of dollars. When the approach of Aviuter again increased the calls for woolens, socks and mittens, the aid societies turned their resources toward the purchase of mate- rial. Fairs, supj^ers and lectures were held in many towns for the " soldiers' aid " fund, dime sociables and tableau parties were made profitable to the good cause. As time went on, the tributary societies, learning from long experiejice and often-repeated precept that it is the supplies sent heforp the news of a battle that » 1, _M 1 ^^ I X AlxK.. \^ LE\ 1- LA N 1.'. v -. The Remains of President Lincoln lying in State, April aS, 1S65. Page 244 A MEMORABLE DAY. '24:5 of the Sanitary Commission were allowed to bring tribute of rare flowers and to watch all throuo;h that mournful day near the coflin of the honored dead. Who of the thousands that passed, with downcast eye and muffled foottall, in review before that Silent Presence will ever forget the ineffable sadness of that day! — the clouds dropping gentle rain, in sympathy with a nation's tears, the si2:hino: wind liftino; and swaying the draperies of the curtained pagoda, heavy with symbols of woe, the national emblems everywhere drooping and shrouded with sables, — or the weird solemnities of the evening watch, when the moaning of the restless trees and the loud wail of the rising storm mingled fitfully with the wild strains of a dirge, and glancing torches flashed for one moment with un- earthly glare as the bearers reverently raised their sacred burden, and the cortege, with nodding plumes and stately trappings, swept out into the dense dark- ness that fell like a pall upon the mournful scene. Years of sorrow seemed to have clouded over and blotted out the bright rising of the sun of peace. In the exciting and varied events of that ever-memorable time it was hard to take up the burden of duties again, — nor was this a grief that faded with its day. The shaded faces and mourning breast knots of the little Aid Room group were long the symbols of a blow that fell upon every loyal heart with the weight of a personal bereavement. The actual close of the Avar was scarcely knoAvn or noted in Sanitary circles. The heaviest, most engross- ing, and by tar the most interesting relief work in the home field be2:an after the war had realh' ended. 246 WELCOME HOME. The sudden cessation of hostilities, the rapid re- duction of the army, and the immediate return of regiments from the field made it the first duty of the Sanitary Commission to increase its means of pro- viding for the comfort of soldiers in transit. Other schemes aftecting the welfare of the soldier-turned- citizen were already working in philanthropic brains, to be brought forth so soon as occasion for them should be developed. Soldiers' Homes, lodging and feeding stations, that had been maintained for the accommodation of squads of invalid men or an occa- sional passing regiment, were now to be enlarged and fitted to welcome and give good cheer to thousands of homeward-bound heroes. In these duties the Cleveland Branch performed no unwilling part, and happily the generous results of the fair gave ample means for pursuing the purposes of the special relief department. The final report of the Sanitary fair had been made in the preceding March, when the balance, thirty-two thousand seven hundred dollars in Government bonds, w^as turned over to the exclusive control of the Society. This sum w^as in the treasury at the close of the w^ar. The interest of this history now passes into that of the Special Eelief service, which is fully presented in the accompanying Eeport. There, the enlargement of the Soldiers' Home, the busy care given day and night throughout the summer and fall to each return- ing regiment, and the subsequent conduct of the Free Claim Agency will be found in detail. These will be touched upon here only as it is necessary to refer to them in following the general history of the Society to its close. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 247 When it became certain that tlie aggressive opera- tions of war were indeed over, many brancli societies began to inquire, by letter or otherwise, whether tlie work of 23reparing hospital stores might not properly cease. It must be recorded here, to the credit of the Northern Ohio aid societies, that their contributions received at the Cleveland Rooms in the month of April, 1865, when the war closed^ were as great as they had been at any time, only excepting the excit- ing period immediately after the news of the battle of Pittsburg Landing in 1862. To the officers of the Cleveland Society, long accus- tomed to look forward to the effect upon their work of any possible change in military affairs, it seemed certain that the duties of the supply department must continue for a considerable time after the return of peace. In supplementing Government issues, the Sanitary Commission had never commanded stores enough to meet all the demands of our great armies, and in the event of any probable reduction of the forces during the coming summer there must yet be a wide field for the offices of benevolence. This opinion was always given in answer to the inquiries daily put by the representatives of tributary societies, — inqui ries that were not made from weariness or lack of interest but from honest belief that their occupation was gone. To strengthen this opinion by appeal to the highest sources of information on this point, the officers of the Cleveland Branch addressed a letter to the general office of the Sanitary Commission asking whether they might not follow the example of the War De- 1^48 OONTlNUtNG SI PPL11>^. partmeiit, reduce expeuditure, cut down supplies, discourage coutribution, and prepare to give tlieir auxiliaries honoralde discharge from tlieir long and taitliful volunteer service. The reply to this is embodied in an extract from the minutes of a meeting of the Commission, x\pril 20th : "■ The termination of the war leaves nmch to be done for the relief of the national forces in o-arri- son and before they could safely be disbanded and the men re- established in the pursuits of civil life. Such garrisons, as a rule, require more sanitary aid than the forces in the field, and Aid Societies should, in the opinion of the Commission, not abandon their work but continue it with added activity, in view of the prospect that it may soon gradually cease to be necessary." Ol^edient to the spirit of this decision, the duties of the supply service were continued at the Cleveland Aid Kooms with much vigor and chiefly in the interest of the troops that were maintained around jSTashville. Agents from that quarter reported Gen- eral Thomas still relying hopefully upon the Sanitary Commission for keeping his army well supplied with vegetables. A bulletin was at once issued to the branch societies, representing this fact and calling attention to the condition of the returned prisoners then gathering at Vicksburg, so many of whom were overtaken on their way homeward by that fearful calamity, the explosion of the Mississippi river steamer Sultana. The only way in which it seemed wise or even pos- sible to reduce expenses was by diminishing the issues A STATE OF SIEGE. 1^49 of material to brancli societies, it being judged that the garments contributed would from this time be sufficient to keep up the due proportion in shipment. Notice was therefore given that, after May loth, no more packages of work would be furnished from the Cleveland Aid Rooms except in rare cases when a Branch that made frequent contribution should need a small supply to keep up the weekly meetings while endeavoring to raise funds. Even this attempted retrenchment was premature, for as regiment after regiment returned and was or- dered into Camp Cleveland, to wait muster-out and pay, a host of bronzed and sturdy veterans daily besieged the Rooms, each one bearing in his travel- stained garments and generally unkempt appearance the surest passj^ort to aid. To most of these men, in their devious wanderings, the paymaster had for months been a veritable will o' the wisp. Government issues of clothing had ceased, and in the interval between muster-oat and final pay-day the "Sanitary" found abundant occasion for its kind offices. The distribution of under-garments, socks, sus- penders, handkerchiefs, combs, soap, towels, writing materials, and the plug of tobacco that always comes first on the soldier's list of recpiirements, was at this time the chief business done at the Aid Rooms. The ladies were often dismayed to find a crowd blockading the pavement and j^atiently waiting their arrival of a morning, and when the doors were thrown open the throng was so great that they were fain to draw across the wide room a high counter, as a sort of barricade behind which thev could more conven- 250 " COMFOKT-BAGS." iently arrange and a23portion tlieir issues. It was only stout, hale soldiers tliat were tlius barred out. The little wicket was always opened at the sight of a pale face or halting step, and garments of more deli- cate make and material or some dainties drawn from a certain reserve stock were slyly packed into the invalid's parcel. x\mono; the minor articles of convenience c:iven out at the Aid Rooms nothing was more useful than the little housewives or work l^ags that were generally made by school children and juvenile societies. Scarcely a day passed but some soldier would call in on the way to or from his regiment to beg for a needle, a skein of thread or a few buttons. Then the compact little " comfort-bag" was handed out, and, as if by magic, all his desires met their fulfilment. Sometimes the dextrous fingers of one of the Aid Room ladies had occasion to adjust a displaced arm- sling or to do some trifling office of the needle for a feeble soldier. Poor fellows ! they often sadly needed patching up, — if only a stitch could have been put into the lame arm or halting limb, to mend them up in body as well as in raiment ! Besides the great number of unpaid soldiers that flocked into the Aid Rooms, in these days of the break- ing up of camps and hospitals, there were others of a more forlorn class. They were those whose hard earned money, just received, had been filched by trav- eling pickpockets or cunningly coaxed away by con- fidence men and sharpers. This misfortune generally overtook the victim on his journey homeward and thus left him penniless among strangers, with no re- NO PLACE TO STOP. 251 course on Government and totally dej^endent upon charity. The officers of the railroads centering in Cleveland listened with wonderful patience to the almost hourly request for passes, and helped these unfortunates forward with great kindness. The tables of the Soldiers' Home supplied them with food and a package of luncheon for the journey. Some neces- saries of clothing were usually furnished from the Aid Rooms. This home distribution comes under the head of Special Relief, and is detailed in the ac- companying Report. The Sanitary Commission had fixed upon July 1st, as the probable limit of the supply service. When that time came, the Cleveland Branch found no j^lace to stop, but every reason to continue the issues that have been mentioned. Tliose who for more than four years had followed the soldier into canij) and upon the field with their gifts were resolved that he should not ask in vain when he returned to a land of plenty. A considerable sum was expended in purchasing certain articles that were not in the usual line of con- tribution, and the branch societies were called upon in an urgent circular issued July 10th, to continue their meetings or to reorganize if disbanded. Notice was at the same time given that cut garments would be sent out from the Cleveland Aid Rooms as usual until the Branches could again gather funds to buy material for their own work. The long weekly reports of receipts in hospital clothing, furnishings and especially in farm and dairy products, through the entire siunmer of 1865, are testi- 252 THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY. moiiy to the faitliful continuance in well-doing of the aid societies of Northern Ohio long after the close of the war afforded them a plausible excuse for resting from their labors. THE E M P L O V M E XT A G E X C Y . The rapid disbanding of our armies immediately suggested to the Sanitary Commission the need of some systematic pro\dsion for re-establishing the re- turned soldiers in the relations and pursuits of civil life, from which they had become more or less de- tached. It was proposed to effect this by constituting each supply Branch a "Bureau of Information and Employment," to which all discharged soldiers could apply for business situations, and where the invalid or partially disabled, especially, were to be aided in finding such light occupations as they could best pursue. An Employment Agency was opened at the Cleve- land Aid Rooms, May 1st, 1865, upon a plan of registration furnished by the Central office at Wash- ington. The books give only a partial showing of the aid afforded by the Society to soldiers in search of employment, much informal and unrecorded work of this kind having been done from the first year of the war. The early applicants, invariably disabled men, had been put into the way of obtaining work, if fit for any duty, or classed, with their families, among the objects of special relief. On opening the Agency it was advertised through the city and countr}^ papers, and circulars calling attention to it were distributed among business men. ITS MANAGEMENT. 253 A blackboard, scribbled all over with an attractive enumeration of the talents and accomplishments of the applicants, was conspicuously posted on the pave- ment in front of the Aid Room door, and every effort was made to bring employer and employe together. The permanently disabled men were considered the first claimants and these were certainly the most diffi- cult to place in situations. In cases where only half service could be done, and wages were small in pro- portion, a monthly allowance for house rent was given and the aid of the Society again and again ex- tended. Tools and materials were loaned or given to sick men who could gain a trifle by working at home. If quite unable to earn anything they were withdrawn from the books of the Agency and entered as pen- sioners of the Aid Society. Several young men who were disabled by the loss of limbs were allowed to remain at the Soldiers' Home through a course of study at the Commercial College, two were sent to city schools, and three became telegraph operators and offices were secured for them. Of those registered as able bodied, nearly all Avere feeble from late illness and only very few were fit for full duty. The majority of the really able bodied men were too lately from the army to have regained the industrious habits of civil life, — some failed to report a second time at the office, others left the city upon mere hearsay of employment elsewhere, and several who were provided with situations broke the engagement and were dismissed from the books. A few, known to he intemperate and unworthy, were refused entry upon application. These cases of 254: A SIGNIFICANT RECORD. untaithfulDess are balanced by those of several ex- cellent men who are still liolding positions of trust with their first employers. Young men who came in from the country to look for work, if without means, were admitted to the Soldiers' Home for three days, furnished with a card of recommend to employers and directed where to apply. The permit for the Home was extended at discretion if it expired before employment was secured. Upon notice from the employer that an engagement had l)een formed, the soldier was often allowed to remain at the Home till first pay-day enal)led him to engage a boarding place. The employers' register did not keep pace with that of the applicants, and it became necessary to make personal appeals to the business men of the city. The duty of placing the disal)led involved especial ingenuity and persistence on the part (~)f the ladies of the Society, much running about after office hours, an occasional day's traveling, hither and yon, A\^ith livery horses, and a continual boring of friends, kins- folk and acquaintance. In turning over the books of the Employment Agency it is interesting to notice many names long familiar to the Society, — names that appear first upon the supply l^ooks, when the soldier on marching away from home received some article of comfort or convenience from the Aid Rooms ; next, entered upon the records of the Hospital Directory, when missed from the ranks after a battle or reported in some far- off hospital, he was traced at the request of sorrowing friends ; later, it is found in the list of those who, on AN ABSTRACT. 255 'the homeward journey, found rest and refreshment in the Soldiers' Home; again, uj^on the Special Kelief books, where supplies of food, fuel, medicines or clothing for his family are noted beneath it ; and when health and strength are returning it is registered with an application for employment. Lastly, the soldier, turned citizen, will file his papers with the Free Claim Agency. Such a record shows the watchfulness of the Sani- tary Commission over the objects of its care, and is no less significant of the confidence that the soldier placed in this tried and faithful friend. ABSTKACT OF THE CLEVELAND EMPLOYMEKT AGEjSXY. Number of applications by employers, 170 Number of applications for employment : By able bodied men, 258 By disabled men, 153 Total applicants for employment 411 Number failed to report a second time, 80 Number of applications by letter, not received 31 Ill 300 Number furnisbed witb employment : Able bodied men, 108 Disabled men, 98 Total furnished, 206 Number remaining on the books unfurnished, 94 Number once furnished, applied a second time, 77 KINDS OF EMPLOYMENT FURNISHED: Mechanics, 24; Clerks and Copyists, 37 ; Farmers and Gardeners, 17; Laborers and Porters, 52 ; Teamsters, 17 ; Railroad hands, 9 ; In private families, 25 ; Agents, 4 ; Post Office Clerks, 4 ; Telegraph Operators, 3 ; Watchmen, 3 ; Policemen, 3 ; Entered at School, 2 ; Physician, 1 ; Janitor. 1 ; Tollgate keeper, 1 ; Pedler, 2 ; Unknown, 11. Total, 206. CHAPTER XVL The shipments of the Society ceased about the middle of August, on advice from the Louisville head- quarters, and no further effort was made to attract contributions. Supplies received after that time were used at the Home for the comfort of its inmates and later were given to destitute disabled soldiers who were living in or near the city, or to any needy dis- charged men who applied at the office of the Aid Rooms for help. With the close of the supply service came the iirst realization that the war was indeed over. The bustle of packing, boxing and despatching ceased, and the long room, which had been nearly cleared by the last shipment, looked lonesome and dreary. The last Bulletins and Reporters had been mailed and the Document committees retired from their long and laithful service. The cutting and work department was cleared of material and the duties of that committee were ended. Draymen looked idly in at the door in the vain hope of getting a "job," and the porter, for lack of employment at the Aid Rooms, was transformed into factotum and half-hourly-express to the Home, where the busy summer's work of receiv- ing regiments still continued. The printing press 2 a B CLOSE OF THE SUPPLY WORK. 257 Was seldom used now and only in the business of the Employment Agency, which, with the general care of the records, was at this time the only office work done at the Rooms. In their determination not to desert the work, the officers of the Society had now stood at their post till the work had deserted them and the question of con- tinuing had solved itself Septeml)er 1st, the main room and store cellar, now needlessly spacious, were under-leased to a business hrm. The signs were taken down, the receiving-cases, empty barrels and packing boxes, the porter's truck and skids, the scales and other fixtures and conven- iences of the shipping department, were disposed of at private sale or returned to the owners who had loaned them, and a general clearance by auction was made of miscellaneous articles that had accumulated in the four and a half years of business and were valueless to the soldiers or their families. The office furniture and books, with a small supply of stores for chance distribution, were removed to the second story, where an Aid Room in miniature was established. Here everything was carefully dis- posed to preserve so far as possible the arrangement of the dear old room that had just been vacated. Office hours were from 9 o'clock, A. M., till 12 M. Published notice was given that the Cleveland Aid Rooms had been removed to "office No. 17, second iloor," where the ladies would remain to close up the business, arrange their papers, and render a final re- port. The branch societies were released from fur- ther duties, with words of grateful thanks, and their 17 258 BREAKING UP THE AID ROOMS. officers were requested to send in their own closing statements with any other papers that would be of service in making up the general history. All out- standing packages of work and material were called in, Notice was at the same time given that a part of the Soldiers' Home would be kept open till some permanent provision had been made, by State or Na- tional Government, for homeless disabled soldiers, and that at the office of the Society, in the Home building, some one of the ladies would be found every morning between the hours of 9 and 12. The coveted retirement and quiet opportunity for balancina: books and closino- accounts were not secured even by this withdrawal to a second floor rear. The morning office-hours were engrossed with the Employ- ment Agency, which involved much patience and perplexity, and even the long afternoons slipped by, filled with a succession of duties — often trifling, but all going to make up the sum of special relief work. Several hours of each day were passed at the Home, where a family of about sixty was now maintained, mostly men who were admitted for a few days while seeking employment in the city. Squads of invalids just discharged from hospital came, day after day, and there was, at long intervals, a regiment late in making the journey home from some distant ]30st, — but the great rush was over. The household of the Home gradually fell back into the regular ways of the old time, and the ladies could enjoy a quiet night in their own houses with only a faint chance of being startled from their dreams by the Avell-known summons to welcome an approaching regiment. OHIO STATE SOLDIEES' HOME. 259 lu June of this year, Governor Brougii, interested for the future of the homeless disabled men who were being discharged from hospital, had applied to the War Department for the transfer of Tripler Hospital, near Columbus, with its furniture and equipments, to the State of Ohio, with the purpose of founding a permanent Soldiers' Home. This request was granted and the transfer duly made. The Ohio State Soldiers' Home was formally opened October l7th, 1865, and all invalid or dis- abled discharged men were invited to its hospitality, — " not as a charity," so reads the circular, " but as a return in part for what they have sacrificed for their country." The State Home was pleasantly located on the banks of the Scioto river, about three miles from Columbus. The buildings were temporary, in the barrack style, convenient, commodious and nearly new ; in fact the workmen were still busy upon them when the war closed. The furniture and equi^^ments were reasonably amj)le. To sustain this new asylum until an appropriation could be obtained from the Ohio LeQ:islature at its approaching session, the Cincinnati Branch Sanitary Commission gave fifteen thousand dollars. This sum not being sufficient, in the unexpected delay in acting upon the bill, the Cleveland Branch later gave five thousand dollars from its treasury towards the sup- port of the State Home. A few days before the formal ojjening in October, the secretary and treasurer of the Cleveland Society visited the State Home, on request of the superintend- ent, Hon. Isaac Brayto^^, and it was then agreed to '2(^0 TRANSFERRING SOLDIERS. transfer all invalid soldiers that were in the Cleveland Home to this more permanent asylum, and to make known to the disabled soldiers of Northern Ohio this new provision for their comfoi't. The design was to turn over at once to the State Home all the furniture and stores of the Cleveland Home, but this was soon found to be impracticable. The daily arrivals of feeble soldiers en route from distant hospitals, the occasional coming of a regiment, and especially the presence of several hopelessly sick men whose critical condition, protracted through the winter, forbade any thought of their removal to Columbus, made it neces- sary to keep the Cleveland Soldiers' Home open, month after month, as will })e seen by the accompany- ing report. The branch aid societies were desired, by letter and circular, to inform all feeble and disabled soldiers in their locality — - without distinction of State or nation- ality — of their claims to the charity of the State and to urge them to accept it. Xotice was sent through- out Northern Ohio that soldiers desiring to enter the State Home might report themselves at Cleveland whence they would be forwarded to Columbus at the charge of the Sanitary Commission. The officers of the Society made it the chief business of this winter to collect and send forward invalid soldiers to Co- lumbus. The Cleveland Soldiers' Home became a rendezvous where the feeble men were kept for a few days for rest, if need be, i^rovided with comfortal)le under clothing, furnished with railroad tickets to Columbus and a certificate which insured them admission to the CLOSING UP. 261 State Home. The Cleveland and Columbus railroad company afforded tliese tickets to the Aid Society at half the usual rates. The steward of the Cleveland Home was often sent down in charge of a squad of helpless soldiers or with very sick men, who were always removed on a bed comfortably settled in the baggage car. At the Columbus depot an ambulance stood ready to convey them to the door of the State Home. Some further notice of the Ohio State Soldiers' Home is given in the Special Relief Report which accompanies this history. It may be said here that the oflicers of the Cleveland Aid Society had a warm interest in this institution through its entire existence, — an interest that was not withdrawn when in the summer of 1867 it was transferred to the general Government, became a National Soldiers' Asylum, and was removed to permanent buildings at Dayton, O. As may be imagined, the work of " closing up " went on but slowly in the little second-story office of the Aid Society this winter. Files of letters were indeed drawn from their dusty pigeon-holes and prepared for 23reservation in letter- books ; printed documents were indexed and arranged for binding. The great ledgers and shipping books were still to be reviewed, an aggregate of the business taken and a careful estimate made of the cash value of all contributions. While this dull work was going heavily forward at rare intervals, on chance occasions of comparative leisure, a new duty so plainly appeared that there 262 THE FREE CLAi:\r AGENCY. was no question of j)utting it aside or shrinking from its burdens. The Branch Agency established at Cleveland hj the general Commission, January 1st, 1865, for the prose- cution, without charge to the soldier, of naval and military claims of the late war, was — like all similar offices — ordered to be closed at the end of the year, with transfer of the pending claims to the general office at Washington. When the time of closing came, a great number of unsettled claims remained on the books, to which the proposed transfer would cause much delay and embarrassment, while the daily increasing business clearly showed the importance to the soldier of continuing a free Agency in this locality. The officers of the Aid Society believed that they could not use to a better or more legitimate j)urpose the balance in the treasury than by assuming the expenses and supervision of the Claim office. This being decided on, the Free Claim Agency was estab lished in the third-floor room, directly above the office that was still known as the " Aid Room." The print- ing press, now disused, was taken down to give place to this new de23artment, and was subsequently given to the State Home. April 20th, 1866, five years from the date of its organization, the Society contracted office limits again, giving up the second floor, removing to the third story and sharing that room with the Claim Agency. This third migration was easily accom- plished. The desks and books, and a few boxes of soldiers' clothing and little comforts to answer the ITS MANAGEMENT. 263 e appeals that were made almost daily, were soon trans- ferred to "Eoom 15, third floor." The pictures and trifling ornaments, that had l)een carefully preserved in every removal and Avere dearly prized from asso- ciation, were still made by familiar grouping to recall memories of the lights and shadows of Aid Room life. The porter, whose oflice was now a sinecure, was commended, with testimonials of long and faith- ful service, to another situation. A discharged soldier well known to the Society by his trusty performance of duty at the Home, was employed as sub-clerk, porter, and agent in the many little items of l)usiness that constantly occurred in rendering special relief to soldiers in transit or to soldiers' families. In taking charge of the Claim Agency there had been no thought of maintaining it beyond the time needed for adjusting the claims under existing laws, but as new and important pension and bounty laws were soon agitated and finally passed, the same reasons which had moved the Society to assume the business were urgent for its continuance and it was resolved to keep the oflice open until the decision of Congress upon the proposed increase of pensions should be made known. The purj^oses of the Agency were again advertised through the press of Northern Ohio and its notices widely distributed. The oflicers and members of the branch societies were furnished with its cards and circulars and requested to put them into the hands of every soldier who might need legal aid in adjusting his claims on Government for services in the late war. The Aid Room circle was now l^roken u]^ and the 264 LAST DAYS. secretary and treasurer of the Society alone remained to direct the affairs of the Claim office, in which an authorized agent was employed. The growing busi- ness under new laws of June, 1866, obliged them to increase the clerical force and to give their whole time and constant services to the minutiae of office work. In the really wearying routine of duties so unex- pectedly protracted, it was impossible to find time or thought for preparing the general history and final statements that had been so long promised to the public. Besides the unwillingness to put aside the claims of a needful charity or to stop short of the con- scientious fulfilment of a public trust, there was an actual inability to sum up the results of a work that was yet unfinished. The Agency ceased to take new applications, Janu- ary 1st, 1867, and remained open only to claimants whose papers were already on file there. From this time the duties of the office were less engrossing, and on the 1st of July an agreement was made with an experienced agent to take charge of the still pending claims, he to receive from the Society a specified sum upon each claim at its final adjustment. Though relieved, by this agreement, from daily attendance at the office, the secretary and treasurer could not feel absolved from personal responsibility and were unwilling to wholly resign into other hands, however competent, the closing business of the Agency. The history of the Cleveland Free Claim Agency, which properly closes the general history of the Aid Society, is detailed in the accomj^anying Special Eelief Report. SUMMARY. ^Q^J The reader is referred to tliat Report, page 398, for the expansion of a subject whose brief mention here scarcely conveys an idea of the three years of labor and solicitude which the management of the Claim Agency involved, after the actual close of the war. The foregoing pages are a brief sketch of the work that loyalty prompted one small district to do for the soldiers. They are submitted in the hope that it may not be uninteresting to trace the history of a Society which was the first permanently organized, one of the first to enter the field, and the last to leave it ; which 1)egan with a capital of two gold dollars and closed with a cash statement of more than one hundred and seventy thousand dollars ; which grew from a neigh- borhood sewing-circle to become the representative of five hundred and twenty-five branch organizations, in dispensing hospital stores valued at nearly a million of dollars ; which built and supported a Soldiers' Home and conducted a Special Relief system and an Em- ployment Agency, from which sixty thousand Union soldiers and their families received aid and comfort, and a Free Claim Agency which gratuitously collected war claims aerGiresfatino: three hundred thousand dol- lars, at a savin,2: to the claimants of over seventeen thousand dollars. Appended to this volume are tabular statements which confirm the above summary. Appendix A gives the treasurer's cash report, an enumeration of the supplies issued, with their cash 18 2C)i\ ABSTRACTS. valuation, aud a list of the army localities to wliieli tliese were shipped. Appendix B sums up the exjienses of the Special Ilelief service, includino- tlie cost of buildlns:, enlarc:- ing and maintaining the Cleveland Soldiers' Home, and notes the number, of lodgings, meals and transpor- tation tickets furnished to soldiers, classifying the applicants by the states from whicli they were enlisted . This aj^pendix also gives the names of citizens who contributed casli for building the Home, and of those Brancb Societies that sent supplies specifically for its tables. Appendix C reports the business of the Free Claim Agency, the number and designation of the cases tiled and tlie items and aggregate of expense. Appendix D records tlie names of ladles of the city Avhose payment of the monthly fee, for one year or longer, or whose active part in tlie work at the Aid Rooms, entitles them to be called members of the Society, and the names of the gentlemen who wei'e enrolled as honorary members. In Appendix E are the names of those friends of the Aid Society who wei-e most piominent in all schemes for supplying its treasury, — ladles and gen- tlemen whose energy and skill projected concerts, tableaux and amusements of various kinds, and young people whose musical or artistic talents made these amateur entertainments charming and profitable. The special committees of tlie Sanitary Fair have their place here, though even this long array of names eni- l)races but a tithe of those who worked zealously in that o;reat charitv. The local associate members of REPORTS. 267 the U. S. Sanitary Commission, the Ward Kelief Com- luittees, so far as reported, and the city Reception Committees are included in this appendix. Appendix F is a list of Branch Societies, with the names of their officers and correspondents, so far as it was possible to obtain them from letters or reports. Under some of these will be found a summary of the cash disbursed or of the estimated contril)ution in kind. These have all been taken from the written re- ports of an officer. Where no valuation was furnished none has been supplied. Even the most satisfactory of these statements but feebly shadows the patience, enthusiasm and self devo- tion involved in maintaining an Aid Society, formed, as many of these were, in localities where farm duties were engrossing, neighborhoods scattering, and ship- ping facilities inconvenient, — where money was not plenty and laborers were few. Earnest and repeated requests have been made, by letter and circular, for the closing statement of each society, but so meagre has been the response that it became a matter of doubt whether to publish those that were received. In deciding to do this partial justice to the few, it is much regretted that even the names of others equally prominent must be unrecorded, and that some of the most important auxiliary socie- ties are left entirely without a business showing. The difficulty of obtaining these reports, though embarrassing to those who would gladly have given the Branches more sj^ace in this volume, is a not un- pleasing commentary upon the spirit which animated the ftiithful laborers in Northern Ohio Aid Societies 268 CONCLUSION. tliroiighout tlie war. In tlieir zeal to begin their work, and tlieir enthusiastic continuance, some " liad no time to waste in keeping books;" others, indifferent to the future, destroyed their papers from time to time, as valueless, — so soon as they were satisfied that their boxes had reached destination, — or celebrated the happy return of peace by a general bonfire of their records. Some of the most efficient organizations worked steadily on without change of officers, and when the war closed, quietly resumed the interrupted duties of the missionary circle or church sociable from which their Aid Society had been temporarily formed, and this without summing up results or claiming or expecting honor or reward. But all who had any part in the beneficent work in which it was woman's peculiar privilege to serve her country, must feel abundantly rewarded in having been able to do something for those who gave health, manly strength, worldly j^rospects, ties of home, and even life itself, in the more perilous service of the field. As already sweet flowers and tender plants creep over and half conceal the battle footprints but lately left on many a field and hillside of our land, so sweet charities and tender memories arise to enwrap the eaunt fio'ure and veil the orim visasre of War, that must forever stand, a central object, upon the canvas that portrays the history of these memorable years. PART II. SPECIAL RELIEF. liillil^ , hMmmalilLkiLiii, iitHiliiy.li'j UiiiU SPECIAL RELIEF. That division of the Sanitary Commission work knoAvn as the Special Relief Depaetment, com- prised all the aid rendered to soldiers, individnally, both through the Homes and Lodges, and from the depots of supplies. The branches of this service were : the Hospital Directory, throuo-h whose medium the condition of a soldier, sick in hospital or camp, could be daily learned, and whose records of the battle field told the fate of many a missing man ; the Employment Agency, which secured to discharged soldiers occu- pation suited to their various degrees of disability; the War Claim Agency, which collected gratuitously for soldiers, their widows or heirs, the pension, arrears of pay and bounty due them; and the Soldiers' Homes, whose reports also covered the assistance rendered the families of enlisted men. These com2:)re- hended the entire work as know^n to the home field. At the front the design was necessarily varied and expanded, embracing the system of hospital cars and transports, of feeding stations and hospital visitors. The Soldiers' Homes of the Commission grew out of a necessity soon recognized — that of facilitating the transportation of sick and disabled men. Much 19 273 274 SOLDIERIS' HOMES AND RESTS. suffering was found to exist in tlie transfer of sucli from insufficient arrangements for food and rest, and the attention of the Sanitary Commission was directed to this ffict. To remedy the evil, Homes or Kests were established in all the large cities on the great routes of travel, or in military occupation. First designed for the relief of the sick and desti- tute, the plan, widening, included all soldiers of the national army on furlough or discharge. The larger establishments, drawing rations from the government to cover the greater expense, invited to their hospi- talities even regimental organizations on transfer to the field, or returning to their camps of discharge. Here the sick soldier found rest and refreshment ; the discharged and disabled man, awaiting the first installment of pension, gained a temporary asylum ; the recruit, the veteran, the returned prisoner, met here the sympathy of their loyal fellow citizens in many forms of substantial comfort. The present report embraces only those phases of the local relief work which may properly be con- nected with the history of the Cleveland Soldiers' Home. marine hospital, army department. In the van of those who, during the first six months of the war, applied, personally, to the Soldiers' Aid Society for relief, were the soldiers in the hastily organized camps, who were, at first, scantily supplied with clothing and bedding. Often a company of fresh, stalwart country lads, arriving in hot haste, found their patriotic fervor EARLY CAMP LIFE. 275 severely tested by the necessity of passing their first night in camp exposed to the fury of a summer tem- pest. Promptly following such accessions to the military force, came a delegation of soldiers to the Aid Rooms in search of relief from that quarter, Avhile they relate the trials of the boys, who marched in from Hiram, or Chardon, last night, and lay on the wet ground. Later in the war, taught by past experience, the mother gave her soldier a home-made blanket or patch-work quilt, as a temporary expedient; but, in the first days, the great question was, wlio should be earliest in the field i Providence and tlie quartermas- ter would take care of the rest. Here are a file of so-called requisitions for blankets from the 7th, the 8th, the 40th Ohio Regiments, — names which afterw^ards became so honored, and whose members fought bravely, suffered, died on the field, in hospital, or brought home their wounds and lived to smile at the hardships of the first days of enlistment. Following soon u2)on the organization of the Sol- diers' Aid Society, was the formation, in all wards of the city, of committees who assumed the charge of the soldiers' families, visited each and all systemati- cally, and distributed to them, according to their several necessities, food and clothing, purchased from the funds contributed in each district for this pur- pose. (See Appendix E.) Personal investigation, faithfully pursued in all cases, by members of the various ward committees, resulted in an impartial and coiTect disposition of the money committed to them. The aid thus bestowed, 276 WARD COMMITTEES. in most instances, was received as simply supplemen- tary to the honest labor of the soldier's wife ; although the good committee ladies once found their offer of employment rejected on the ground that "she couldn't be expected to work, as she understood the ladies were to be supported while their husbands were in the war." Although these committees were, to a great extent, composed of active members of the Aid Society, the Ward Relief system being wholly local in its work- ings, was entirely independent of the Sanitary Com- mission. Relieved thus from the direct care of the soldiers' families, the Aid Society still occasionally rendered them assistance, and this in time became an important item in its current work. As a medium of communication between the home circle and the absent soldier, it was always available. Among the recruits in Camps Wade and Taylor, there were soon sick men, suffering from the unusual exposure, injured by the accidental discharge of fire arms, or victims of the inevitable camp diseases, who, in the absence of hospital accommodations, fell to the charge of the Sanitary Commission. Regjimental hospitals were organized and well con- ducted, but as each in turn was broken up, when marching orders came, the patients who were unable to go on Avith the regiment, again reverted to the Aid Society. Their number daily increased, and in lodging houses, where they were quartered, they could not receive the care their condition required. It was evident that some more extended system must be adopted, and to effect this, a meeting was called on MARINE HOSPITAL. 277 the llth of November, 1861, by the gentlemen who had been recently appointed associate members of the General Sanitary Commission. (See Appendix E.) The Soldiers' Aid Society was invited to co-operate in the scheme, and a committee appointed to secure a portion of the Marine Hospital for the use of invalid soldiers. On aj)plicatioii to tlie Secretary of the Treasury, the Collector of the port was authorized to assign one or two rooms in the great, half tenanted building for this purpose. The Faculty of the Cleveland Medical College offered to attend the j^atients gratuitously. A con- tract was made with the steward of the Hospital to supply necessary food, while the outfit of bedding, clothing, dressings and nourishing diet for the sick came from the store room of the Soldiers' Aid Society. To what was now called the Army Department of the Marine Hospital, Mr. B. Rouse gave his time and services as director of its affairs, nurse, faithful attend- ant upon the sick and correspondent. For the two soldiers who died there — one burned by an explosion in the corral, the other returning on furlough to his Illinois home — he performed every kind office, then traced the friends of each and gave them the partic- ulars, so full of interest, of the soldiers' sickness and death. Here, in fact, the Aid Society found little to do. It could visit the patients, from time to time; now and then aid one in returning to his home, and hold itself, on all occasions, in readiness to respond to calls upon its stores for the use of the hospital. It became also, in several instances, responsible for soldiers too ill to be safely removed to the Marine Hospital. 378 PITTSBURGH LANDING. As the men became convalescent, were discliarged, and returned to their regiments, from one and another would come back a letter, full of the writer's views of the war and administration of military affairs, seldom failing to revert, in the words of one correspondent, " to your kindness that you shew me, when I thought no friend was near." The expense of maintaining the hospital was borne by the committee under whose charge it was organ- ized. After the establishment of the Depot Hospital this committee ceased to act, while the S23ecial Relief w^ork was thenceforth assumed by the Soldiers' Aid Society, at this time formally connected with the U. S. Sanitary Commission" and recosfnized as its Cleve- land Branch, THE DEPOT hospital. On the Gth and 7th of April, 1862, the battle of Pittsburgh Landing was fought. In common with the entire West, Northern Ohio was deeply moved and aroused by this struggle, in which a large proportion of its troops were engaged. On that first anxious day, when it was rumored that the great battle was in progress, which was afterwards decided in favor of the Union forces, the Aid Rooms were thronged with an eager crowd, which gathered and increased as intelligence, later and more full, reveal- ed the extent of loss, even to the victorious trooj^s. The imperfect lists of wounded and dead were finally made public, and there were still many, bewildered by the vagueness of the rej^orts, the distance of the unfamiliar battle ground, who came to the Aid Society as the HOSPITAL STEAMERS. 279 fountain head of military information. Little aid could be rendered them there beyond writing a letter of enquiry — the mere sending of which was a tempo- rary relief to anxiety and suspense — and sometimes enlisting them in working for any and all soldiers. Often the amanuensis of the office was petitioned to read the joyful answer to her missive, wherein it appeared that the writer was safe and wanted another fio^ht. Often, too, a few kind words from the unskilful pen of a brother soldier were brought her to deci- pher, which told that poor so and so was killed on the second day's fight, or, what was almost as hard to hear, had been wounded and taken prisoner by the enemy. Within a week from the date of the battle, the hospital steamers of the Sanitary Commission brought up the river the first installment of wounded men, who could bear removal to the cooler northern climate. The hospitals along the route received their allotted number of patients ; the convalescents were furloughed and allowed to return to their own homes. At this time the suggestion was made to the Aid Society by Mrs. James Shaw, of Windham, O., that something should be done at Cleveland for the relief and comfort of the soldiers who must pass through that city. Several wounded and sick boys from Northern Ohio regiments had spent the night, hungry and cold, on the floor of the Union Depot. Two ladies from the Aid Eooms were at once detailed to carry into execution a hastily formed plan which would meet the exigencies of the case. A small room in the Depot was obtained, through the 280 THE DEPOT HOSPITAL. kindness of the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula railroad company, for a temporary hospital, accessible, well warmed and lighted. A part of the primitive furniture of the Marine Hospital was ordered to the front, a foraging party organized to beg or borrow some additional articles of comfort, and a rendezvous appointed for drays and committee women. The simple outfit was soon col- lected, for its various parts were cordially given by the city merchants, with something also in the way of encouragement for the new scheme. In one instance a clerk, hearing the story of the hosj^ital, begged to add his gift to his employer's, because he had a dead soldier brother. At noon a small train, consisting of a dray load of beds, tables and chairs, under the orders of the ener- getic director of the Army Department of the Marine Hospital, and a carriage containing the committee, obscured behind a confused mass of sheets, blankets, pillows, bowls, pitchers, clothing, etc., left the Bank street headquarters, and by night the Depot Hospital was an established charity. Opening a door from the bus}^ depot the room was disclosed, fifteen feet square, with painted floor, perfectly clean, four white beds, a table with books and newspapers, and a very little other furniture disposed to advantage. The walls at this period, though clean, were bare, but soon one and another wounded hero, who found the hours pass slowly in this retreat, covered the white surface with startling- pictures, extracted from sensational prints, charcoal sketches or martial scenes, original in design and exe- ITS MENAGE. 281 cution. Here ^v£iB Jeff. Davis, in the uncomfortable position in which all soldiers delighted to imagine him, and, perhaj^s in close conjunction, an inscription which asserted, with plentiful capitals, that " This is a bully place." It w^as noisy without, through the heavy roll of cars and the shrieks of many locomotives, l^ut within it was quiet, clean and inviting to the sick men to to whose use it was dedicated. The establishment was consigned to the charge of George Vosburgh, an excellent nurse, kind and efficient, who attended all the trains and brought to the hospital room those who were unable to proceed on their journey. A system of tickets, redeemable each month, procured meals at all hours from the dinino^ hall of Messrs. Wheelee and Russell, in the same building, and in this way many could be fed, even in the limited time allowed between the arrival and departure of trains. The advent of the new institution was welcomed by those engaged in any capacity at the depot. It now appeared that much suffering had been experi- enced by disabled soldiers, detained through the nou connection of trains, and dependent upon the charity of their fellow passengers or of the rail road employes, who were heavily taxed to meet the immediate wants of this numerous class. The irregular character of the furloughs of men brought from Tennessee on the hospital boats, made it often necessary to assist them by transportation. The Governor of Ohio employed Mr. Clark Warren as special agent to send forward the Ohio men. For 282 CAPACITIES AND EESOURCES. transportation of members of regiments from other States, the Aid Society relied upon the generosity of the various rail road companies, whose innumerable kindnesses can be only imperfectly recorded. Daily, almost hourly, requests for assistance were invariably and cordially granted, and so long as the society orc]:anization existed. Clothing and some simple luxuries were supplied the hospital from the Aid Rooms, and thus to a cer- amount of home-made dainties direct communication was secured with the lips of the patients, and duly credited on the out-standing account with the surgeons and nurses. Did any one insist that all the sheets and shirts, fruit and wines went astray, the Depot Hospital could be pointed to with pride as refuting the assertion in one instance. Occasionally a seriously ill patient was sent to the Marine Hospital, where fresher air and less noise awaited an invalid. When the U. S. General Hos- pital was established at Camp Cleveland, all cases of continued illness were transferred thither, except of men actually discharged from the service. Financially the Dej)ot Hospital received no special attention from the public. The expenses of its first month's existence were refunded by Governor Tod of Ohio, who visited the room, was pleased with its humble mission, and in this way contributed to its object. It was subsequently supported from the funds of the Aid Society, no particular collection being made for the purpose until the Soldiers' Home was built. The capacity of the room was extremely limited; it A DRAWBACK. 283 aimed only to lodge for a night a sick soldier, and to f^ed those who were able to proceed homeward with- out further detention. Sometimes the name of an army nurse appears on its records, and often the wives or mothers of wounded men were glad to rest here an hour with their charges on their journey from camp or hospital. There was still a drawback to the success of the depot room — the absence of the home character which only can redeem such places from becoming mere feeding stations. The first duty was to see that every man had enough to eat, and, as far as the brief time allowed, had his deficiencies in clothing repaired, his papers straightened, and a pass procured. But noth- ing indicated that he was not simply the object of governmental solicitude, nor added to the relief of his temporal wants the assurance of warm sympathy prompting the aid, which holds hardly a secondary place in the design of the Sanitary Commission. The patients were, whenever it was possible, visited by members of the Society, always when one remained more than a few hours. Sometimes a patriotic sheet found its way back, emblazoned with banners and eagles, glowing in magenta or ^^ink, and bringing a few words from a former soldier guest ; or a reunited family send to the new found friends of son or brother a round robin like this : From the father : " ' A friend in need is a friend indeed.' John o-ot home safe, and hasn't taken cold, therefore I give you my sincere thanks for your kind attention." And the mother adds : 284 RETURNING REGIMENTS. "From a friend. To let you kiiow that my sou readied liome safe, without receiving any iujury, but was some tired, but has got rested and is now quite comfortable, except he is weak and has a bad cough. * * He wants that I should give you his best respects — the old lady as took care of him — as he feels to thank you both for your kind care and attention to him, and says give his best respects to all inquiring friends, and his trouble is that he is not al^le to be with the regiment. * *." In August, 18(33, the regiments on duty on the lower Mississippi, whose term of service had expired, were relieved and ordered home for muster out. The route selected brought the troops of Eastern States through Cleveland, and Avhen this became known, with the fact that many sick accompanied each detachment, preparations were made to receive and entertain them at this point. The rail road companies contracted with the propri- etors of the Depot Dining Hall to provide the feasts Avith a solid foundation of bread, meat and coffee, \vhile to supplement this with a superstructure of more dainty food, became the privilege and duty of the citizens generally. The Soldiers' Aid Society Kooms were headcpiarters for the reception of such gifts, and soon overflowed with treasures of good things. Boxes, barrels, shelves, desks, were receptacles for pies " of all that grows," cakes in endless variety, custards, fruit, wines, every thing which could be baked, boiled or fried, in unlim- ited quantities. The stock of Sanitary handkerchiefs and fans, with STIRRING APPEALS. 285 their mark, whicli lie who runs may read, lay ready for distribution ; the camphor and blackberry ^^me were decanted into small bottles, while a plentiful supply of light food for the sick, beef tea and stimu- lants was selected from the hospital stores. From the Aid Rooms these preparations were con- veyed to the depot, where the entertainment was spread on long tables, improvised for the occasion, and extending through the entire length of the build- ing. The depot proper being fully occupied by the dining arrangements, the small adjoining room was given up to the sick, and attended by only too many kind and sympathizing volunteer nurses. From the Aid Room emanated the first news of the arrival of troops, conveyed to the city at large by a huge black board, which said, in staring letters, from its position before the door: "The 47th Mass. will be here at nine o'clock to-night ! ! Citizens, bring your good things to the depot ! ! " or, perhaps, in a more persuasive tone : " Gentlemen going to market, will please remember the hungry soldiers, to-night ! " When there was sufficient time, the editors of the city papers would repeat these notices, enforced by a full allowance of capitals and leaded type. Of a busy week's experience the Secretary of the the Aid Society wrote : Clevelaxd Aid Rooms, August 15, 1863. Dr. J. S. Newberry, Sec'i/ Wcstcr)i Department U. 8. Sanitary Commission, Louismlle : At the close of a busy and wearisome day, I have time for only a word before the mail closes. We have had our hearts and our hands full in the last twenty-four hours, and many of our ladies have had their first sight of the dreadful effects of war. 286 THE POET HUDSON KEGIMEISTTS. Yesterday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, tlie long expected regiment, (4tli Massa- chusetts,) arrived. There were nearly a hundred sick, and all in a very worn condition. The preparations so long made proved ample, and after two hours' merciful work among the hospital cars, and a full feast set out for the well, the ladies had the satisfaction of sending the brave boys on their Avay in a much better condition than that in which they came to us. Another regiment was telegraphed to be here in two hours from the departure of the first, and you may imagine the commotion into which the whole town was thrown ; messengers were sent everywhere to notify the housekeepers and to hasten their gifts, and such excitement and hurry of preparation at the depot ! Cleveland people, you know, are equal to any good work, and so, at 8 o'clock, when the 28th Maine came in, there was an abundant meal spread for them, and a fully organized committee of ladies to attend the sick. The hospital cars, five in number, were crowded with bad cases. All our ladies were down there and worked like heroines. At 10 o'clock at night we left the depot, only to go home to make fresh arrangements to meet a third regiment, at 5 o'clock this morning. This last regiment, the 47th Massachusetts, has occupied us all the morn- ing of this beautiful Sabbath, and our hearts have been sorely tried by the dreadful state in which the men were found. We had very good provision for their reception. Believing cleanliness to be next to godliness, we organized a "new department," and set long tables at the entrance of the depot and upon them put rows of tin wash basins, with a cake of soap and a towel at each, and had plenty of fresh water ready. Such a splashing and scrubbing and cheering never was ! I believe this was the most welcome part of the l)rogramme. From their bath the soldiers passed on to a really bountiful breakfast of soft bread and butter, cold meat, pickles, herring and salmon, plenty of onions and cucumbers, tomatoes and apples, coiFee and tea. So the well men wei'e abundantly fed. Meantime, the ladies carried hand basins and towels into the hospital cars. Each sick man was refreshed by having his face and hands bathed, and then the tea, coiFee, warm gruel, bread and jelly, dried beef, sponge cake, egg and wine and other stimulants, were dispensed with lavish hand. One badly wounded man and the surgeon, Dr. Blackmer, who was very ill indeed, were carried at once into our little hospital and carefully tended. The surgeon remained, and Mr. Wm. Bingham has taken him to his own house. Four sick men were sent to the Camp Cleveland Hospital, four of the Maine regiment also went there last night. A sad scene, indeed, was the death of one poor fellow, this morning, in our little hospital. He was sinking fast when the train came in. Every- thing was done for him that kindness or experience could suggest, but he was too far gone with the exhaustion following a lung fever, and died almost within sight of his home and family. Poor fellow ! how hard he tried to speak and to send some word home I NEW DUTIES. 287 He was a splendid soldier, tliey said, aud when the men of his company filed sadly in to look at his dead face, — some even kissed his forehead ai}d dropped their tears upon it, — we knew that they felt it hard to leave their comrade, and harder yet to frame the sad story into words that his waiting friends at home might hear. We have taken every care of the body, and it is to be forwarded to-morrow by express. I think you would be quite satisfied with the part our Aid Society has taken in the care of these regiments, and surely it has been a blessed work. It would be well for the Union cause in Cleveland if we had such calls made upon our sympathies and our benevolence every week. You have no idea how nobly our ladies came out to this duty, nor how richly they were rewarded by the bright faces of those New England boys, as they left the depot cheered and refreshed by the care they had received. This last regiment was peculiarly needy. It had passed every important point in the night, till now, and this half day in Cleveland was a blessing to the poor fellows ! They numbered about seven hundred, with one hundred, at least, seriously sick, and nearly all, indeed, ailing somewhat, and just from the trenches at Port Hudson. No time for another word. August 21. I sent you on Sunday a hurried sketch of our new duties — feeding the passing regiments — and now can give you only an equally hasty view of what has been done this week, which to us has seemed long and eventful, and has turned quiet little Cleveland into a busy town, and made Bank street and the depot the scene of a great deal of benevolent and good natured confusion at all hours of day and night. Monday morning we were occupied in making arrangements for sending on the body of poor Thayee, of whose death I wrote you. At night it went, and with it we sent some comforting words to his wife and friends, which I hope softened somewhat their great sorrow. All day Tuesday we were torn with rumors about the next regiment. The cars broke down, and various detentions kept the train till 8 o'clock P. M. Then the 38th Connecticut, a small regiment — five hundred perhaps — arrived ; so worn and weary the men looked, and they straggled so painfully into the depot that it touched every heart, and you may believe our ladies were not slow in offering the comforts contained in their generous baskets. The colonel had gone home by sea, sick. The lieutenant colonel, two surgeons, and many of the line officers were dead, and the regiment was in charge of the major. The sick had been brought up in charge of the 2d assistant surgeon. Dr. Henry Rockwell, a mere boy in appearance, but a miracle of faithfulness, kindness and energy. Dr. Rockwell had tele- graphed his desire to leave five men in the hospital here, and we had an omnibus ready. The men were very unwilling to stop at first — even feigned sleep, and hid themselves under their blankets — but at the persua- 288 CLEVELAND HOSPITALITY. Bions of some of our ladies, accompanied by a taste and a smell of the appetizing gruel, broth, blackberry cordial, etc., they began to put out their heads wistfully, and finally nineteen clamored to stay, and were left. The ladies promised to go and see them in hospital next day, and so they did. S. and N. drove over to inquire after them, and found them as comfortable and happy as sick men could possibly be. " Oh," said one of them, " when you told me of your excellent hospital, I expected to see a great comfortless brick barn or warehouse, fine outside with nothing cheerful within ; but when we drove up to this homelike little cottage, and saw how neat and pleasant everything is, we knew that we were among our friends, and after our bath, and the luxury of clean clothes and a good breakfast, we felt like new creatures, and can realize that we are no longer in Dixie." Indeed all the men who have been sent to Camp Cleveland hospital this week have given the same willing testimony to the kind care received there. At 10 o'clock (Tuesday night,) the regiment had gone on its way, and the sick had been sent over to the hospital. I must not forget to tell you that the commissary stores — three dray loads — were presented to our Society. We can turn some of them into our own stock very nicely, and for the rest we can get a good sum of money, as the Quartermaster here has promised to buy them of us. Next day we had a little breathing time, and then towards night were electrified by the news that two more large regiments were coming on from Indianapolis, while still two more were on the way from Cairo. All Thurs- day the preparations were making, and indeed I cannot tell you how gen- erously our citizens met this fresh call. It reminded one of those early days of the war, when each merchant seemed to vie with his neighbor in his lavish gifts of everything his store afforded. Indeed, it was almost impossible for us to hny anything here. It seemed a mere farce to ofltr payment, everything was so freely given to this good cause. We bought dishes enough to serve the whole regiment at once, and towards night you Avould have been amused to see our lawyers, merchants and railroad men spreading tables, slicing onions, bottling wine, or cutting sandwiches. We had ample washing arrangements, too; a long I'ow of basins twice down the depot. Such a splashing, when at 7 o'clock the 49tli Massachusetts, seven hundred and seventeen strong, came in I — tired, dusty, and so hungry, but there was enough for all, and the sick were attended in tlic cars, as before. The surgeon. Dr. Windsor, was exceedingly careful of his men, and knew at once who were to stay, and we had beds carried oiit of our little room to the side of the car. Seven men were thus brought into our depot hospital. The ladies supplied them with stimulants, and at 8 o'clock they were ready to go over to the hospital. One poor fellow fainted before the omnibus left. He was very, very sick. They brought him back apparently CARE OF THE SICK. 289 dying, but tlianks to the motherly care that he received, animation was restored. Dr. Gushing was called and pronounced it a bad case, paralysis of' the throat, caused by great exhaustion. After he had revived and had been made comfortable for the night. Captain Enswortii oflTered to stay with him, which he did, and this morning we found him well enough to be carried to the hospital. We have seen him since, and he bore the drive well. The men of this regiment expressed the greatest delight at being among their friends again. The colonel and lieutenant colonel had been disabled, the major was in charge. It was a fine regiment. Just before the train moved off, we discovered in one car a black bundle — blankets, as we then thought — piled away in a dark corner, but the heap having, in an unguarded moment, betrayed animation, some adventurous woman investigated the mystery and brought to view the woolly heads and wild eyes of two contra- bands who had not dared to venture out for fear of being stolen back South. They were reassured, of course, and dragged out just in time to get a morsel of supper, for which they showed surprising appetite. It required a great deal of argument, however, to convince them that they were in a free country ! Our duties with this regiment were not over till near midnight. This morning, of course, we were somewhat footsore, and were conscious of having heads, from the fact that there was an ache somewhere above our shoulders. Eight o'clock came, and with it the startling telegram — " 48th 4 Massachusetts — seven hundred men — very hungry — had nothing at Indi- anapolis — can we get breakfast at Cleveland ? " Only two hours, and not only a feast to be provided, but the debris of last night's entertainment to be carried away ! Seven hundred plates to wash, etc., etc., — a small matter to some of our splendidly organized subsistence committees, but a bug-bear indeed to raw hands, as we were. It was done, however, and at 10 o'clock the hungry regiment had really a sumptuous repast spread, while the thirty sick men were attended by the ladies, who first gave a refreshing draught, then the luxury of a dip into the bright tin basin, with plenty of soap, and afterwards turned out of the exhaustless tin cauldrons hot broth, gruel, and all manner of sick diet. Two very sick men have been left. They were taken over to the hospital this afternoon. And now here we are, Friday night, with two big, famished, expectant regiments thundering towards us like relentless fate, — the 53d Massachu- setts saving its appetite, perforce, for breakfast here to-morrow morning, at 9 o'clock ; the 23d Connecticut equally certain of a dinner or supper some time later. And they shall not be disappointed, brave fellows ! It does the hearts of all our people good to give, and to cook, and to carve for these returning men. We might almost wish, for the cause of our country, that we had had such work to do every week since Southern sympathizers began to show their heads among us ! 20 290 FRIENDLY MESSAGES. Now, do not think I mean to boast of what we have done, in the hurried sketch of our work which I have given you. Nothing of the kind is true. I only wish you to know that our citizens have their full share of the patriotism and humanity of which other cities nearer the seat of war have given such beautiful illustrations. Yours truly, M. C. B. To soldiers, living so long in an enemy's country and among unfriendly people, Cleveland, witli its welcome and enthusiasm, seemed a garden spot in the war's experience. The news of its hospitality went to many a New England home, and after the regiments were resolved into their citizen elements, directly and indirectly, many messages of grateful remembrance found their way to Ohio. One correspondent wrote for the " poor blind mother and afflicted wife " of the soldier who died in the Depot Hospital; others, in various styles of chirography and orthography, but in uniform good feeling, sent their own friendly messages. The report of some of the 28th Connecticut bore fruit in a gift to the Aid Society of ten dollars, from a gen- tleman who learned " the manner in which the troops from Eastern States were received." From another New England town returned the fame of the washing arranorements, and thanks of certain of these ex-soldiers for " kindness received when worn out and suffering." All this was certainly pleasant and encouraging. These regiments were followed by the 177th New York, also from Port Hudson, but more exhausted and with a larger train of sick than any preceding it It was met at Cleveland by a committee from Albany. N. Y., where the regiment was recruited, and its wel- come was perhaps more enthusiastic from this cause. In common with the sick of the New England PLEASANT DUTIES. 291 troops, the worst cases were removed to the United States general hospital, at Camp Cleveland, after a few hours' rest in the room at the depot, where one soldier died soon after his arrival. A subsequent very pleasant duty of the Aid Society was to visit these patients at the hospital, and carry to them the good wishes sent by their colonel or more fortunate comrades, who had gone home. The messages were always joyfully received, and the condition of the invalids was in return reported to Albany. Some- times the friends of a convalescent soldier came to be directed to the hospital, and then required some assistance in removing their charge, who probably owed his life to the brief detention, and was always superlatively happy. In the absence of nearer friends, the care of the remains and effects of those who died devolved upon the Aid Society. Colonel Chambeklin, of the 17 7th New York Volunteers, contributed to its treasury fifty dollars, in recognition of these services. This New York regiment was the last that passed throui^h Cleveland in 1863. On the 8th of the fol- lowing September five hundred men, newly assigned to the Invalid Corps, were entertained at the depot. A day or two later came two hundred convalescents, the sick of Eastern regiments, who had been left at the hospitals on the route from Port Hudson. On the 2 2d of September a similar detachment was enter- tained, as reported in the following letter: ClevelaivD, September 24th, 1863. * * About one o'clock, on Saturday, a message was sent from tlie depot for Mrs. Rouse and myself, and, on going down, we found some one hun- dred and twenty men, from New Orleans and Baton Rouge, going home on furlough or discharge. A sadder sight you can hardly imagine. All 292 LIFE AND DEATH. were crippled or otherwise maimed, or pale and tliiu from the effects of long fevers. They had dined luxuriously off oysters and coffee, for which — I came home convinced — they considered thanks due to the " fat man " who dispensed it. The depot room was occuined by a young boy — a member of the 48th Massachusetts — terribly weak after a brain fever. We dosed him with plenty of oyster broth, and ordered more of the same to be given him for his journey. It was really a pleasure to see a little color flush his cheeks as he felt the reviving influence of the warm food. His companion, also a member of the 4Sth Massachusetts, who were fed at Cleveland in August, and who, he said, would never forget it, was as careful of his charge as any Avoman, and I am sure they reached home safely. But a soldier who had left the hospital, ajiparently no nearer death than his comrade, was brought into the depot dead, on the seat where he was placed on entering the train. The body was remoA'ed, before we came down, to the \indertakers, and would then have been taken away and buried without ceremony of any kind, but, on learning this, we gave orders that everything proper should be done for him, and his funeral take place from the Soldiers' Aid Rooms. I found, among his papers, letters from his wife and daughters, full of anticipation of his return. From them I learnt their address, and wrote that night to the wife. I am quite convinced, from Saturday's experience, that we must have a Soldiers' Home. We can have a bazaar, or some other dreadful thing, to support it. The brother of the sick boy reported promptly his safe arrival with his charge; " a joyful thing," he adds, " to me and his poor mother." The soldier who died in the train was afterwards claimed by his friends, and his remains and small possessions sent, at their request, to Norwich, N. Y. Some services afterwards rendered, in furnishing the proof necessary to secure a pension to his widow, brought a contribution of five dollars to the treasury, from the lawyer conducting the claim, the amount of his fees in the case. The cheerless aspect of the depot, on the day which brought this detachment of sick, with a cold wind sweeping through its dreary length and chilling the feeble men who crawled up and down the platforms, or lay listlessly along the heaps of baggage, furnished LIMITED QUARTERS. 293 the conclusive argument for a Soldiers' Home. The Depot Hospital only sufficed for the worst cases, and even then had many disadvantages. The noise and confusion without, sometimes unavoidably penetrated to the ears of the sick men, the quarters were too limited to give all the attention to be desired, and on Sunday, the depot being closed, it was necessary to remove the patients to other places. The whole sys- tem of relief was imperfect, in admitting of no uniform restraint or supervision. The less disabled were fur- nished only with meals, and not amenable to any discipline whatever, drifting away into the drinking places, which abound in that vicinity, and shifting for themselves, except in the matter of food; even that, taken in a peripatetic manner, was deprived of its civilizing influence. All these points were strength- ened by the rapidly increasing number of soldiers from the Southern Department, since the opening of the lower Mississippi brought troops by this route. Besides, should the war then close, the number of disabled men thrown upon the care of the Sanitary Commission could not fail to be very large. A Cleveland Soldiers' Home was at once deter- mined upon ; one that should be comfortable enough to give the sick the care and attendance found in the United States general hospitals, which are closed to men discharged from the service ; and should also be sufficiently attractive to compete successfully, in every simple way, w4th the surrounding hotels, or rather saloons. To these, the newly discharged soldiers with their pay in pocket, were an easy prey, and between their runners at the trains and the employe of the ^94 SUCCESSFUL CANVASSING. Depot Hospital tliere was consequent and continual enmity. Two officers of tlie Aid Society, with Mrs. R. F. Paine, Mr. Peter Thatcher, Mr. James Tracy and Mr. John F. Warner, wlio kindly offered their ser- vices, constituted a committee to solicit contributions for this purpose, and entered upon the task immedi- ately. They were successful beyond their anticipa- tions in collecting two thousand dollars, including the value of some gifts made in material for the building. (See Appendix B.) The work of collection, although rendered comj)aratively easy by the general prompt generosity with which the request was met, was yet embarrassed by the fact that the special relief work of the Soldiers' Aid Society was little known, and, indeed, up to a recent period, had made no demands upon the interest of the public. The greater number of those who were solicited to aid the new project, gave readily, because they had faith in the earnest purpose of the society, which asserted that there was new suffering to relieve, and not because they knew this to be true. Consequently there were certain, even among the generous and patriotic, who pro- nounced the scheme unnecessary and a waste of means which might be applied to assist more pressing distress. The truth of this oj)inion could only be proved by actual test, and after a few months' experi- ence of the value of such an institution, the objections to its purpose were very generally withdrawn, as all doubts of its usefulness were set at rest. On the 12th of December the Depot Hospital was finally closed, despoiled of its furniture and returned l^ai} Invalid coRi»s. 295 to tlie uses of a railroad waiting room. Its record, compared with its small capacity, is honorable. It gave out fourteen thousand meals and lodged nearly thirty-four hundred men, and to many of the number issued clothing and furnished transportation. Aside from this number, which chiefly consisted of the occupants of the depot room, or those relieved in its name, were numerous soldiers' wives and fam- ilies, who claimed and received assistance in various ways from the Aid Society Rooms, and whose names were often entered upon no record. They had letters to be read from absent husbands and brothers, and, in the office, some one could always be found to per- form this service. A poor old woman, one day, went to the house of her favorite scribe, in an agony of grief, and placed in her hands a letter, which some neighbor had read to her, containing the fearful tidings of her son's having been put into " the invalid corpse." " And will they let him be brought home ? " she sobbed. It was with difficulty made clear to her that her son had written the letter himself, and there- fore must be alive, and the Invalid Corps was defined as a blissful situation, where the convalescent soldier would have no more fighting. It seemed often hard that a stranger must be trusted to read all that came from a dear and absent son, or communicate to him the loving messages and home news ; yet she who thus stood between, yet connected the members of a scat' tered family, became in time almost the confidant of their mutual troubles and pleasures, and learned to feel most genuine interest in their welfare. 296 SUNDRY PETITIONS. There were even more letters to write tlian to read, for a good, fair hand, wliicli could plainly write the direction — company, regiment, hospital and state, — was much sought after. The mother would often come to ask to have a letter \\Titten to the captain, for her son had not been heard from for long months. The answer to the inquiry was often news of death or imprisonment, but sometimes John or Jajhes, whose letters had been so anxiously waited for, was, by the officer's report, " well, and on duty with his regiment, and will be instructed to write to his mother." Varied and curious were the applica- tions made by women, as ignorant as affectionate, for information and assistance. Mrs. S. had a sailor son, and wished the Navy Department petitioned for his pay — name of ship, etc., unknown. Kosa S., a pretty, rosy young woman, came for news of a soldier husband, who is traced through various stages of disgrace until found in a deserter's j)rison. Day after day she comes, gradually losing her fresh color, looking paler and more anxious, as grief and hard work steal away her youth. Mrs. D. was a forlorn woman that picked up a precarious existence by the sale of matches, pigs' feet and other trifles. She had a son in camp and then in hospital, to whom she dictated many letters into which was always slipped a little hardly earned money or some postage stamps. She slept anywhere that offered lodging, lived on scanty food, and wore the cast off dresses of charitable people, but an affec- tionate heart beat under the rags. Mrs. H. — a pale, soft voiced little woman, — had HOPELESS QUESTS. 29 H' lost all trace of her liusband, soon after liis enlistment, and came, with a full description of hair, eyes and fine bass voice, to ask assistance in discovering his fate. His name was not on the Adjutant General's rolls; he had dropped out of human knowledge as completely as if he had never existed. Once the wife had news that a soldier with a beautiful voice and musical talent was at a frontier fort, but a letter written to its commanding officer brought again disap- pointment after weeks of waiting. There was one slim little girl, who carried a baby and came any number of times to inquire after her husband, Joiiisr Smith, sick in hospital somewhere. John Smiths innumerable could be found — every regiment and hospital had its share — but this partic- ular John Smith never turned np. It was hard to give her the same answer again and again, as she came in, bright and expectant, with the baby in its white starched sunbonnet. She was so cheerful and industrious, and so fond of poor John Smith ; it seemed almost as if she hoj^ed to find him there every time she entered the little Aid Room office. Others there were, not only among residents of Cleveland, but, perhaps, to a greater extent, persons living in neighboring towns, who, although quite able to write their own letters, yet were ignorant of the proper steps to be taken in securing certain desired information. Inquiries at the Hospital Directory office ordinarily went through the channel of the Aid Society; also applications for news of a missing soldier at the Adjutant General's office, and search for tidings of those who had died in hospital. The 208 Difficult co^lmissions* agents of the Sanitary Commission — not only at the Louisville office, but wherever one was stationed — could be relied upon to perform, at no small sacrifice of time and trouble, any service asked of them, tracing, by even the slenderest thread, the fate of men who had disappeared from the company rolls, or executing commissions entrusted them to deliver to patients of hospitals in their department. Unbounded influence with the military authorities was often ascribed to them and to their home representatives. " Please get my son a furlough,'" was the burden of many letters. " Have John discharged and sent home to get well," or, " can you not have my husl^and transferred to the hospital at Camp Cleveland?" and so through the scale of possible and impossible commissions. One letter sa^'s : " We received your letter. As a drowning man clings to a straw, so we cling to any hope relating to our dear boy. The advice and sym- pathy expressed in your letter we feel truly grateful for. Will you use your influence with the surgeon to procure a discharge if our boy still lives." Another : " My son is in hospital at Nashville ; his wound is doing well but he has been troubled for some days with fever. If it continues I fear he won t be here very long. I ask, how am I to get him home ? " The Hospital Visitors — another corps of the Sani- tary Commission agents — were commonly clergymen appointed to visit systematically, each in his own district, the military hospitals, and minister in many ways to the comibrt of the patients. Aside from the duties of chaplain, ex-officio, which most of them per- formed, they charged themselves with writing letters A HANDFUL OF LETTERS. 299 for the soldiers, siq^plying tliem, under sanction of tlie surgeon, with many trifling luxuries from the Sanitary Commission storehouses, and keeping careful record of the last words and messages to be trans- mitted to the friends of the dying men. To the Hos- pital Visitors application was therefore often made by the Aid Society, in the interest of persons wishing to learn the condition of an invalid, or to claim the effects of one who had died in a certain hospital. These are a few of the letters received at the Aid Rooms : " I would wish you, as a friend of suffering parents, to look after the effects of my sou. The value of the effects is of no consequence, only as mementos of a dear boy that I had fond hopes of He left his studies at the age of eighteen and went to fight for his country, and has filled a soldier's grave amongst strangers. The things are nothing — nothing — save as mementos of a lost son."- "Being desirous to know the whereabouts of my son, I write to you. If you know you will confer a favor on his parents. From his father." "I write to you as my last hope of ever hearing anything about my dearly loved husband. I fear it is too late, but I hope some agent at that place may know something about him." " I had a son die in hospital in Chattanooga that I did not know was in the army, until I received a letter from the surgeon stating that he died there. Could you not assist me in ascertaining the facts con- cerning it ^ " "I received your letter, and will never cease to thank you for your kindness to me and mine. I have 300 LETTERS CONTINUED. now a liope tliat my dear liusband was as comfortable as possible. Oh, God, it is hard to bear. He had a needle-book and an inkstand which I should like to have because they were his." " I have received a letter stating that my son died in the battle-iield hospital. I wish you would write to Georgia." " It caused me much joy to hear that my only son was improving. I desire you to keep me informed as to his health, and ask him if he is in need of money. If he becomes dangerously ill I want to come and see him." What disappointing answers sometimes came! "He died three weeks since." "His name is not on the hospital books." " No record at the Directory office." Not unfrequently it was a convalescent in the same ward where a soldier had died who wrote. "Alex, was a sober, industrious boy. He often talked to me of you and his sister. He told me how he loved you, and that he intended to send money to you. I went to see his grave; he is buried in the soldiers' burying ground. You must be comforted ; remember he died for our great and glorious country." The picture was not all dark — its bright side was often turned. " He is getting well, and walking about the camp, although he still looks feeble." " He has just started for home on furlough." " John is doing well." "Sullivan is discharged from the hospital and has joined his company." One affectionate son replied to anxious questions as to his long silence, that he had written home four times and irot no answer, and now he had quit it. UNION PRISONERS. 301 The applications most difficult to answer — most hopeless to forward, were from the families of men prisoners in the hands of the rebels. At the close of the year 1863 these letters began to come, increasing in number and more hopeless in tone, as months passed and still the exchange of prisoners was delayed, and hope of release in time to save seemed almost at an end. Here is one : " Dear lady : Excuse the liberty I take to address you. I am a soldier's wife ; my husband a prisoner to the rebels. The only word which has reached me concerning him was through a soldier who escaped from Andersonville ; since then no tidings have reach- ed me. I am sorry to trouble you. Is there any possible way to find out if he is yet living? My anxiety is very great." And another. "He was captured on the 12th of May. I have two children, and anxiety is taking me to an early grave." There were many men whose names were entered upon no register, and whose fate was known only through some fellow prisoner who had made his escape or had been finally exchanged. To one woman, poor, and the mother of several children, it became necessary to say that her husband, stripped by the rebels of hat, shoes, socks, blanket, blouse and shirt, had frozen to death on the cars, while being trans- ferred from Andersonville to Columbia prisons, in mid winter. In the Sultana disaster perished a number of men from Northern Ohio regiments, just released from prison, feeble, sickly and hardly able yet to realize the new joy of being once more free. 302 HOSPITAL INQUIRY, The subject of hospital inquiry can not be exhausted — can barely be entered upon within the present limits. Its natural centre was the Hospital Directory, of which a sketch has already been given on page 227 of the preceding General History of the Cleveland Branch Sanitary Commission. The extracts above made were, however, from personal letters to those in the Aid Society office, who were known through their connection with this work. A full file of all these letters is preserved — several hundred in number. They contain a world of hopes, fears, griefs, joys, purest patriotic feeling, and reflect, as no other record can, the hearts of those whom the war bereaved. To the writers of these letters, the soldier's words, " he died for our great and glorious country," could never be a mere high sounding phrase ; it was a living fact, which softened the keen edge of sorrow and carried the domestic loss into the higher sphere of sacrifice and self devotion. They offered other sons to a cause which each by his own tribute had appropriated and made personal, and the interest which all had felt in the welfare of the soldier, when represented by one familiar name, became more wide in scope, more fervent in purpose. Those who eagerly aided the first feeble attempts to relieve the suffering consequent upon the war, were the last to withdraw their gifts ^vhen the neces- sity was past. Where some additional aid was required beyond that systematically issued by the visiting committees to the soldiers' families, it was obtainable from the SANITAEY ISSUES. 303 Aid Society funds. If the winter was unusually severe, tlie stock of quilts and blankets was drawn upon to give to the most destitute, and when a soldier, discharged or on furlough, was sick in his own home, his food, wine and medicine generally came from the Aid Room stores. A note from the physician was usually required where medicines and stimulants were asked. The memoranda of such disbursements show a half barrel of ale sent to one man, who, shot in the lungs, barely lived through months of fearful suffer- ing. Corn starch, farina and " blackberry corgell," as one petition expresses it, were frequently issued. The latter beverage was generally believed to be infallible in any mortal disease, and, to quote from the same correspondent, " to Due a Graddell of Good." Prescrip- tions, cerate, liniments, cod liver oil, were given out in druggists' orders, and the amount paid for such issues is not small. After the important battles there were invariably many, anxious to go at once to the scene of action, who came to the Aid Rooms for help and direction. They argued that if a wounded man could be brought home, he would more surely recover, — they must see him at all events, and they thought, as one said, that " you can hardly imagine our anxiety and anguish." It was hard to deny these natural requests, and yet so great were the difficulties in the way of such journeys, so doubtful the possibility of reaching the desired point, it was always suggested that inquiry into the facts of the case should first be made by letter or dis- patch. The way sometimes seemed clear ; one member of the family would start for the front, provided with 304 FRUITLESS JOURNEYS, transportation, and armed with letters of recommen- dation to the Sanitary Commission agents along the route. They also always carried with them a little package of eatables, contributed often by friends and neighbors as poor as themselves. This was not for their own refreshment by the way ; it was expected to revive the wounded soldier, even in extremis, espe- cially if a can of fruit was added from the Aid Room stores. The children of a poor woman, preparing for such a pious pilgrimage, were taken in charge by one and another of the same warm hearted friends. One wife, who had seemed a helpless, uncertain being, hearing that her husband had been left on the route from Harper's Ferry, sick and paralyzed, left her four children at home, and started in search of him, by the aid of such simple directions as could be impressed upon her. She came back without him, but, happily, he was afterwards traced to the Tripler Hospital, at Columbus, O., by letters sent from the Aid Rooms, after her return. Another woman, who went to Gettysburgh in search of a wounded husband, and who saw, in all the horror of a recent battle field, only the suffering of one soldier who lay in a small field hospital, brought back fearful tales of the neglect with which she was treated by the military authorities, from major generals down. But she also brought back, in his coffin, the soldier whom she had journeyed so far to see, and who died before she found him in the hospital tent. A man going to see his sick boy at one of the Winchester hospitals, could not read, and a system of signs had to be invented for his instruction. The A SAD HISTOEY. 305 letter having one straight line in the corner was for the railroad conductor; that with two marks, for the Subsistence Committee, at Pittsburgh, and represented dinner; and so to his journey's end. These expeditions were almost always fruitless. It was sad to see them undertaken with so much eager- ness and at such sacrifice of slender means. It was commonly too late when they arrived ; the j^atient had not lived longer than the first report, or had been transferred to a more distant hospital. Yet the jour- ney in itself was a relief, and, if successful, was so happy in its results that it could hardly be discour- aged, if based upon any reasonable grounds. A hard woi'king seamstress, in a city in the State of New York, learning that her husband, dangerously wounded, was in hospital at Louisville, Ky., started with the hope of bringing him home. She had barely money enough to carry her through the earlier stages of her journey, but she pushed her way on, seeking out in each town the office of the Sanitary Commis- sion, and procuring there transportation to the next point and letters to aid her in any unforeseen emer- gency. Louisville was finally reached, the man found alive and doing well, and, assisted by the Commission, she remained there until the soldier was able to travel, a furlough procured and he allowed to go home under her charge. She was so happy when she reached Cleveland and waited a few hours at the Home to let the ladies see the tall ghastly soldier, whose wounded shoulder was still in slino;s and whom she regarded with such fond pride. They got home safely, the man recovered, joined his regiment 20 306 AID KOO^t GUESTS. flud served his time out; l>ut Uvo years later tlie ■woman airj^in eame one niornino: to the Home. Her husband had been robbed of his pay and murdered, just after leaving his regiment headquarters on Look- out Mountain. The faithful creature made another iourney, hoping by her own elfort to discover at least his bodv in the wilderness of trees and thick under- o-rowth which clothe the steep descents of the moun- tain side. But the search was never successful. Before experience had proved, even to the appli- cant, the dilUculties in the way ot' forwarding private parcels, many articles, suiall and great, stockings and mittens of home manufacture, with dainties of the most perishable character smuggled in their folds, cakes and pies made after the old infallible recipes were brouo-ht to the Aid Kooms to ''follow the armv" in search of some individual soldier. Frequently, if the camp was not distant and communication open, anv small article of comfort was selected from the Aid Room stores and sent bv mail to a soldier, in the name of the parent who could not afford its purchase. The hospital and camp furnished a large proportion of the visitors to the Aid Eooms. Almost every morning the hospital ambulance drew up before the door and brought over for a day's holiday some of the men avIio were unable to walk so long a distance. The ambulance was always at the service of the ladies at the Aid Eooms to take them to Camp Cleveland. It also made a morning trip to the depot to ]nck up any stray soldiers assigned to the hospital, and its driver, Steward I... was radiant when SANITAUY TREASURES. 307 something nice was sent to the sick men on the return journey. Most of the patients who visited the Aid Rooms came, however, on foot, some of them hobbling on crutches over the three long miles of hill and dusty road. Their holiday seemed always to include this visit, and, later in time, a dinner at the Soldiers' Home. A few trifling gifts were ready for them, a little stationery and a stamped enveloj)e, tobacco, — sometimes accompanied by a lecture against its use from the good lady who gave it out, — mittens for the guard at camp, and knitted woolen socks which all the soldiers coveted, handkerchiefs of brilliant color- ing and patriotic design, a flannel shirt occasionally, always combs, pencils and little things of that class. Books, papers and magazines were l)orrowed, circu- lated through the hospital and generally returned to the Aid Rooms. In several instances one of the society officers was entrusted with the last installment of pay of some soldier, who drew it out of his banker s hands in small sums. Trifling advances of money were at times made to men who were known to be honest and in need of a little help to send home, or for the purchase of some necessary article. In every case the sum thus loaned was promptly rejiaid before the soldier left the hos- pital. THE SOLDIERS' HOME. A BUILDING site for the Home was given by the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati railroad com- pany, comprising three hundred feet of the pier upon which the Union Depot stood, parallel with the 308 THE soldiers' home. latter, and separated from it by only the width of the road. This situation was unsurpassed in its easy access from all the railroad trains and steamboats, and thus was avoided the necessity of conveying sick men up the hill into the city — in many cases a dansjerous and painful transportation. In the construction of the buikling the Aid Society availed itself of the proffered services of Mr. Randall Crawford, who not only superintended the original desi^^n, but kindlv undertook to carry out all the sub- sequent changes, improvements and additions which became necessary. The plan adopted somewhat resembled that of the Soldiers' Home at Louisville, Ky., — a battened build- ino", two huncLred feet lone:, whose interior arrano-e- ments, after numerous expansions, resulted as shown in the accompanying diagram. These meagre outlines are transformed in the memory of those who were frequent guests ^s'ithin its walls into a pictiu'e, bright and cheerful, of which, it must be confessed, the extreme length of the building and its pallor of com- plexion gave little promise. It is sketched as it appeared in its day of greatest usefulness and prosperity, when the funds of the Sokliers' Aid Society, expanded by the receipts of the Sanitary Fair, Avere employed to add some degree of luxury to its undeniable comfort. The two wards at the south end of the buikling contained twenty-five beds each, were clean, well yentilated, brilliant with fresh whitewash, blue bed spreads and a profusion of flags of vai'ious sizes, festooninsr the mirrors, wavina: from the £:as fixtures and crossed above windows and doors. DIAGRAM. 309 " > & f^ ?■ P W 2 ^ " P. PT ^ o S a" B a of *~t (Hi ►^ p. m » ^»| p. cc § s re m B ST. 2 B ? B w o o B a o 13 tr' o tv V- "• S" W o* o ^ o *^ H b s ^ 5' H. 3* d o •1 p o c» W (11 B w ■ o o B p- o o B :*>«■?? C H O W f* c n ci, o ' CD O P p o B S. B m P S S- So o -,2 p* o B 2 " • P B o o p p B & o o P' S3 o o B O tr' <1 f O o f o W w o &^ W ar 310 THE RECEPTION EOOM. The middle ward, called tlie reception room, wliere tlie men commonly sat, boasted a larger collection of pictures, patriotic emblems and other decorations. Here was the book-case with a good library of small compass, and a round table, well supplied with peri- odicals and, through the kindness of the editors, with the daily Morning Leader and Evening Herald. Writing materials were furnished to all, and, the superintendent being instructed to stamp the numer- ous rainbow hued letters, the post office box on the wall indicated a voluminous correspondence. There was a smaller table where often a one-armed or one- legged soldier might be seen seated apart, absorbed in the mysteries of arithmetic or a copy-book. Another grand attraction was the backgammon board, in use from morning to night, and always surrounded by an excited group of spectators watching the progress of the game, which, as the checkermen in time disap- peared from the scene, was carried on by means of buttons and other small articles. There was also a looking glass where summary before-dinner toilets were performed, with migratory combs, attached by long brass chains to the wall, and a much frequented water cooler in another corner. Flowering plants stood in the windows, and a scarlet cardinal bird in his cage sang with distracting disregard for hours. An adjoining room was furnished with compartments for baggage and checks. The bath-room, transferred from its first position near the sleeping wards to the extreme end of the building, contained conveni- ences for dressing wounds, towels, combs and brushes of uncertain tenure. Here, the men soon discovered. THE EARLY OUTFIT. 311 a plunge bath could be easily improvised by re- moving a trap-door and diving into the depths of lake Erie below. There was a small ward for the very sick, which could be soon warmed and was less noisy than the larger rooms. Kitchens, dining rooms pantries and the apartments of the officers of the Home were well arranged and well fitted up, the use of each being designated by small signs on the doors. The Branch Aid Society of Newburgh provided each of the thirty-six windows Avith a green Venetian blind, which kept out the dust and glare of the depot thoroughfare and, drawn up on the lake side, admitted its invigorating breezes. The early outfit of the Home was, however, more simple, comprising only what was really necessary in the way of furniture, purchased to add to the treasures of the depot room, and a little that was contributed in response to a newspaj^er apj^eal. Dr. Newberry, the Western Secretary of the Sanitary Commission, presented the establishment with iron bedsteads and rope matting for the wards. The Gas Company fur- nished, gratuitously, all the gas consumed — a valuable contribution, as the building was lighted brilliantly throughout its entire length. The Water Company also granted the free use of its pipes in the adjoining depot, for although water was everywhere around the Home, none could venture to drink of the yellow flood eddying about the piers. ~ When all was finished, liberal applications of white- wash, both within and without the building, were made, two long signs mounted, and a bright national flag run up over all, which in the first year of the 312 THE FIRST PRIZE. war, wlieii temple and tent alike wore tlie colors of freedom and loyalty, had floated from the tower of Trinity Church, Cleveland, and was presented to the Home by its Rector, the Rev. T. A. Starkey. The nurse attending the Depot Hospital was en- o-ao-ed to continue his services in the new field; a superintendent and matron employed, and the house- hold corps increased by the addition of a female servant. Just at this time a soldier, whose brain and limbs nature and the rebels had combined to hope- lessly confuse, presented himself as a subject for assistance, and was appointed to the position of man- of-all-work. A gun he never again should wield, but a broom and mop he exercised to perfection, and served his country in this humble way perhaps as well as before, although with less glory, it is true. On the 12th of December, 1S63, the finishing touches were given to the Soldiers' Home, and on the afternoon of that rainy, chilly day two ofiicers of the Aid Society proceeded to inspect the building. The whole was in order. The accommodations seemed ample for any number of men, but not a soldier, sick or well, appeared to claim its hospitality. This was disappointing in the extreme, in view of the urgency of the case as represented to the j^ublic by the canvass- ing committee, who honestly expected crowds of eager applicants awaiting the last blow of the carpenter's hammer. With dampened ardor they returned to report the discouraging state of affairs, but, half way up the hill, fortune threw in their way a very muddy, forlorn, one legged soldier, limping along painfully on THE HOME PROSPECTUS. 313 his crutclies, who was at once stopped, wheeled right about and conveyed to the Home in triumph. Here the employes were ordered to be very careful of him, to give him the best the house afforded, and, as he proved really a friendless, homeless cripple, he was invited, in the ardor of the moment, to remain an indefinite length of time — or even to j)ass the rest of his days sunning himself on the bench by the Home door. One soldier, at least, was sheltered by the two hundred feet of boards and shingle that night, and during the next week nearly three hundred men were fed and lodged under its roof On the entrance door to the Soldiers' Home was a sign which said : U. S. SANITAEY COMMISSION. SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY OF NORTHERN OHIO. SOLDIERS' HOME, CLEVELAND, O. SICK AND WOUNDED SOLDIERS, DISCHARGED SOLDIERS, AWAITING PENSIONS AND BACK PAT, OR FURLOUGHED SOLDIERS WITHOUT MONEY, WILL FIND LODGING, A RESTING PLACE AND FOOD, FREE OP CHARGE, AT THE SOLDIERS' HOME, West of Cleve. Col. & Cin. Passenger Depot, in the rear of the Merchants' Despatch OflBce. Smaller cards bearing this inscription were widely circulated, especially through other Homes, while large cards of the same kind were hung in all the passenger trains on the different railroads and posted in the hotels and post office. Each of the Branch 'Societies received one, with the request to suspend it in a conspicuous place. A runner, with a badge of the Home, was still in attendance at every train, while depot officers and employes were always ready 314 MEANS OF SUPPORT. to direct to the institution any who had failed to read its many signs or escaped the notice of its officials. At the more remote depot of the Atlantic and Great Western railroad, the Omnibus Line agent had orders to send to the Home, at the Aid Society expense, soldiers arriving there who were too feeble to walk so far. In fact nothing was necjlected which could draw within its influence the men for whom the comforts of the Home were meant. It was certainly cheering to a man, who looked forward only to arriving hungry and forlorn in a strange city, to read the invitation sent hours before to meet him. " Such proofs of kind remembrance stouten our hearts," one soldier said. The benefits of the Home were, at first, necessarily limited to the classes before mentioned — chiefly sick or disabled men, soldiers on furlough or discharge coming singly or in squads. Unlike other similar institutions, whose support has been very largely drawn from rations obtained from the government, the Soldiers' Home at Cleveland was entirely sustain- ed by voluntary contributions, either made directly for that purpose or donated for the general uses of the Aid Societv. For this reason, until after the Sanitary Fair, the Home was financially unable to receive retriments or laro-e bodies of soldiers under command of an officer entitled to obtain rations from the post commissary. Although the rule of the establishment admitted only those clearly shown by theii' papers to be entitled to a share in its comforts, yet the order, by common consent, was inoperative. A man claiming to have lost his furlou2:h or discharge was allowed the benefit FLEXIBLE RULES. 315 of a doubt, and, especially if sick or liiiiigry, was temporarily entertained. Tlie error of possessing too little faith was a fault of great magnitude in tlie eyes of the founders of the Soldiers^ Home, and while the common sense and experience of the superintendent were somewhat relied upon to discriminate in doubt- ful cases, yet his orders allowed him to turn no one from the door until his claims had been investigated and his immediate wants relieved. There has never been cause to regret this mild government. Refugees and government employes occasionally claimed and received assistance ; the female refugees benefitting by the kind offices of a society established for that pur- pose, under the name of " Home for Strangers." The wives and mothers of sick soldiers always found place in the Home building. On entering the Home a soldier's baggage, gun and knapsack were properly checked, his name, company, regiment, condition and destination carefully regis- tered, and to this entry was afterwards added the number of meals, lodgings and other assistance received. All were allowed to remain as long as neces- sary, but, after one day's sojourn, a card signed by an officer of the Aid Society was required to endorse a longer stay. Cases of sickness were of course ex- empted from this rule. Good conduct was an indispensable requisite for readmission, and, although instances of intemperance and disorderly behavior at times occurred, the men were generally found civil and orderly, and uniform discipline was maintained. This was due to the really good character of the majority of our volunteer 316 AIM OF THE INSTITUTION. soldiers, and in part, it is believed, to the spirit in wMch the establishment was conducted. The fund which sustained this and all Sanitary Commission institutions came from a thousand sources, often humble and sometimes unknown. It was the offering of patriotism and loving self denial, and the earnest of this should accompany as well as ]3rompt the gift. The Soldiers' Homes were designed not only to minister to the absolute necessities of those who became their guests, but, while not omitting these weightier matters, they aimed to express by the man- ner in which the gifts were offered, the interest felt in the soldiers as men who were intelligently and devo- tedly enlisted in the service, and not as mere candi- dates for unlimited food and flannel shirts. This was accomplished through personal refining influence and the use of simple means, pleasant things to look at, good order, kind treatment and the presence of many tokens of womanly taste. Every guest was aware that in the Soldiers' Home good conduct was expected, and as a rule respect for the regulations of the house- hold was cheerfully rendered. A sick or disabled man found at the Home what his condition required, his wounds were carefully dressed and his case attended to by a physician, his friends were informed of his illness, and where the disease appeared serious or of long duration, the wife or friends were summoned and allowed to remain until the patient could be removed. A room in the building was esjDecially appropriated to the use of such guests. For the first month the Depot Dining Hall furnished ITS ADMINISTEATION. 317 meals to the Home inmates, as before. Tliis plan was soon relinquisliecl, and the food was prepared thence- forth within the Home, except when the detention of trains made a coffee room lunch all that was possible. As the wants of the institution became more gener- ally known, contributions of green vegetables, fruit and home made luxuries were received from the Branch Aid Societies, and these gifts continued so long as there were soldiers to be regaled. Occasion- ally articles of a perishable nature, unpacked eggs, stray potatoes and onions, fruit which threatened fermentation and compounds dangerous to transport were sent from the Aid Rooms, reorganized and set before the soldiers. As with the Depot Hospital, the control of the institution remained exclusively with the officers of the Soldiers' Aid Society, by whom all purchases were made, rules framed for the government of the household, and all questions arising in its adminis- tration decided. A room in the building was subse- quently used as an office, where this business could be transacted, and one of the ladies was in daily attendance. The experiment was made of employing as superin- tendent a soldier assigned from the U. S. General Hospital at Camp Cleveland for the purpose, but this proved inexpedient, and Sergeant Joseph Jeeo:me, a discharged and disabled soldier, was apj)ointed to the position. Until October, 1865, when compelled by his business engagements to resign his post, he continued to discharge its duties to the satisfaction of his employers, who found him efficient, reliable 318 AN OLD FRIEND. and capable of exercising an excellent influence and control over liis most turbulent guests. Mrs. Louisa Ford, who was both capable and energetic, first filled the place of matron, and was succeeded in March, 1865, by Mrs. Ross, by whom the increased duties of the office were faithfully discharged until the closing of the Home. Aside from the entertainment of transient guests, the duties of the first six months embraced the care of a number of patients, suffering from wounds or disease of long standing. Conspicuous among these, was a tall, gaunt Hungarian, a political exile from his own country and a member of the 1st Ohio Battery. Once he had inhabited a corner of the Army Depart- ment of the Marine Hospital through a serious illness, and since then had apparently made the tour of all the Homes and Lodges to which his military service could gain him admittance. He had occasionally reported to his former friends through the j)en of some lady whose protege he had in turn become, and one morning he presented himself at his old quarters, more ghastly than ever, and begged the privilege of dying in peace, under the protection of the Soldiers' Home. In that asylum, however, under the combined influence of good care and unlimited cod liver oil diet, he unexpectedly revived and became equal to the duty of engaging in hourly and fierce wordy battles with his fellow soldiers and especially w*ith the matron, who excited in him unqualified aversion. His mortal disease, consumption, rendered him so morbidly sen- sitive that he fancied every man's hand was against X c uiifliiiii iinr//7i / * in iJi. AN APPARITION. 319 him, and consequently built fortifications around liis bed of chairs, tables and pillows, in anticipation of possible attacks from the worthy matron, whose mere entrance into the ward, where he lay entrenched, was sufficient to throw him into a fever of agitation. One o night he came trembling to the house of one of the Aid Society ladies and refused to return to the Home unless under her protection. But often a more kindly side of the strange nature appeared ; he would dive into the depths of his myste- rious and carefully guarded "baggages" and bring out a good red flannel shirt for another sick soldier, and the Sanitary Fair acknowledges the gift of a pair of dumb bells from the same source. In the Sanitary Fair buildings he was frequently found. His appear- ance was so startling, — the apj)arent embodiment of all that soldier ever suffered, — it naturally excited universal sympathy, and wherever he turned, oysters and coffee were lavishly bestowed. It was no doubt the restlessness of disease which made change of place necessary to his happiness, for a few months later he went to Cincinnati, finding there as usual other friends and new sympathy, and soon came the news from a kind hand of the death of this "good and patriotic man " in the Commercial Hospital. The first death within the Home walls was that of John H., a Michigan soldier, whom his wife, with her child in her arms, had brought from one of the crowded Washington hospitals. They had come against the advice of the surgeon and had painfully struggled from one friendly shelter to the next, until this — the last — was reached. It was apparent from the first 320 THE FIEST DEATH. tliat the long journey liad been fruitless, and yet tlie comfort wliicli eacli day brought was in the thought that on the next they should be certainly able to start for home and the children. How intensely the sick man longed to be there, and yet was so courageous and patient ! His wife, well meaning, vociferous, and — with all her affection — aggravating to an unpar- alleled degree, failed to disturb his serenity ; the contretemps of a noisy and new fledged household had no irritating power; the most trivial kindness was magnified into a cause for gratitude. To the clergyman who often visited him and tried to draw his kindly simple heart from its little circle of human anxieties, he spoke, in the last night of mortal agony, of faith and resignation which had been born in these hours of fearful suffering. Through the assistance of the Aid Society the body was carried to his home in Michigan, and a clue to the further fortunes of the family for a time retained through the letters of a son, a bright young boy, enlisted at thirteen years of age in the band of an Illinois regiment. From these, much interesting infor- mation was obtained with regard to the said band, and all the plans for " mother and the children," lying beyond his happy discharge from the service. Chakles W. was another patient, under treatment for partial blindness, whom the course of events brought back again, two years later, with a broken leg and still more imperfect sight. In that period he had run the gauntlet of perils by poverty, disease and intemperance. Renovated physically and morally, it was hoped, he was again discharged, to reappear in VETERAN REGIMENTS. 321 twelve moutlis witli still greater capacities for assist- ance. Still another inmate was one unfortunate enough to have suffered two amputations upon his right leg and requiring a third operation when his application for admission was made. Occupying for some six weeks the small sick ward, he was distinguished for the sang froid with which he took the whole matter — ludi- crously cheerful in the midst of his pain, reading, singing, laughing, especially vigorously shaking hands with every visitor, as if the mere certainty of food and shelter made all other inconvenience trifling. Except in the care of the sick, the Soldiers' Home had no part in the entertainment of the regiments returning on veteran furlough, in January and Feb- ruary of 1864. A citizens' committee was formed, and the soldiers feted in the dining hall of the Sani- tary Fair buildings, then just completed. A member of the 20th Ohio Battery died at the Home two days after his arrival. His wife, who had brought a little child from their country home to meet the husband in Cleveland, fortunately came before his death. A baby at the Home was an unusual guest, but it comforted the poor woman as she sat by the fire and dressed the laughing little thing, whose father lay dead in the next room. Aided by the kindness of the oflficers of the battery, she removed his remains to a grave with his own people. Into this quiet circle of recognized usefulness, a bomb shell was occasionally thrown, by some daring hand among the Home guests, which brought dismay 21 322 OCCASIONAL GKIEVANCES. and indignation to the minds of its managers, and doubtless liad a salutary effect in clearing the atmos- phere of temporary obstructions. On one such occa- sion the Aid Society was informed, in a well-written frank statement from a young cavalryman, that the disabled members of the Invalid Corps, on arriving at the Home, were compelled to bivouac on the floor, in full view of numerous comfortable unoccupied beds, — in deference to certain ideas of military discipline enter- tained by the superintendent. At another time, the solution of sundry unaccountable midnight raids upon the pantry — and consequent valiant skirmishing of the matron upon the foragers — was found in the discovery that no entertainment had been given to the hungry guests arriving by the evening trains ; all had been sent supperless to bed and had thus revenged their disap- pointed appetites. These grievances were promptly remedied and, indeed, were found few in number, although every complaint entered against the em- ployes of the establishment was promptly investi- gated. Some fancied wrongs arose from the necessity of limiting the stay of soldiers on furlough, or of denying admittance to members of regiments in Camp Cleveland. In February, 1864, the first sum of money contrib- uted hj the Branch Aid Societies to the support of the Home was received from Wadsworth, O., and this example was soon followed by other towns. These gifts, although valua])le as indicating sympathy with the Home and its work, were yet trifling when compared with the actual amount required to main- tain the establishment. The proceeds of the Sanitary WOUNDED m THE WILDERNESS. 323 Fair were therefore drawn upon to meet the current expenses and to carry out an extension to the build- ing, with some other alterations and improvements. The early spring and summer of this year were marked by nothing more eventful than the ordinary routine of a Soldiers' Home presents, with its daily chauo-e of inmates : but the series of battles becrinnino; with the Wilderness brought an influx of wounded men to all the Homes on the route from Washino;ton. At first came those whose injuries were of such a nature that they could make the journey unattended, and a few weeks later, again and again, a bed or stretcher was carefully lifted from the railroad cars and carried to the Home, on which lay some fearfully wounded man whom a father or brother was taking to his home. They always thought fresh country air would effect what a crowded hospital had failed to do, and this was no doubt true if the journey could be lived througjh. It is of course imj^ossible to j^reserve a tithe of the incidents which marked this and later periods. Those familiar with this phase of the Sanitary Commission work, know the character of the daily history of a Soldiers' Home ; its numberless cases which, calling for personal care and active sympathy, are yet so soon supplanted by others, who in turn give place to new guests. One hot Sunday in July, the visitors at the Home found, among other patients, a young soldier, shot through the body, "who had lain on his face for seven weeks in hosj)ital, and was now being carefully carried home by his father, who — as was often seen — waited 324 TWO PATIENTS. on liim with really womanly tenderness. Anj^tliing more exquisitely nncomtbrtal)le than the condition of the boy can hardly be imagined, and by his side, during all the burning afternoon, sat the father, fan- ning away the flies, chauging slightly his painful position, bringing him ice, lemonade, anything which could give him temporary ease, and saying occasionally a cheerful and encouraging word. Some blackberries and a clean coloo-ne-scented handkerchief, which were given him by one of the ladies, seemed especially to please him, and when at home and convalescent, he sent back the followino- letter: o JUIA' THE 10 i neglect of Writing to you till now i hap Bin very poorly till a few- days i Be gin to get much Betor you hap probly for gotten me i Was at your Solgers hom on the 3 of j uly over Sunday, if you haf for gotten me i never will for get you the kindness you shown to me Was grat Eeleav to me i hav suftered dredfully from my Wound throo ner the spine of my Back i hop i soon will get well, i will close for this time hoping that i will see you again, i Will forever remain your poor little Woodid Solger Boy. JoHX. Another patient was a Wisconsin soldier, suffering from hospital gangrene, who, through two long weary months of couvalesceuce and relapse, was the care of the Home, although not under its roof His nerves, rendered sensitive through disease, were tortured by the noise of railroad trains and heavy wagons at the depot, and one morning his bed was put into an exj^ress cart, sheltered by umbrellas inclined to every angle, and transferred to a quiet house near the lake. Here a nurse was employed, and a physician regularly attended him. Here, with everything that could speed his recovery, amuse his loneliness, or tempt his appetite, he revived, lau- DOMESTIC NEWS. 325 gulslied, grew better, worse, while the insidious disease, checked in one spot would immediately appear in another. All this time a vigorous correspondence was kept u]3 with the parents and wife of the patient. The old mother, in Wisconsin, was "worried to deth and in poor helth," and feared he would never get well. She dictated numerous letters through a daugh- ter, who exj^lained that " to please mother, who was afraid you wouldn't get them, we sent the letters different ways, once by express." For herself, the daughter thought she would never refuse to give something to the " Sanitary;" " if it don't do my friends good, it may some other person." The wife, who kept up as good courage as her "nervous temperament would permit," sent volumi- nous ej)istles of alarm, gratitude, anxiety; messages from little Cakrie, and accounts of the farm, which — like many another woman — she had managed in her husband's absence. She told him hoAv Stanley had grown, and that the neighbors had come in and stacked her grain, free of charge, with many other little domestic items, which were a comfort to the poor fellow, whose chances of getting home seemed very small. But at last he actually did recover, his wounds finally healed, and a brother, dispatched by the anxious family for the purpose, bore home his prize with great rejoicings. Many of the patients who occupied the Home during the months of July and August, 1864, were members of the National Guard, returning from the three months' service. The exposure and change in mode of life caused sickness among them to an unu- 320 ENLAKGING THE HOME. siial degree, and in many instances produced fatal eftects. In Aiio'ust the Home buildino- was ao-ain altered and improved. It tlien appeared as in the plan, with- out the new dinino- room extension and south ward. September 8th the Secretary of the Society wrote: The Homo just now engrosses a good deal of our attention. You have no idea how that department has grown since the "one hundred days' men " began to come home. Last month we averaged one hundred lodg- ings per day and eight hundred meals per week. One day Mrs. House and I were sent for at 8 A. M., and went down to find eight hundred men, the most of tliem weak and ailing, scattered over the entire space between the Home and the depot, while all the beds in the Home were filled and the floors covered with very sick men, so that we could hardly find stepping room. To the half famished men outside I gave out crackers by the handful until a -whole barrel had been emptied, while German Mary filled each man's cup with hot coftee. The railroad train had broken down between Alliance and here, and the poor fellows had been left thirty-six hours in the woods without food. Never, except at the extreme front, have I seen such eager faces and starved looks. Inside the house we were busied all day long, till dark, carrying tea, toast, eggs, gruel, beef soup and milk punch to the sick men. One died just as he was brought in. It was our las^t summer's experience over again. These were the IGGth and 160th regiments Ohio Xational Guards, one hundred days' men. The General Hospital and barracks here are full, and every day for two weeks we have had every bed filled and the fioor crowded. Dr. Xewojekry agreed with us that the Home should be enlarged. Mr. Crawford said the materials Avould be beyond the reach of our purse next spring, and that the building should be done now, so the carpenters are busily at it. The whole is shingled and floored, the kitchen pushed back and the dining room enlarged, and other improvements have been made that I think you will be pleased to see. I have just come from a sad scene there this morning. A member of the 166th died just before I went in, and another is fast going. His wife is with him. but her care is in vain ; twenty-four hours will end his days, poor fellow I A death occurred there on Sunday. You cannot imagine the sad cases that have come under my eye there these last two weeks. And again, on September 30th: The repairs and additions are now nearly finished, and the Home is full every day. Judging from the number of refugees and deserters we enter- tain there, Jeff. Davis will soon be the " last man " in his dominions. OHIO NATIONAL GUAKUS. 327 Only think of it, five on Friday, tliirtocn on Saturday, six on Monday, and so they come, and we talve them in until they can get employment. A squad of them are working now on Mr. Case's building. The women, of whom we have not a few, are consigned to Mrs. Williamson's Society for the Friendless, for we cannot keep them at the Home. I went down, yester- day noon, just in time to see sixty hungry mortals, in various stages of convalescence, making their way from the train to tlie door of the Home. Jeuome had gone to Painesville and Mrs. Ford had been suddenly called into the country on some personal affairs. Dutch Mary and I threw our- selves into the gap, and set and cleared tables and washed dishes at railroad speed. Every man of that crowd has had at least one good dinner in his life ! Throngli these members of tlie National Guard the good report of the Home spread far and wide, and the })eople of Northern Ohio learned more of its objects and wants than all previous appeals througli the press had taught. The women whose husbands and brothers had actually received aid within its walls, embraced the cause with especial ardor, and thenceforth the Home received a generous share of their interest and personal sympathy. One wrote that her husband, a member of the 150th Ohio National Guards, was sick at the time of his return, and so was partaker of the bounty of the Soldiers' Home. He had often told her that it surpassed other Homes in the variety of the table, and that he was much more pleased with his stay there, so she wrote at his request to express his thanks. Another, a friend and contributor of long standing, says: " I have a dear brother, a member of the 150th Ohio, who is being kindly cared for in your Soldiers' Home tonight. Heaven bless you for it ! " Here, in the Home, many hardly earned contribu- tions were seen in actual use, and, although the fViith of the great body of contributors in the field opera- 328 THE CHILDREN S GIFTS. tions of tlie Sanitixiy Commission was genuine and most generous, it cannot be denied tliat an additional stimulus was given to tlie general work, by tlie widen- ing of the Special Relief department. The little girls, ^vhose album quilts — the product of much sac- rifice of bright Saturday afternoons — covered in plain sight some wounded soldier, to whom its numerous inscriptions furnished ainusement for dull hours, were eager to make others for the same good j^urpose. The refreshing sight of blackberries and currants, picked by their own industrious fingers, going down some hungry soldier's throat before tlieir very eyes, could hardly help bringing more encouragement than a venture trusted to the j)erils of a Southern cam- paign. In city and country, innumerable small socie- ties and juvenile bazaars sprung into existence, having the Soldiers' Home at Cleveland as an object- ive point. Meanwhile at the Aid Eooms had o-one on the busy round of correspondence and inquiry, as new battles were fought and new names — so many and familiar — were dail}^ added to the records of dead, wounded and missing. Xear the door, now hung the lists of missing men, published by Miss Claea Barton and from time to time amended bv her, which Avere often and anxiously scanned. Posted beside them on the wall and more frequently in the reception room of the Soldiers' Home, was sometimes a little written notice of a soldier Avhose fate was still a mystery, with tlie request that if an}- man knew of him, he would report to the anxious family. HOME rilOM THE AVAK. 329 Once tLis was done in liope of hearing of a youtliful soldier supposed to liave l)een killed in a brilliant cavalry cliarge, or to have fallen, wounded, into the hands of the enemy. Some of the long-sought-for had in time returned, had been released from prison, or had recovered from their wounds and come home on furlough, and, wliere the matter could be compassed by their affectionate relatives, had been led — sometimes "like sheep to the slaughter," — -to the Aid Rooms for insj^ection and admiration. One w^oman excused the ftxilure of her son to appear in person there, on the ground that he was "so wild like." Kiciiaed T., who was so long in prison, had made his escape and came in one day, radiant, escorted by his proud and happy wife. The brown-eyed little German woman had received her Fkanz safely back from the hospital, where he had lain sick, and under their small roof there was great rtjoicing. Other brothers and husbands had come home and reported themselves "all right," while a few of the lost and found returned only to end the story of sickness and suffering in death or permanent disability. The letters of this period show a new element in their manifold character, as did also the applications made in person at the Aid Society office. In the succession of eno:a2:ements on Sherman's march from Chattanooga to Atlanta, there had been great loss of life, and Ohio men had fallen with the rest. It there- fore became a part of the duty of the field agents of the Sanitary Commission, and of the inspectors sta- tioned at the various posts in the rear of the army, 330 BKINGING HOME THE DEAD. to identify the graves of the killed and, where it was desired, to forward the bodies to their friends. The orders for removal ordinarily came through the Cleve- land Aid Societ}^, to whose care the remains were consimed, and with whom settlement for the incident expenses was made. Many a woman, who had become the sole support of her children, spent all that she possessed or could borrow, in bringing home the body of her husband, that it might lie in ground hallowed by church rites, or by the more common consecration of children and friends already resting there. There were not many who considered a National Cemetery the best and holiest place where a national soldier could be l)uried, and it was usuallv failure of means to remove him, not want of inclination, which left him lying there. One of the first of these commissions was for the son of an old man living near Cleveland, who came in the rough larm wagon to carry home this, the second, who had been killed in the service. Four other sons were still servins: in one of the srreat armies. There were also two brothers who, killed side by side at the same moment, were found buried together near Resaca. Of another who was brought from a Georgia battle field his father wrote : " We have received the body of our dear son. You have the thanks of an atflicted family for the interest you take in assisting the poor soldiers. God grant the day may soon come when there will be no more need of Soldiers' Aid Societies, and no more sacrifice of valuable life." The entrenchments near Dallas and Resaca, Flor- ence and Kenesaw Mountain yielded up the bodies of ARTIFICIAL LIMHS. 331 many a "dear son," and many were removed from tlie fields and little gardens of the towns. A l^aiTier was, however, placed in the way of continuing these offices, by the order of General SiiEK:\tAN, which positively tbrbade the further removal of bodies until after November, 1804. This measure was purely a sani- tary one, and, after the limit designated by his order, so long a time had elapsed that little further was accomplished in the matter. A very frerpient com]:)laint made at this time, and often at later periods, ^N^as of the quality of the arti- ficial legs furnished by contractors to the nation's ci'ip- j)led soldiers. They were sometimes worthless after a year's use. It was almost imj^ossible for their wear- ers to purchase new limbs; the price far exceeded their scanty purses, and the inconvenience was very great, as a serious drawback to gaining a livelihood. Nor could these be supplied at the Sanitary Com- mission expense, although contributions for this pur- pose were sometimes made. Spring crutches were in great demand, and a purchase was made of one hun- dred pairs, manufactured by a discharged soldier who was himself crippled. These were afterwards var- nished and padded by a second one-legged soldier, a guest at the Soldiers' Home. After the battles in Virginia, in the spring of 1804, there were more persons to assist in going to see sick or wounded soldiers than at any earlier period. The hospitals were more accessible. It was not like seek- ing one left in the wake of the armies of the West, where transportation was perilous and the guerillas 332 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. SO troublesome. One man who liad two sons, one of wliom was killed and tlie oilier seriously wounded in tlie first battle of tlie Wilderness, tliougli extremely ignorant and inexperienced, made his way to a Wash- ington hospital by the help of letters and passes, found his living son and brought him home. Another father wrote from his home in Michigan, after return- ing from a visit to his son, as follows : " I found my son in the hospital. He was not able to be moved from the bed, and I was obliged to return without him. The Sanitary ladies kindly offered their sym- pathy; he had no appetite to eat anything from their fair hands. I intended to call on you on my return and thank you for your kindness, but was not well enough to do so." From soldiers themselves frequent letters came. Delegations and committees in the hospitals at the front would indite elaborate thanks on the part of all the boys, for donations, traced to their source by the indestructible mark of the Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio. These communications generally began with a picture of the inevitable man, in soldier or sailor dress, who, suspended in mid air, gaily nailed the natioucil flag to the north pole, and they ended with a score or two of signatures. There were still more individual letters, and here is a specimen of the class, although dating back as early as the battle of Pittsburg Landing : Dear Friend : I was sent liere from the Battle ground to assist in dressing tlie many wounds I was in charge of 15 Wounded Soldiers the Surgeon had neglected to get bandages and what to do I knew not but determined not to give it up without a trial I started out inquiring of every one I met if they knew any place where I could procure any Banda- ARMY LETTERS. 333 ges no one knew finally I came across A yountr man Avitli a lot of Bandages under His arm looking as pleased as though he had found $5.00 in gold I stopped and asked Him where did you get them. Oh said ho (his face glowing with pleasure) right down there to that little frame house (pointing across the street) there is A Woman that belongs to the Society she has every thing that our Boys wants I went and found to my surprise Old mother Beckerdike with Bandages, Pillows, towels, shirts Drawers, Socks and every thing to make the poor suffering Boys comfortable I took what I could carry of the Bandages and other necessaries and went to the Hospital looking as well pleased as the Soldier I had met that told me of the place all this seems kind of curious to me to get such luxuries without A Recuisition Countersigned by two or 3 Officers. But how to express my gratitude I know not we can say I thank you most sincerely there is A Reward layed up for the Society which will return to you in many days. Our Boys would have suffered severely had it not been for the Society I hope we will all meet in Heaven where War and Bloodshed are not You will be very kindly remembered by all of the Hospital. Yours respectfully give me Ohio Ladies thats my native State. Here is anotlier not so overilowliig witli honest warmth. Gloomy pictures the nameless writer draws. Humanity seems to demand that the attention of some charitable insti- tution should be called to our ccjndition here at Vicksburg. We have nothing left us but to apeal to charity. In our Regiment alone we have One hundred and thirty-seven sick. 113 of them are shaking with the ague and the Doctor informed me that 3G grains of Quinine would set them all upon their feet in forty eight hours but for the want of it they will have to shake until some and I am fearful many of them will shake themselves into eternity. I am satisfied what will do for the army at Washington will not do for the army here in this malarious country where we have to drink water out of mud puddles a great deal of the time. * * * The following letter is pathetic, but resigned, as if the writer were fully aware that the nation had the Avorst of the bargain by insisting upon his service. He was an old acquaintance. Well i am again in the field i was drafted the fifteenth of this month i cant see where they will put me i am not fit for service i can not work nor dare to expose myself i hope they will give me time to get well if i ever do my wife feels worse than she did the first time i went out she 334 CONTRIBUTING SOCIETIES. lived by herself last summer and noboddy to talk to but the dog she thinks it a great pleasure to have me to talk to although i could not do any work and i dont think i ever will. Here is a letter from a soldier, who sends a modest and natural request. You will confer a great favor on the writer if you will please be so obliging and so kind as to send, occasionally, a line or two to a weary lonesome soldier, to cheer him on his lonely road. You may think it is a great presumption on my part to thus address you, being a perfect stranger, but, knowing you are engaged in such a good work for us soldiers, I thought you would also help to cheer us by a word, for a word from a lady oftentimes helps us on amazingly. I have no kind mother or sister in writing distance. I am sorry to tell you they are all south. Now, I know if you had an idea or even could imagine what a source of comfort it was for us to open a letter, why I know you will pen a few lines. If you desire it I shall answer your letter, and I think I can interest you by a description of the country and the people hereabouts. The contributions for the Soldiers' Home now formed a part of the shipments from towns near Cleveland. A few of the Aid Societies sent weekly a supply of good things for the Home table, and, for a time, all the potatoes and butter consumed in the household came from the same generous source. Occasionally, from over zealous packing, most tempt- ingly invoiced boxes and barrels arrived in a state of chaos — hot doughnuts consigned to a tomb of vege- tables and canned fruit distilling into the cheese and butter. Among these contributing societies were conspicuous all who had given most liberally towards the supply department of this work. A list of them will be found in Appendix B, of this volume. These were not all flourishing villages nor incipient towns of the more thickly settled portions of the territory which limited the Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio. Many of the most valuable and useful gifts WINTER QUARTERS. 335 were prepared in lonely farm houses, to reach which the few ladies who formed the society must journey through cold, snow, or almost impassable mud, over long miles of country roads. In many such meetings the wants of the Home were earnestly considered, and for its sick soldiers was manufactured and dis- patched the best which each good housewife could prepare. The tiny society at Chester Cross Roads sent over one hundred pounds of fresh spring butter, and so large a quantity of dried fruit that a lady at the Aid Rooms remarked to the grey haired man who brought these contributions to Cleveland : " Your village must be a fine place for fruit." "We have very little," he replied, " but we keep it all for the soldiers and eat none ourselves." The expenses of the Home were now very sensibly reduced by these gifts. In a report, published in January, 1865, the estimated cost of a meal or lodging since the opening of the institution had averaged only twelve cents. The winter of ISGi and '65 brought again a large number of discharged men to claim assistance. Sev- eral crippled soldiers were admitted to the Home while attending the schools or commercial college. Others remained for only a few days while seeking employment, and these, with a number of really help- less men, swelled the list of inmates to formidable pro- portions. The first approach of cold weather also brought from the South an unusual number of refu- gees and rebel deserters from the hardships of another winter campaign. To the latter, the ordinary hospi- 336 EEFUGEES AKD DESERTEES. tality of a meal or lodging was granted. The refugees ahvays needed assistance in procuring employment, and proved tlie most difficult class of applicants to provide for. Tliose having trades readily found work, but others of a more numerous class, unfitted by habits or education for any known branch of industry, were most discouraging proteges. The Strangers' Home Society took charge of the female refugees and often assisted these destitute families to oro-anize a new humble home, by gifts of household furniture and food. Among these many phases of want, distress and helplessness, are conspicuous a few shining exam- ples of resolution and energy. A sno^^y day in December, 1864, found a group of six refugee brothers huddled around the stove at the Aid Kooms. Their homespun suits bore ample evi- dence to the swamps and forests through which they had escaped from Dixie, and a rebel picket had sent a bullet throuo;h the knee of one durino; the flio;ht. The only warm garment they possessed — an old shep- herd's plaid — was wrapped around the youngest brother, Tom^iy, fourteen years old. From " Jee3ies " to Bob there was little variation in dress or expression; all were hopeless and discouraged, with the exception of To:mmy. To the Home they were all dispatched, until emplo}Tnent could be found for them, and after vari- ous trials and failures to make clerks, laborers or salesmen of them, they adjourned in a body to chop wood upon the line of some railroad. From thence came frequent and alarming reports of Bob's having chopped away portions of his own feet or his neigh- TOMMY. 337 bor's, or of John's axe having iinexpecteclly descended on his brother's head. Meanwhile, Tommy was adopted by the Soldiers' Home, clothed and sent to school. The expense of his supjoort was quite balanced by the many ways in which he made himself useful — always ready to sit by the bed of a sick soldier, to light fires, or run the numerous errands to which a boy's feet are considered equal, and never unwilling to "tote" anything for friend or foe. Grave and conscientious, his sober face was daily welcomed at the Aid Rooms, where he had ordinarily some weighty question to propound, as, " Miss , how long does it take to get an educa- tion ? " His monthly school reports were duly brought to be signed by his guardians and the credit marks properly admired, and to the discriminating taste of the Aid Society was confided the selection of poems and orations to be spoken on public occasions. To:mmy received many marks of favor from teacher and scholars at school, once in the form of a pair of skates, often by smaller gifts and gratuitous sleigh rides. But ToiAiMY was homesick. Nothing had been heard through the long winter from the father and mother in Virginia, and when the taking of Richmond opened a way of return to her refugee citizens, the six broth- ers were among the first to avail themselves of it. All refugees claimed to be Unionists, and so doubt- less the larger portion of them were. Some had suffered beyond belief at the hands of the rebels, had seen their fathers and husbands murdered, their homes destroyed and themselves cast out, but it may be doubted whether all who professed to be loyal could 22 338 ENTERTAINMENTS. support their claim. There were females, refugees from huno-er and privation in the South, as staunch rebels at heart as their husbands, who were probably then fighting under the rebel flag. When only a meal or lodc^ins: was asked, the sentiments of a hunsjry mother and her children were not very closely inquired into. There are some amusing incidents associated with this class. One woman, who had received permission to remain over night with her family at the Home, brought forth from her baggage a surprising quantity of handsome clothes, put them in tubs of water to soak, pulled out a pipe, seated herself over the fire, and refused to depart until some one had finished the washino- for her. The humiliatinoj confession must be made that, unless force had been employed, she Avould have remained in possession. On the 2d of December, 18G4, Mr. James E. Mur- doch gave a Patriotic Reading for tbe benefit of the Home; and in March of the following spring, a num- ber of ladies and gentlemen, who had long been friends and supporters of the Aid Society, gave a series of Tableaux and Dramatic Performances for the same object. (See Appendix E.) The latter enter- tainments yielded a profit of seven hundred and thirty dollars, and with this sum a new w\ard, thirty-six feet long, was added to the south end of the building. Work was at once commenced upon this, and in a few days it was completed and ready for occupancy, Avith a fall complement of flags, pictures and l)lue gingham spreads. The following sketch, published in March, 1865, o-ives an outline of the daily routine of the establish- ONE DAY AT THE HOME. 339 ment at a time when large numbers of convalescent soldiers -svere in process of transfer to their respective States. ONE DAY AT THE SOLDIERS' HOME. " How few of our citizens have taken the pains to turn the corner of the Union Depot, to give a passing look at the flourishing Soldiers' Home, stretching its white length along the pier ! It has certainly done its best to attract the peoj^le's affectionate attention, not only covering itself with mighty signs, as with a garment, but crowned with the flag which converts all places under its shelter into soldiers' homes. As the representative of our city's hospitalities to the sick and wounded soldiers, or to any of our national army who need food and shelter, it has now so good a name that all who have contributed to its support may well be proud. " The last few days have brought an unusual num- ber to its door. Eastern hospitals are in process of depletion to make room for new arrivals from Sher- man's army, of those who have fallen by the way in the grand march. Convalescents they call these men, who hobble on crutches about the door and crowd every available space within the Home limits; yet each bears his marks of disease or wound, either in pale face and feeble gait, in useless arm or crippled limb. But all individual differences are merged in the one absorbing interest with which the still closed dining room door is watched. Behind that protecting l)arrier all is now bustle and active preparation, and under the influence of quick fingers the meal is in 340 FEEDING THE CONVALESCENTS. readiness, soon enough for tlie patience even of the hungry crowd waiting beyond the door. Now the word is given, and in troops the first installment of men, very slowly and feebly — not as they marched away with Siierjian — for these must be carefully helped to their places at the bountiful table, with crutches stowed away in close proximity; this one must have some kind hand to sup];)ly the place of the arm now hanging useless at his side, and another's morbid appetite craves some variation from the ordi- nary fare. The guests' names must be recorded, as accurately as the warfare of knives and forks will permit, rough Government crutches exchanged for the comfortably-padded ones furnished by the Sanitary Commission, and many little deficiencies in clothing noted and remedied, while the men do justice to the fare before them. No wonder the faces brighten under the combined influence of kind words and good cheer. Did the maker of these marvelous cookies realize the exquisite relish with which the appetite of a convalescent regards them ? These vegetables and apple butter, with w^hich some country Aid Society has furnished the home larder, are delicious beyond belief to men so Ions; consio-ned to salt beef and hard tack; while the butter and soft bread receive such special attention, that reinforcements are speedily required. A low hum of applause and approving comment runs round the tables ; one and another says, audibly enough to rejoice the attendant ladies : ' Well, this looks like home ! ' or, ' I liavn't seen anything like this since I left home ! ' Many pay only the compliment of full justice to the meal, while here and VARIED WANTS. lUl there one summons up courage to make a neat little speecli of thanks as he rises from the tal)le. But whether silent or complimentary, the feeling of all, we believe, is expressed in the words of the tall pale sergeant, who, rising with difficulty on his crutches, says : ' Ladies, kind friends ! it is worth the little we have suffered for our country, to meet such a warm reception at home.' " Now the room is finally emptied of its first guests, and the tables hastily prepared for the second detach- ment, and then for a third and fourth. All honor to the worthy Matron that her store room stands bravely such repeated attacks, and her coffee boiler stoutly replies to all drafts made upon it. What a relief, that the last poor fellow who lingered near the table has fared as well as the first who rushed eagerly in to the assault! The same j)rogramnie is repeated on each occasion, with variations in individual cases. One forever-helpless man is carried in the arms of a brother soldier, that he, too, may have the pleasure of sitting at table with the rest, and he pulls out the fatal bullet which ^ruined' him, as he says, to exhibit. Meanwhile there are many in the sleeping ward, too feeble to care to leave its comfort, whose taste must l^e consulted, and to whom food must be carried. Here one man's wound needs dressing, an- other asks for a fresh bandage; a slipper is wanted for a swollen foot, and a sickly soldier must have some strengthening remedy from the medicine-chest. At last all are fed, all rested, and all wants attended to ; the whistle of the train is heard and the soldiers depart, with strength enough gained to carry them on 342 APPEALS FOR AID. ttieir journey, leaving beMnd tliem plenty of good wishes for tlie Home. But tlieir departure brings little rest to tlie Home corps. The debris must be removed, and fresh preparations made for the arrival of the later trains, which may bring as many more guests to be entertained again and lodged over night." The Home, even at this time, was comparatively unknown to the people of Cleveland, its local position cutting it off from friendly visits. The Aid Society found, however, a decided stimulus given by it to the general work, and were anxious to extend its influ- ence through the entire system of tributary organ- izations. The soldiers who came to the Home had been, many of them, previously aided on battle fields, in hospitals, in the Homes of the Commission, and the central office possessed the advantage of having constantly before it some evidence of the results of its work. With the view of sharing this interest, no less than in the hope of increasing the material receipts, the wants of the Home were persistently brought before the public. As long as practicable, a list of the soldiers entertained was published weekly. Con- tributions were always publicly acknowledged, and in time the reporters of the daily newspapers chronicled the incidents of the household in a manner thorough enough to satisfy its most zealous advocates. Early in the spring of this year the long-hoped-for, long-delayed exchange of prisoners was made. If the time had seemed long to those who waited and almost despaired at home, it had been an eternity to the prisoners' letters. 343 prisoners themselves. " What did the men think of the delay?" was asked of one who had been for many months confined in Andersonville. " We thought the Government did not know how we were suffering, and, at last, we believed that we were deserted by every body — even by our friends. Then some of the men said there was no God. The married men all died first ; they would think of home until they got des- perate. Some of the time we had nothing to cover us but some sticks stuck in the ground, over which we stretched strips torn from our clothes. We never believed the Government would lose by exchanging us, for we knew how we should fight if we once got out of that place." From time to time, especially as the last winter of imprisonment approached, letters had come to the Aid Society from Ohio men, confined in the prisons at Florence, Ala., and Columbia, S. C. They contained no demands for luxuries ; they asked for the coarsest soldier's fare, hard tack and army beef, to keep ofl' starvation. To this some of the men added requests for clothing, shoes and shirts. The inmates of Sauls- bury prison suffered more intensely from cold than from the actual want of food, for with forests in abun- dance near them, they were forbidden to cut down even enough wood to build huts or barracks, and often had only holes dug in the earth to shelter them in the bitter winter weather. On the coarsest scraps of old brown paper some of these letters are written, and have usually more than one signature, with the prison numbers of the writers. 344 HUNGER AND COLD. " You are requested to lend your aid in tlie relief of two members of tlie 23d Ohio. Botli of us are bare footed and nearly naked, without blankets or shelter of any kind. It will be necessary to be expeditious, for the cold winter is fast approaching, and, if some- thing is not done soon for us, we shall hardly stand the storms. Some dried fruit would be very thank- fully received, and perhaps be a good remedy for the scurvy, as we are both ailing with that disease." Here follows a list of eatables, flour, bacon and the size of the shoes so much needed. One of the men who signed the next letter was a noble fellow, captured by the rebels while taking care of a wounded comrade on the field after a battle. He says: "Excuse the intrusion of strangers. We are six in number — three of us thirteen months in prison. We all need shoes, socks, shirts and drawers, and we crave something substantial to eat, as army bread, etc." Others wrote because they knew "no one else to apply to," and were " somewhat acquainted with you as an agent of the Sanitary Commission," and add : " Please don't think us too forward." A fifth letter runs thus : "We have no near friends to write to for aid. We assume the privilege of wri- ting your honorable body, asking you to send us a box of provisions, to helj:) us through the winter. Also, we would ask you to send us some clothing. We are very destitute and have scarcely enough to cover our nakedness. The cold weather is here, and we sup- pose it will be still colder and our suiferings will be very great, without we can receive something to kee]? us warm. We hope this may meet your approbation, EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS. 345 and, our prayers accompanying it, we have tlie assur- ance to think it will." The desired clothing and food had been sent, with little hope that they would reach their destination, but because it was imj)ossible to do otherwise while there was the remote chance of the supplies relieving any suffering Union prisoners. Of their fate this only was known: a small part of the stores sent by the Sanitary Commission did actually reach some of the men, but the vast freight of food and blankets, de- signed to comfort and succor the starving and freezing prisoners, was wrecked on the prison bar and glad- dened the hearts of rebel officials. But finally the exchange was made. One and another of the Cleveland men came home, and told of the fate of others who had starved to death, or died of actual despair. One said: "When we came near the camp of our troops at Wilmington, on our way home, first we heard in the distance a military band, then we saw, away off, a United States flag, and then all the boys broke down ; they shouted and wept, and some knelt down to it, and just then the boys from the camp came out to meet us and brought us every- thing they could find for us to eat, and the band came out too and played for us." From Annapolis, where all the exchanged prisoners were landed, after the necessary detention to receive refreshment and allowance of pay, the less feeble among them obtained a month's furlough and at once went to their homes. Every day and train now brought to the Cleveland Soldiers' Home large num- bers of these men. It seemed as if enoucjh could not 346 REBEL MERCY. he done for tLeni there. A standing order at this time was, that all the feeble men among the returned prisoners should be given milk punch or blackberry cordial as soon as they arrived, and the same con- tinued at intervals during their stay, with everything to eat which they could suggest. With all this care, some of them died and others lingered there through long and severe illness. But there were many more who gained wonderfully in this short rest, and proba- bly came safely to the end of their journey. When Richmond was taken and the whole North rejoicing, it was pitiful to go into the Home wards and see sitting there, listlessly and despondingly, men who, suffering for the common cause, were yet shut out from sharing the general joy. On the very day which brought the glorious news of Lee's surrender, a man came to the Home with his son, whom he had found in the hospital for exchanged prisoners at Annapolis. He was still a boy, but paralyzed, partially deaf and with mind hopelessly clouded. All during their stay he sat perfectly silent, apparently unable to hear the noisy rejoicings, or even to comprehend their meaning. He only spoke once ; a gentleman who was present asked the father what had caused the son's terrible condition, and catching the meaning from his pitying expression, the lad said, slowly and with difficulty, "starvation," and then relapsed into the same dull state as before. The first of those who died among the prisoners was a young Michigan soldier, who was brought, dying, from the train, but yet begged to be allowed to go on directly to his own home. He was told that his STARVED TO DEATH. 347 mother would be at once sent for, and a telegram went immediately to the little village where she lived, but there was some unforeseen detention of the trains, or carelessness of messengers, and she did not arrive until her son had been twenty-four hours dead. Up to the last moment of consciousness he had talked of her. That one fond hope of seeing her had almost power to keep the parting spirit in its mortal frame. He was so afraid she could not come, or perhaps was sick, or dead, for her last letter, received in prison, was dated eight months before. But the mother came on the next day — a pale, sad woman, dressed in deepest mourning for another son, killed in the war, who had been brought home to her, dead, a few months earlier. "Edwin," she said, "when he went away was such a rosy, broad shouldered fellow," and then she went in and looked at him in his coffin. But the ileshless, withered skeleton that lay there seemed never to have been any one's handsome boy. She took him back to the Michigan village, and not long afterwards she wrote from there, in these simple and touching words : " Agreeable to my promise, I will write you a few lines to-night, that you may know I am at home in safety, having arrived last Wednesday afternoon. The burial took |)lace at two in the afternoon. Sab- bath, when the wasted body of that dear one was laid in the grave by the side of his sainted father and brother, there to await the resurrection morn. I have a hope in contemplating his death without which I might be driven to distraction — the hope that my Edwin has gone to everlasting happiness, and that I 348 A mother's letter. may one day meet him witli his brother who has only gone before. I believe they are both better off than with me, yet I so feel the need of them while here, their love and sympathy seemed so indispensable to my comfort and enjoyment, that I cannot easily recon- cile myself to their loss. I assure you it is with much sadness that I went home, feeling that my boy would never see me there, yet I felt grateful that I had the privilege of burying his body with his kinsmen, instead of having it left in the enemy's land, and I felt thankful too that he was kindly cared for in his last moments, that he could feel that though among strangers, he was with friends that he could put con- fidence in ; and you will I ever remember with love and gratitude as a friend to my poor, injured, dying boy, also others at the Home. The kindness of Cap- tain Jerojie will ever be remembered, likewise of the Matron and all ; their names I do not remember. I have not been well since I left Cleveland, but I am not sick, but keep about and try to work, which goes hard with me. I wish I could call at the Home once in a Avhile to see the sick soldiers and help to take care of them. I think I should like that better than my own work, for which I have lost ambition. I would like to hear from you all again." To this soon succeeded the death of another pris- oner, who, it was at first ho2:)ed, would recover by prompt treatment and good care. For a few days the small ward rang with his delirious shouts, then fol- lowed a stupor, broken by only occasional moments of consciousness, and on Sunday morning, a week after his arrival, the heavy breathing which had been pain- VETERAN RESERVES. 349 fully audible tlirougliout tlie house, suddenly ceased, and all was over. His wife had been promptly informed of his illness, but no answer was received to the message, nor to the subsequent letters which announced his death. He was therefore buried from the Soldiers' Aid Society Eooms, where a funeral service was held, and was carried to the grave by a squad of soldiers from the Home. His small worldly effects — a little sum of money, the fresh military clothing, the new leather pocket book, with one entry and date, and the numerous trifles which had charmed the eyes of one just free from Salisbury prison — ^vere all carefully put aside until their proper guardi- ans could be discovered. The members of the Albany Sanitary Commission endeavored to trace the friends of the soldier, through the faint clue afforded by a name which, as afterwards appeared, was one assumed at his enlistment. After six weeks' inquiry the quest was finally successful, and the remains of the soldier and his small possessions were sent to his father. In April of this year, an extension to the dining room was built, running at right angles with the older part. Soon afterwards, a company of the Veteran Reserve Corps, assigned for duty at the depot and quartered in the adjoining l)arracks, made aj^plication through their officer for permission to turn the rations into the Home stores, detail a portion of their number for service in the establishment, and in return receive their meals at the Home table. This was finally agreed to, and proved not an unfavorable arrange- ment, in view of the subsequent service rendered by 350 AVELCOME TO OHIO SOLDIERS. tlie men. From tlie Sanitary Commission Soup House two great condensers Avere obtained to cook meat and vegetables in large quantities, and tliese, set up in tlie large kitchen, were presided over by two red faced Veteran Reserve cooks, who reigned supreme in that domain. Other Veteran Reserves, fi'om the iriant who stepped into its ranks by the loss of a linger, throuo-h the various o-rades of disabilitv to the actual cripple, were to be met with at every angle of the Home building, scrubbing tloors, mopping, setting tables and washing dishes. When it became known that a Camp of Discharge would be orjiranized at Cleveland, a meetino; of the City Council was held and an appropriation made to properly entertain the returning Ohio regiments. A committee was appointed to take the matter in charge, who at lii'st proposed to arrange with the Soldiers' Home to feed these troops, but some doubt being expressed as to the capacity of the institution, the contract was o-iven to Messrs. Wheeler and Russell, the proprietors of the Depot Dining Hall. A long line of fly tents was pitched under the trees of the Park, and here all the Ohio soldiers assigned to Camp Cleveland were feasted. i^See Appendix E.^ The Soldiers" Aid Society, confident of the expansive prop- erties of their Home, would have irladlv undertaken the office of entertainiuo: the Ohio men. and now claimed for their share re^riments from other States passiuir throu^rh Cleveland, and the sick of all oriraiii- zations. The first arrival of these guests was the 20th Mich- igan Infantry, Avho sent forward a dispatch on the od AN EARLY BREAKFAST. 351 of June, announcing its coming, three hundred and forty strong, in three hours' time. A return telegram invited it to dinner at the Home, and a carria^re sent through the market to collect green vegetaT)les5 soon returned a moving mass of cucumbers, lettuce, onions and radishes, surmounted by a great tin can of milk. Scouts were sent out for bread and cakes, the condensers, filled with beef and potatoes, were soon in action, and the dinner prepared as promised in the invitation hazarded three hours before. This accomplished successfully, the prospect of a breakfast at five o'clock, A. M., of the next day, to the soldiers of a Michigan Battery was really inspiriting. The train brought them in on time, just after the sun- rise of a lovely summer Sunday morning. The break- fast over, a last glimpse was taken of the men, crowd- ing the decks of the steamer, shouting and tossing up their caps by way of farewell. A score of handker- chiefs, aprons and towels were waved in return from the lakeward windows of the Home, and with flags flying, band playing, the great steamer moved out with her happy freight, over the blue and sunny Avater. Just then some one announced, " Here comes the 98th Ohio ! " and into the dej)ot rushed the train, swarming with soldiers, enthusiastic and very hungry. This was the first arrival of the regiments for Camp Cleveland, but having been erroneously reported as assigned to Camp Chase, it found the citizens' com- mittee unprepared to receive it. Here was a fearful crisis. Something must be done — but the Sunday (piiet of restaurants was unapproachable. It was now discovered that Michigan had not despoiled 352 THE XEW DLN'IXG EOOM. Oliio — there was still sometliiiio; to eat in the Soldiers' Home. The othoers and the sick men were taken there, and the regiment, formed in doiil)le line in the depot, was regaled with bread and butter, cakes and plenty of hot coffee fi-om the Home. This answered until live o'clock in the afternoon, when a proper din- ner, provided by the citizens' committee, was served to them in the dining hall at the depot, and they marched over to Camp Cleveland with mtisic and banners. The Home dinino; room was immediatelv found unequal to the demands of such occasions. Mr. Craavforp advised the redemption of the yet imoccu- pied portion of the pier from its ruinous state, and the followiufr dav a new room was planned, runnins: one hundred andtwentv feet alon^r t*he dock and cofeiected br foldino; doors "svith the smaller hall. In three davs the building was completed. 'Mi: L. D. Euckee, Super- intendent of the Cleveland and Toledo railroad, sent a special car to Olmstead to bring up the recpiisite number of chaii's, and the next arrival of troops, seven hundred soldiers of a Wisconsin regiment, were dined AA-ith little delay. An aitist was discovered in the Veteran Reserve ranks, who employed his genius in decorating walls and ceilings with designs in colored paper. Flags and pictures of favorite generals were suspended beneath the red. -vvhite and blue roof, and the whole effect was srav and patriotic. »^ * J. After the seven himdred Wisconsin soldiers came ten hundred and thiii:v-four from Michiiran, followed quicklv by regiments of three, four and live hundred men, fi'om both these States and from Minnesota. <* RIVAL ATTRxVCTIONS. 353 almost ad infinitum, and at all hours of day and night. Each regiment had its individual interest, which gave to every arrival its characteristic. All had their colors in various stages of honorable mutilation ; some brought large collections of captured birds and animals, squirrels and raccoons perched on the men's shoulders, or curled up on their knapsacks ; others had trains of little darkies following to new homes in the wonderful North, with round eyes dilating at sight of the cakes and pies, and who were always called upon after the feast to exhibit some plantation dances and break downs for the benefit of the ladies. Many had fine bands of music, always brought into service on these occasions, if only a drum corps. A band, with lovely silver instruments, attached to the 22d Wisconsin, played all one June afternoon from the end of the long dinino; hall, and charmed those who listened into temporary forgetfulness of unswept floors, unwashed dishes and impending regiments. Occasionally troops recently stationed at a military post were accompanied by wives and children, who drank up the milk, caused a famine among the sweet things, were seldom civil and regarded the Home as a convenient hotel. The preparations for these entertainments were soon systematized. Early notice of the expected arrival of troops was sent to the Aid Rooms from the difterent railroad offices, Imt once or twice, through some failure in reports, the shortest imaginable time was allowed for preparation. Such an electrifying dispatch as this would come, per breathless messenger : " Seven hundred soldiers will be at Cleveland in half an hour ! " 23 354 A BILL OF FAKE. Three, four, even five hours was brief time when every thing had to be purchased and cooked, and in these desperate circumstances a carriage would be sent around to collect volunteers, and another dispatched to the market to find bread, meat and vegetables. A short experience sufficed to reveal the proper wires to be pulled to extract impossible performances from the German baker, who quivered with horror at " so many breads" being expected in an hour. The bread was always forthcoming, and the beef and vegetables. On Sunday, the railroad tracks being comparatively free, the special trains conveying soldiers were usually put on, and this became no unfrequent spectacle — a car- riage, with some of the Aid Society ladies, driving from bakers to butcher's house, invading the Sabbath leisure of these individuals at the church-going hour, in search of something to give a regiment of hungry soldiers. That they were hungry none can doubt who reads the superintendent's list of what was necessary to feed five hundred men : " One hundred and thirty- five pies, one half barrel ginger cakes, one thousand small cakes, one half barrel apple sauce, three hundred loaves bread, three hundred pounds beef, one half barrel pickles, thirty quarts milk, one half barrel crackers, one barrel potatoes, two and one half barrels coftee, one barrel veo-etables." If the time allowed to prepare and serve these meals was short, the superintendents of the railroads were most kind and indulgent, and the Home has no failure to record. An exce2:)tion was the case of a New York cavalry regiment, which was first discovered in the depot and could only be invited to make a flying THE EESERVE FORCE. 355 descent upon the tables, already laid for breakfast. Everything upon them was carried off and then, the baker having just made his morning visit, all hands were marshaled to cut open the fresh loaves, insert a lump of butter in each and dispatch them to the soldiers remaining in the train. A number of ladies connected with the Aid Society held themselves in readiness for such occasions, when it became necessary to seek more assistance than the officers of the Society and the Home employes could supply. Among these were Mrs. D. Chittenden, Mrs. Randall Crawford, Mrs. William Cushing, Mrs. J. O. Seymour, Mrs. Knowlton, Mrs. J. Hay- ward, Mrs. C. D. Brayton, Mrs. C. A. Terry, Mrs. R. F. Paine, Mrs. J. M. Richards, Misses Kellogg, Mrs. S. Williamson, Mrs. William T. Smith, Miss Sara Mahan, Mrs. E. L. Miller, Miss Annie Bald- win, Miss Carrie Younglove, Mrs. Peter Thatcher, Mrs. Clark Warren, Mrs. Charles Wheeler, Mrs. George Willey, Miss Vaughan. It is also due the President of the Aid Society, Mrs. B. Rouse, to record her unfailing attendance at the Home on these and, indeed, all occasions. Her energy and activity, notwithstanding her years and feeble health, put to the blush many who were younger and more robust. In this connection should properly be mentioned many kindnesses received, not only at this time but also during every period of the history of the Home and Depot Hospital, from those attached to the rail- road offices or emj)loyed in the depot. Of the favors extended to the Society by the Superintendents of 356 GENEKOUS RAILROAD COMPANIES. railroads centering in tlie city, Messrs. E. S. Flint and Robert Blee, of the Cleveland and Col ambus road, Henry Nottingham, of the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula, J. H. Devereux, of the Cleveland and Pitts- burgh, L. D. Rucker, of the Cleveland and Toledo and of Captain L. A. Pierce, Agent of the Michigan Central, mention has already been made. How valu- able their assistance was can be readily seen when it is stated that more than two thirds of the transpor- tation issued to soldiers was on passes granted to the Society by the railroad companies, and the record falls far short of the actual number aided in this way. The generous interest called forth by the sufterings of the soldiers extended to those who had charge of the relief work, and the managers of the Home also record with pleasure the kindness of Messrs. Wheeler and Russell, Depot Master C. S. Robinson, Mr. George Stowell, and Depot Officers Van Husen and Clark Warren, the latter of whom rendered valuable ser- vice in the Depot Hospital. Mr. H. S. Stevens, of the Omnibus company, put at the disposal of the regu- lar visitors to the Home a seat in the vehicles of this line, and also supplied a permanent pass to the officers of the Society and to the superintendent and matron of the Home. H. Geer tfe Co. on many occa- sions gave the use of a carriage to the Society, in some cases of emergency when troops were expected, or when a sick soldier was to be carried to and from the trains. feeding a brigade. The larafest number of men entertained at one time was a brigade numbering thirteen hundred and fifty men, which arrived on the 29th of July. ENTERTAINING A BRIGADE, 357 This brigade, consisting of the 37th and 38th Wis- consin and 27th Michigan, whose arrival had all day been postponed from one hour to the next, it was at length definitely settled would be at Cleveland at 12 o'clock, midnight; so there was no sleep to be had, except in stolen snatches, sitting upright in the hardest of chairs, with ears on the alert to catch the first dis- tant whistle of the expected train. Of course no one at first intended to be sleepy. In the earlier part of the evening all found enough to do in the manifold preparations for thirteen hundred men. The ladies cut bushels of bread, cake and pies in the upper kitchen, and marshaled and assisted their temporary command of Veteran Reserves in the task of setting the tables in great and small dining rooms. Veteran Reserves were omnipresent — staggering under the weight of trays of plates and dishes, or carrying great baskets of edibles, to be distributed on the long rows of tables. On the disposition of this force the com- manding ofhcers prided themselves not a little — all the lame men sat at the tables assisting in cutting the bread and cake, which the wzf- armed men built up into tasteful monuments on the designated plates, and those so unfortunate as to possess both arms and legs were expected to be generally useful. Certain of the number, as well as the Home employes, had a definite post assigned each. One presided over the coffee — no slight task where six great caskfuls are required — another superintended the slicing of the beef from the cauldrons, and others still the boiling of potatoes by the barrel, while the evil genius of a third imhappy group condemned them to peel innumerable little 358 A MIDNIGHT MEAL. green onions. Every one was busy and animated, even to the small boys w^ho, having nothing else to do, stimulated the energy of the working force by divers false alarms brought in from the outer dark- ness. The guard was posted and dropped calmly to sleep; the tables were finally surveyed and the most anxious scrutiny employed to discover possible flaws in quantity or quality ; also the corps de reserve of edibles, mountain high, was pronounced sufficient to feed the army of the Cumberland. Then the ladies in the matron's room and the soldiers in the great kitchen formed into groups, laughed, chatted, grew drowsy, and finally fell asleep, and for two hours nothing was heard but the weaves of Lake Erie dash- ing up against the pier beneath the Soldiers' Home. Suddenly, about 2 o'clock, A. M., a faint whistle — the very ghost of a sound — changed the silent scene in a moment into one of the most active life. Gas lights blazed up all over the house, the fumes of coffee rose on the air, and for the fifteen minutes before the soldiers actually arrived, every one needed ten pairs of hands and feet. An eager crowd, armed with plates, surrounded the steaming boilers of potatoes, while a similar group, provided with tin pails and kettles, assailed and aggravated the presiding genius at the coffee casks. The corps detailed for duty at the long rows of wash basins, hastened to its post, and soon lanterns were shining along the depot walls to light up the festive preparations. At this juncture the superintendent, assuming his lantern and badge of office, and accompanied by the steward and a detach- ment to attend the sick of the brigade, sallied forth OPEN AIR TOILETS. 359 to meet the train. It was hardly necessary to tell the soldiers what was in store for them. Every man knew what the dispatch ran forward to say that afternoon, and every eye was watching the long low building with its many brilliant windows — the only bright spot in the blackness of 2 o'clock, A. M. So the train was speedily emptied, the men fell into ranks, the band struck up a lively tune, and the line of march was taken up for the Soldiers' Home. Here they halted, stacked arms, and the commanding officer informed the men that before partaking of the sup- per provided by the patriotic ladies of Cleveland an opjDortunity would be given them to wash their faces and hands. On this arose a tumultuous hurrah ! and all charged pell mell on the line of tin basins, which for ten minutes was a scene of wildest confu- sion. The water plashed, faces shone, pocket combs were circulated and the result was a general and pervading atmosphere of soap and water. Even with this civilizing influence, the brown rugged ranks of veterans looked formidable enough in the half light, though drawn up for a peaceful attack. The few moments' grace thus obtained, was precious indeed to the busy throng within the Home, who congratulated each other that the divided train brought only a portion of the number as a first detachment. Fortunately, by the time the toilets were completed, every thing was ready — five hundred bowls of steam- ing cofi^ee were poured out, the dining room doors thrown open and, marshaled by the superintendent, who temporarily ranked generals and colonels, in filed the hungry soldiers. That was a charming sight to 360 PROGRESS OF THE FEAST. their entertainers — such looks of eager anticipation settling into joyful certainty, as the eye took in the light, the flowers, the smiling welcome, the home like look of the white covered tables, and, certainly not least, the variety and profusion of food heaped thereon. The first murmur of surprise and applause was a delightful sound, and not less so the subsequent clat- ter of knives and forks and the hum of many animated voices. The large dining hall was soon filled, next the smaller one, yet all were not seated. However, being earnestly assured that a second table would soon be prepared — though only half convinced that anything could equal that first glimpse of sumptuous fare — the remnant withdrew and gave their attention to the casks of iced water and lemonade standing beside the Home door. Within, the feast progressed with wonderfal rapid- ity. An appointed number of ladies who, with a detail of Veteran Reserves, were assigned for duty at the difterent tables, again and again filled the bowls with hot coffee and replenished the fast disappearing mountains of bread and meat. Occasionally one would stumble over a small and unhappy yellow secesh dog who accompanied his conquerors and refused to remain concealed under the table. The attendants likewise combined with their other duties the agreeable task of drinking in the expressions of approval which, as the feast slackened, fell from all lips; also of listening, with calm conviction, to the universal decision of the infinite superiority of the supper under consideration to any ever provided by other corporation or town. INVALID DIET. 361 In the smaller dining room, tlie officers of tlie brigade supped at a table only differing from the others in the non-essential privilege accorded of put- ting the milk and sugar into each cup according to individual taste. And the sick — those at least who could crawl to the table — had their appointed place and a bevy of anxious and eager attendants. Being excepted from the general uniformity, the appe- tite of each invalid was consulted, and the kitchen stove soon covered with innumerable little messes, hastily prepared to suit a sick man's fancy, and served with sympathizing words and glances, which doubtless added greatly to the flavor. This was evident, for the patients generally show^ed a laudable inclination to eat through the bill of fare in addition to this invalid diet. There were also sick in the wards who claimed attention. Under the steward's charge, each man had received clean clothing and the necessary medicine or stimulants required by his condition, and was now at liberty to select anything which seemed tempting within the pantry's limits. This food being prepared, was taken to the ward and arranged on tables, ornamented each with a bouquet stolen from the dining room. By this time the rooms were emptied of the last remaining guests, and not a moment could be lost in removing the fragments of the meal and restoring the tables to their first freshness, for the second train was at hand and, flattening their faces against the windows and pressing around the doors, were the disappointed ones of installment number one. The universal haste, half laughing, half desperate, was stimulated now by 362 JOHNNY COMES MAKCHING HOME. the sound of many voices and feet without, announcing the arrival of the remaining eight hundred and fifty soldiers. In the lower kitchen a dense white steam enveloped the heated and excited group of dish washers, preparing a third supply of plates and dishes, while down the dining room flowed a tide of men and women, with trays of butter plates and towers of pies, which met an opposing phalanx of empty dishes, streaming up to the kitchen. At this juncture the General commanding the brigade proposed that the Glee Club of the Michigan regiment should favor the Cleveland ladies with a selection of patriotic songs. So a file of bright, half shy, half amused, young sol- diers took up their station against the wall, out of reach of impending collisions, and above the confusion of tongues, the sound of hunying feet and the clash- ing of forks and dishes, rose the strains of " Tramp, Tramp," the "Blue Cockade" and "Johnny Comes Marching Home," sung with spirit and sweetness. Every one found a moment to lay aside her occupation and applaud the young musicians, in spite of the pre- monitory sounds without the closed door. At last, in a really brief space of time, the rooms were again thrown open and again filled with a second throng, rather more hungry than their prede- cessors. Up to this point there had been no signs of failure in the pantry, but the experienced ones began to consider with nervous dread the probability of its endurino; another attack from the four hun- dred remaining guests, who would certainly come with trebly aggravated appetites. Four hundred tall, strong Wisconsin men were patiently awaiting their DEPARTURE. 363 share in the good things so glowingly described by their comrades. There was no time to lose in these reflections. The tables were set the third time by weary people, whose hands moved less briskly and whose feet seemed strangely to adhere to the oft traversed floor. Finally all was ready and ample in every respect, to the general surprise and delight. No such genuine expressions of grateful appreciation fell from any as from these Wisconsin soldiers who, waiting in the chill summer twilight, must have doubted whether any one house could contain enough to feed thirteen hundred as hungry men. Before the last lingering guests had left the tables — including the numerous little negroes, whose pockets bore ample evidence to the sympathy of the attendant ladies — the bugle sounded its shrill call and away they all scampered, hands and mouths full. Every one in the Home crowded to doors and windows to see the host depart. The first signs of morning were red in the east when the line formed again from the extreme limits of the watery territory, and when all was ready the oflicer in command told the soldiers to give the Home and the ladies of the Sanitary Commission three cheers. Then ensued a deafening shout, accom- panied by innumerable individual greetings, the band struck up again, handkerchiefs were waved and the brigade moved ofi:" in a tumult of cheers, good wishes and good byes. Then the people at the doors went slowly in to breakfast and were electrified by the announcement of another regiment to be expected at noon. 364 THE HOSPITAL DEPAETMENT. All these troops brouglit sick meu witli tliem ; in the baggage cars of the train there were always some hao:2:ard miserable victims of ao-ne and fever — for not a man of them would consent to let the boys come home and leave him behind. By the time Cleveland was reached, those who had undertaken the journey when unfit to bear its fatigues, were obliged to remain at the Home until they could be taken to the Camp Cleveland hospital or join their regiments. The steward of the Soldiers' Home at this time was a discharged soldier, John Schwab, who had been appointed to the position in March, 1865, and was one of the kindest, most capable and atten- tive nurses with which a sick man was ever blessed. His hospital staff consisted of two convalescent soldiers, detailed to act as his assistants and recruited from the guests of the household, many of whom had often before acted in this capacity. The medicine chest and the stores of lint, bandages and plasters were under the steward's charge, and his skill in dressing wounds, with quickness and tenderness, made his services of great value. Althouo'h others of the Cleveland surs^eons occa- sionally prescribed for the Home patients, — Drs. Elisha STERLmCr and Proctor Thayer having each attended a patient through a severe surgical case, — the physician of the establishment was in fact Dr. Charles A. Terry, who paid four or five hundred oTatuitous visits to the sick men there, and, after the Home was closed, continued his services whenever they were required for an invalid soldier or his family. It was amusing to see how stoutly all the sick men A SUBMISSIVE PATIENT. 365 at first refused to stay, when the others went on, even if evidently seriously ill. But after a day or two a reaction would take place ; what was passing around them began to amuse them a little, their food was excellent, their quarters comfortable, and the interest taken in their eases, their tastes and comfort by the ladies of the Home, in time worked a marvelous change. A Massachusetts regiment left behind it several most unhappy homesick men, who shook with ague chills and pined with disappointment for a day or two, then cheered up amazingly, laughed, ate, got well and went home in high spirits. One of them, a sweet-looking boyish soldier, shed a few tears when he said good bye. " And, O, Averill," cried a pru- dent lady, as he went away, " you have forgotten to take your quinine ! " whereupon submissively he tossed off a bumper of the pleasing beverage and was gone. "Miss," said the steward solemnly, "he had just taken his usual dose and he thinks it's poisonous ! " Could any one demand a stronger proof of gratitude 'i It did not seem deadly in its effects ; he and the other men got safely to Massachusetts and wrote back to tell of their arrival and of their favorable opinion of the Home. Another AVisconsin soldier, who lay in the corner of the ward through what had nearly proved a fatal illness, seemed insensible to all the care and kindness which could be shown him, yet surprised one of his " liebe freunde " by sending, with some money which was loaned him for the journey, a grateful letter, of which this is a portion translated from its native German. " You have been my best friends. As long S6G CRIPPLED CORRESPOXDENTS. as I live I Avill tliaDk you. Do not think badly of me that I have not written before. If you ever come to our neighborhood you must make us a visit. My father and mother o-reet vou a thousand times because you helped me in my great distress." A third patient writes : " I am gaining my streugth. I think I should never have got home if it had not been for your kindness to me. I owe my life to you, for which you have my sincere thanks. It is a noble institution and I hope it will be prospered." And a fourth: ''I return the five dollars you so kiudly loaned me to bear my expenses out. I feel under o-reat oblio-ations to be o-rateful to you for this as well as many other tavors I have received from your excellent institution. I shall ever hold the Soldiers' Home in grateful remembrance. It is one of the bright spots in life that memory loves to dwell upon." In turniuo- over the volumes which hold these letters, the men who wrote them are one by one recalled. Here is a correspondent who had lost a leg, another an arm, a third was consumptive. They had all seen many hardships in the field and some of them in prison ; but not one of the brave fellows remembered that as a title to the consideration of their countrymen and women. The letters are full of the kindness received at the Home as something delightfully unex- pected and certainly not merited. THE WOUNDED OF THE 103D OHIO. Ox the 19th of June the lOod Ohio was reported as en route for Camp Cleveland, but at the time THE WOUNDED AT ALTOONA. 367 appointed for the arrival, 9 o'clock, A. M., of the next day, instead of the expected regiment came dispatches announcing a catastrophe to the train near Altoona, Pa. The city ^vas full of anxious friends, for the 103d had been recruited in Northern Ohio, several compa- nies in Cleveland. There stood, that sunny morning, the tents in the Park, gay with flags, the tables laid for the feast, and all through the streets were women and children, with nosegays of June roses and pinks for the soldiers. There were a few hours of anxiety and uncertainty — no one knew definitely who were injured, or whether the regiment was involved in general disaster. But, as the long day wore on, the confused messages that first came were modified by more accurate reports, although the dreadful fact remained that three strong young soldiers, who had survived the perils of a four years' war, lay dead at Altoona, and twenty or thirty others were more or less injured. The first thought in the minds of those who had friends or brothers among the wounded, was to go directly to Altoona, and often during the day was the question asked at the Aid Rooms, '' Can you not hel]) me to get there ? " But, before any of the anxious souls could start on their journey, a message came from the wounded men themselves ; they would be in Cleveland with the regiment on the next day, all of them, at least, whose injuries would bear removal. These were legitimate guests of the Soldiers' Home, and it was resolved to make their arrival a festival occasion. At 12 o'clock the train was due, and long before n QS A SAJ) KETUEX. tliat liour a dense crowd had collected at the depot. The train came into the midst of a little tempest of cheers and fluttering handkerchiefs. The women cried, the band opened its brass throat, and, when the noisy welcome was over, the regiment marched away, wind- ing like a gay ribbon along the dusty hill, with the old colors flying, pretty bouquets crowning the bright bayonets, and gorgeous necklaces of brilliant flowers embarrassino- the officers they distino-uished. From the improvised hospital cars of the train the superintendent and his assistants brought to the Home the wounded men, some on stretchers, carrying others, and followed by all who could help themselves by means of a stout cane or crutch. It was a sad return, nor could the poor fellows help feeling it, and hardly less so did their comrades who marched away to the 2:av music. The men were taken to the pleas- antest ward, sweet with its holiday bouquet and cool with the breezes from the lake, and here a vigorous bathing and renovation took place. The wounds were dressed, the worn and stained uniforms replaced by fresh cotton clothing, and now the barometer began to indicate fair weather. Dust and heat were things of the past. Visitors were admitted, and through the open door crept a promise of dinner. Every man had now a glass of iced lemonade or milk punch. A little book was produced and the day-dream of each in the way of dinner recorded. The bill of fare had no limitations, and caused laugh- ter and amusement even among the most despondent invalids. One wanted eggs, another fresh meat and veo-etables; every man asked for fruit and a potato. A DINNER PARTY. 369 A round table was brought into the ward, cups and saucers arranged, and never was dinner party more thoroughly enjoyed, although the guests were obliged to follow the oriental custom of reclining at the meal. A smaller table was drawn to each bed, the men propped up on pillows, and the room soon filled with merry voices. Later in the day, when their place of retreat became known, friends and relatives came pouring in, until each invalid's bed was the centre of some family group. Among them, too, were many sympathizers, with cakes, custard and other good things unsuitable for an invalid, but of which — forgetting dinner past and consequences possible — all the pa- tients did cordially partake. For three days the heroes of the Altoona disaster wei'e made as happy as their fractures and bruises would allow, and then each, as he regained his strength, went to his own home and kindred. The majority of troops hitherto entertained were from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, but in July and August the troops on duty in the Mississippi States, generally New England and New York regi- ments, began arriving, bringing jidenty of ague patients. As long as the Home existed, regular troops in transit in the line of the service received the same attention that was paid to volunteers. The 6th United States Cavalry was the only complete regiment entertained, the others being merely squads of recruits. To these successive regiments, with their sick requir- ing all the care which a hospital affords, was of course added the daily tide of individual soldiers, arrivimx 2 1 370 THE CKUEL WAU IS OVER. and departing, to be fed, lodged and specially relieved in many ways. All day in the Home dining room stood a table already laid for whatever meal might happen to be required — breakfast, dinner, supper. From the early daylight boat to the latest evening train, any soldier might come, lay aside his knapsack, find a comfortable meal, Avith plenty of hot coifee, provided for him, and go on his way without detention. AVhen the war was really over and every day brouo;ht some res-iment on its homewaid way, there was not a soldier yet undischarged who did not pine to get out of the service. They began to hate their uniforms as a badge of continued obligation. They wanted to be with their old companies — going home and welcomed by townsmen and sweethearts. Men who had been brave soldiers for four years of war, grumbled at serving after the rebels were conquered. It was wonderful what magic lay in the yellow dis- charge paper. It represented going home to wife and children, and once more becoming a citizen. The armies of irrepressible soldiers, who were to convert the Republic into a military despotism and fight each other when there was no one else to kill, melted si- lently away, and instead , there were so many more clerks, laborers, mechanics, who were only too glad to beat their spears into pruning hooks, and to hang up their muskets peacefully on the wall. One splendid looking soldier, who belonged to a regiment discharged at Camp Cleveland, was afflicted with persistent ague, and, some error occurring in his papers, was obliged to remain temporarily at the Home. He sat there for days, sulky and sullen as a jri'STERED OUT. 371 caged liou, but after oue lucky visit to the paymaster, came in radiant, in citizen's clothing, emitting cheerful- ness and good humor from every pore, the shabby soldier dress discarded — Richard himself again ! When the order came releasing from the service members of the Veteran Reserve Corps whose original regiments were already mustered out, all hope of any further work from those at the Home was over. Ket- tles and dish j)ans were deserted, while all day long a little crowd could be found at the paymaster's office, awaitins: the turn to settle accounts with Uncle Sam. Sometimes they were kept kicking their heels at his door for several days, but the money once safely in pocket — away to the tailor ! There was one tall fellow, simple minded as a baby, who was always bursting with little bits of family history and small confidences. He delighted to exhibit the picture of his wife, and to ask : " Well, now, don't she look smart \ " Then he would tell what a brisk little body she was, and how she had worked as a dress- maker while he was in the war — all with honest pride. One afternoon B., ^vho had cast aside his cook's apron with the rest to dance attendance upon the paymaster, came into the Aid Room office with the inevitable russet portmanteau — always the first purchase — and putting it down, opened its treasures for inspection. " Now, how much do you suppose I paid for this ? " he demanded at each article, — then overwhelmed his audi- ence by announcing its surprising cheapness. When the last great bargain was replaced, the honest fellow's heart failed him ; tears stood in his eyes as he said : "We never shall meet here again but I hope we may in heaven," and so went home to his smart little wife. 372 ELOQUE^'T GUESTS. It Avas pleasant to know what interest those soldiers who remained any length of time at the Home, espe- cially if they had been sick there, took in its affaii's. Some of them could believe that theii* own mothers and sisters had a share in providing its comforts ; but to most of them the charm consisted in theii' coming fi'om those to whom they were strangers, except for theii' service sake. On a meal ticket, perhaps, some shy cruest became eloquent, " Thanks to Ohio for the kindness I have received at the Home, and may God reward its benefactors."' Enclosed in a neat border of scallops, another one wrote, on the corner of a book : " The thanks of the soldiers are due to the attendants of the Home for theii- kindness to sick soldiers." Thev would often write, from their own homes, from the hospital or regiment, perhaps saying : " You may remember me as the soldier who had a scar across the face." A man who had been several months at the Home as guest and afterwards as assistant to the steward, wrote : '• I hope you will not think me pre- sumptuous when I address you as ii'iend, for I am sure I never met a stranger anywhere who took half the interest in my welfare," and then follow his little items of domestic news and plans for the future. One poor broken down fellow, whose sufferings and temp- tations must have long since ended, left the Home in a fit of remorse, because, " My spirit would not allow me loncrer to feed upon the bread of chanty, although I knew I was welcome by all of those connected with that best institution that the world ever saw." Extrav- a<:raut language, but excusable in a man who had no home of his own to die in. RAIDERS AND MALCONTENTS. 373 The supply work at the Aid Rooms was still in full force, for in the field was an undischarged army, requiring the aid of the Sanitary Commission's vege- table trains to defy the attacks of scurvy, and the newly found peace had not yet depleted the hospitals, filled with the wounded of the last great battles. The claimants from the camp for the stores of the Aid Society now assumed formidable numbers. A detention, sometimes of a week or two, before each regiment was paid off, was impatiently endured by the soldiers. Their clothing bore such marks of the famous march through Georgia, that it was often hardly adapted for the inspection of the civilized world, and the wearers, who had expected to be at once discharged, were painfull}^ conscious of this. It was discovered that the Soldiers' Aid Society had various useful and comfortable articles on hand. One soldier came and then another, until finally the Aid Rooms were filled with such visitors from early morn- ino- until nio-ht. The articles obtained were not valu- able, but a clean handkerchief, a pair of stockings, or a cotton shirt made the recipient for the time quite happy. Their thanks, unfortunately, were often accom- panied by such unexpected remarks as this : " Well, this is the first thing I ever got from the Sanitary," or, " You don't see the Sanitary out of Ohio." " What," some lady would exclaim, " did you never get any vegetables ? " " Yes, we had potatoes and onions, but never any fruit." The men who complained, it appeared, had never been in hospital since their enlist- ment, and to each one it was carefully explained that the work of the Sanitary Commission was, save in the 37-1 FOURTH OF JULY BANQUET. distribution of anti-scorbutics, confined to tlie hospitals. If all wlio felt themselves thus aggrieved admitted to having eaten Sanitary Commission vegetables, to hav- ing lodged and dined at the Soldiers' Homes, and yet had never been on the hospital list, the inference was clear that they had received their full share of the Sanitary Commission benefits. Convinced of this or not, they still came — sometimes almost a whole com- pany would be found seated in front of the Aid Kooms, patiently awaiting the imlocldng of the door. It became even necessary to barricade the centre of the room, to separate the eager guests from the busi- ness of the Society. Many of the soldiers' families now drew supplies of cooked food from the Home. After a regiment had been fed there was often a quantity of cut bread and meat remainiuoj, which was distrilmted accordins^ to a list of such ftimilies, kept for the purpose. Once the non-arrival of an expected New York regiment left a houseful of cooked provisions on hand, which were loaded upon drays and express wagons and sent to every soldier's wife within reach. The Fourth of July dinner, given l^y the citizens of Cleveland to the regiments in camp, the patients in the hospital and veteran soldiers generally, was served at the Home by request of the committee having the matter in charge. It was not a trilling affair nor easily prepared. A regiment preceded it and another breakfasted oft' the remains, while the dinner was skil- fully sandwiched between the two. In fact when the tables were actually laid, in all the glory of holiday THE LITTLE SAILOE. 375 preparation, a detacliment of two liundred convales- cents, on their way to a Michigan liosj^ital, arrived by the Eastern train, without announcement. They were, of course, seated at the tables and regaled with a portion of the puddings and pies for which the soldiers in the Park were sharpening their appetites, under the influence of the Fourth of July oration. No one enjoyed the nice things more than the sick men who first tasted their quality. As soon as these were dispatched, every man in the establishment was pressed into service, whether one-armed or one-legged, and, the stock of food holding out, the tables were restored before the sound of the band became audible, and the long, dusty procession drew up expectant at the doors. Accompanying it in omnibuses and carriages, which blossomed out with flags, came the lame, the halt and the blind from the hospital at Camp Cleve- land — men w^hose faces from many visits paid to the Bank street Rooms had become familiar and welcome. Two deaths occurred, almost in the midst of these festivities. While the dinner was in j^rogress, a little sailor, from the Mississippi squadron, who had been lying for months in hospital at Mound City, was brought from the railroad train and placed upon a bed in the further ward, remote as possible from the noise and music. Such a delicate child-like face lay on the pillow, with eyes dark and long lashed, whose sad and patient expression had grown through slow and wasting disease. To an inexperienced observer he showed no sign of illness, except, perhaps, in exces- sive debility, and, as he lay quietly through the hot day, he looked like a pretty boy sleeping away the 376 THE PRODIGAL SON. fatigue of play. But the decision of the physician was imperative — his parents must be at once sent for. They came the next morning — two phiin, elderly people whose Benjamin this son evidently was — and through the day they hung over him, trying a hundred simple country remedies from their home experience, burning brandy and making tea or gruel in the hope of revivino; his failino^ strensTth. But the loving care was useless, for with no further suffering he sank rapidly, and died before evening. Another, a government employe, brought the same evening to the Home, lived two days, but died before his parents could come to him. This, his old father said, was a long absent son who had left them years before, and he burst into a passion of tears when told that he was too late to see him living. On the 6th of July, Company D, of the 6th Veteran Reserves, was ordered again to Johnson's Island, and in the following August, a company of the 2 2d Regi- ment of the same Corps, stationed at the camp, was detailed for duty at the Depot. The men occupied the old quarters, gradually crej^t into their predeces- sors' places, washed dishes, swept floors, cooked and waited upon the sick. Their term of service only extended over three weeks. Quite a number of men whose regiments were dis- charged at Camp Cleveland and who failed to receive their pay through some informality in their papers, applied for permission to remain at the Home until the fault could be rectified. This was generally granted on condition of their services beins; made available in the duties of the household. THE HOSPITAL LEGACY. 37T In August the U. S. General Hosj^ital at Camp Cleveland was broken up, and those patients whose removal to Camp Dennison seemed inexpedient, w^ere transferred to the care of the Soldiers' Home. One, a sensitive and nervous lad, who had suffered long with a painful disease, found the neighborhood of the depot quite unbearable, and was removed to a country village, where the expenses of his illness were borne by the Aid Society. There he lingered a few weeks, sending for and receiving some small luxuries from the Soldiers' Home, which only relieved his restless longings for the moment, but could give him no lasting relief. One of the eager little notes is here, written by a patient, much-enduring sister, who watched him so faithfully and now too lies at rest with him : " I know you will do anything for a soldier's comfort, and will helj^ me as much as you can, for the short time my brother has to stay here. He says he hopes he will soon be in heaven, pleading before the throne of Mercy a great reward for your kindness to him, as he can not return it by any reward in this world." Another patient had been once before at the Home, just after suffering amputation of both limbs, which were crushed under a railroad car. He had now a cheerful position in the ward assigned him, where he could easily see and be amused by what passed around him. Sometimes the steward would mount him upon his back and carry him around the depot, or the piers, for a little change of air and scene, while an occasional drive through the city gave him inex- pressible pleasure. When able to travel, he was sent, under charge of the steward of the Home, to Phila- 378 A FLOUEISHING BUSINESS. delpliia to procure liis artificial legs, and, pending their manufacture, was left at the Sanitary Commission Lodge. Six weeks later a proud and happy moment arrived. He walked into the Home on what he called his " artificials," with only the help of a cane. Every visitor was called upon to admire the newly acquired taculty. A pension was afterwards procured for him by special act of Congress — as his accident, having occurred while on furlough, precluded him from claim- ino; one under existins: laws. He tried, but not sue- cessfully, to work at his old trade of shoe making, and finally drifted into his proper place, the National Asylum, Men, injured to the extent of losing both limbs, were rarely fit for any continuous employment, even of a simple and light nature. So great was the shock to the nervous system, that a quiet, unexciting exis- tence in some institution, where their wants were attended to and the future gave them no anxiety, was srenerallv the climax of their ambition. On the 1st of May, 1865, a new and flourishing- business had been inaus^urated in the oro-anization of the former irreo-ular efl:brts to obtain work for dis- charged soldiers, into an Employment Agency. A system, drawn up and recommended by the Central Bureau of the Sanitary Commission, was adopted, and books opened, which were furnished by it to all the Branch Agencies. This ne^v department began in the late summer and autumn to furnish numerous guests to the Home, forming a fiiir proportion of all the applicants registered at the Aid Rooms. In the WANTED, EMPLOYMENT. 379 case of disabled soldiers, a temporary admission, even for a few days, was often necessary, until the occupa- tions to which they were 1)est adapted could be found. Even to men not crippled, but compelled l)y long absence from business almost to commence the world anew, it was a benefit to be enabled, without loss to their small means, to procure the employment most suitable to their tastes and a])ility. The Agency was advertised and applications for registration were received by letter as well as in person. It was not always easy to adapt the supply to the demand, so many of the applicants were unable to perform full labor, and the positions where light work was required were not readily found nor always desirable. ^' Being a discharged soldier, and having contracted a set of weak lungs in the service — by the way, was in four years — I thought I would make an appeal to you for a situation." " Two fingers shot away and my left shoulder bro- ken at Spottsylvania Court House. Since then I have not been able to do anything. The ball is still in my breast near the heart, and I am not able to do very hard work. I would like to be brakesman on a train, as work in a close room hurts me to breathe." "I write to know if you could find a wounded soldier some light employment. I was wounded at Antietam. I shall always be a cripple. My wound has never healed. I had a home when I enlisted, but have been obliged to part with it ; everything is so high these past two years. I was the first man who enlisted in the town where I live. I see no way of supporting my wife and child thi-ough the coming dreary winter." 3$0 AX affliotixct endorsement. '' Do, please, try aud get me something to do ; my application is tlie one liundred and eiglity-seventli. I don't care what it is, so that it is honest work." And from a despondent one-legged Teuton : " Ladies, my desire is to say that I have not a place to work yet. It is allmost encouraging. I was up to see they man again who wanted me to sprinkle they streets, but no advise was criven to me. ]\[v wish is to see him to Day and it" not A proper answer comes forth from his mouth 1 will leave him." What could be done with these and many others — so anxious to work, so unwilling to live upon charity, and vet so little able to earn more than the smallest wages I The able-bodied men all found occupation in time, some of them throuo-h the Emplovment Ai>:encv, others by their own efforts. In recommending a soldier to a position of any trust, references from a former employer, or from his company officer were required. A man who could bring such a passport as this was sure to succeed. "The most temperate young man I know, assiduous, persevering, orderly and active. I would trust him with a million of monev. He will tell the truth and the truth only. In tact he is a pattern of a boy." One unfortunate, brio-ht-eved vouno- colored soldier came, atHicted with this endorsement : '* i Do Sertev Fve that he is a sober vouno- man his occupashon Was a Ilorshler be fore in Eooled in the U S service, he can be trusted, he wants to Drive a Famalay Caredoe i do now him as a onest vouno; man, and all wav Done his Dutv as a soliershier. Yourst Most Eestibels ^[." A COLORED REGIMENT. 381 The Employment Agency, Avitli its system and re- sults, is fully detailed in the preceding General History on page 252. The returning tide of regiments continued to flow during the entire summer and fall of 1865, and even through the later months of this year. The sketch already giv^en shows the general character of their re- ception at the Soldiers' Home. One of the most orderly, best disciplined body of men ever entertained there was the 102d Regiment U. S. Colored Troops, which arrived in two detachments, numbering collect- ively some twelve hundred men. With the right wino- were several women and children, in odd fantastic costumes — a union of plantation dress with civilized finery. They were cold and tired and gathered eagerly around the fire, with the flock of round-eyed little ones hooking shyly out from behind the protecting barricade of the mothers' dresses. The soldiers themselves, bright, active young men, threw their entire energies into tlie open air ablutions, scrubbed and re-scrubbed their shining fiices, and scrupulously assumed any additional article of festive attire to be found in their knapsacks. The left wing, which arrived a week later, brought a train of one hundred sick men. A storm encountered on the passage had driven the vessel containing the troops out to sea, and consequently the existing forms of disease were aggravated and many new cases created. This invalid corps, imder charge of a detail of soldiers, was specially supervised by an old negro, acting as master of ceremonies, who insisted on a rigid toilet 382 A PERILOUS ,^o^K^'EY. being performed for eaeli sick man before admitting to the wards the visits of the hidies, or any hopes of dinner. To all the indignant remonstrances he replied merely with a superior smile and polite Ix^w of excuse. It Avas a strange and picturesque scene. The wards were filled with the worst cases — men who had the settled melancholy, which is a peculiar feature of ill- ness in their race, and three of whom died on board the boat that ni^-ht after leavino; the Home. The floor of the reception room A\as covered with the less seri- ously ill, lying about in all attitudes, enjoying the warmth and languidly expectant of dinner. When evening and the time for embarkation on the Detroit boat arrived, an omnibus was obtained to transport the sick men, while the most dano-erous cases, not trusted to this convcA'ance, were carried in blankets, borne each bv four stout soldiers. Poor fellows I thev had an uncomfortable journey: their porters were young, merry and not very attentive, and sometimes the invalids came in sudden and tmpleasant contact with the groimd, but no audible complaint proceeded from the l>lankets. The last reo-iment arrived one cold Januarv morniuo:, and was announced three hours before, in this dis- patch, " Four car loads of troops are at Crestline, from awav down south. Thev have been nine davs on the wav — have run out of provisions and Avant to come in to the Soldiers' Home." The reply Avas of course a promise of dinner, and the superintendent of the Cleveland and Columbus railroad promised to bring the men in time to accept the invitation. At three o'clock, P. M., the Sth New Hampshire arrived, cold THE HOMEWAKD MARCH. 383 and hungry. The chilly atmosphere was bitterly felt by men so long accustomed to the mild climate of Louisiana, and every wave of the stormy lake struck the pier with almost the force of a cannon ball, and sent showers of spray through treacherous chinks in the Home walls. But once inside the building, it was bright and cheerful as possible. Fires blazed in every quai'ter, and the tables were smoking altars of incense, for everything in the house which could be cooked and served steaming and hot had been pre2:>ared. All that could not be consumed at one meal — bread, meat and cheese — was packed into the men's haver- sacks and, it is hoped, lasted them until they reached New Hampshire. After this, the great dining room was never used ; the doors were closed, the gay traj^- pings removed, and snow wreaths, hung by the wind on the walls, usurped the place of the favorite generals. The expenditure made in feeding troops was a very large item in the expenses of the Home, and although the duty, except in the case of the sick, might not be regarded as essential, yet no act of its dispensation seemed to more clearly express the higher and national character of the Sanitary Commission. The regiments returning to their distant homes in Michigan, Wiscon- sin, Minnesota and Iowa, found a little series of entertainments prepared for them on the route. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, had each its organization, which let no soldier j^ass by unfed or neglected. The enthusiasm was more than the food — it had a moral effect which is expressed in the resolutions sent back by the Ist Minnesota Battery after its arrival at St. Paul. 384 THANKS FROM MINNESOTA. "Besolced, That in tlie name of every soldier of the Union, whom thev honored in honoring us, and on behalf of the 1st Minnesota Batterv in particular, do we tender to the ladies and patriotic citizens of Cleveland, our grateful thanks for the attention received at their hands. Besohed, That though with feelings of universal pleasure and pride do we look back on the spotless record of our Battery during its three and a half years' service in the Army of the Tennessee, yet the brightest spot in our memories will henceforth be the closing scene of our military life, when, our mission accomplished, and the object for which we struggled so long happily attained, we received on our homeward march the manifestations of a nation's gratitude. Besohed, That the pleasure we derived from the personal attention shown us by the ladies of Cleveland and the State of Ohio in general — great as that pleasitre was — is enhanced by the thought that in thus greeting us as friends and brothers — who were strangers from a far distant state — with nothing to entitle us to such greeting, except the fact of our being soldiers of our common country, this — the great truth — was demonstrated, that the American Union was no longer, as heretofore, a conglomeration of discor- dant States, loosely hung together, but that by the mutual sacrifices and united efforts of the past four years, we have in reality become a great nation — one in purpose — one in sentiment — sharing alike in the glorious memories of the past, and in the blessing resulting to the whole wide land, from the late triumphant vindication of the principles of free, enlightened, popular government." The approacli of winter changed the route of travel, and the few regiments to be still mustered out of service were sent to Camp Chase — the Cleveland camp having been early dismantled and broken up. This branch of the Home work was consequently over. AVhen the institution was finally closed, and left to its solitude of bare walls and empty rooms, and the Society's watchfulness for expected troops was no lono-er necessary, the 25th Ohio unexj^ectedly arrived and sent forward so short a notice of their coming that it was only possible to serve them with an infor- mal meal at 5 o'clock, A, M. A PERMANENT HOME. 385 THE OHIO STATE SOLDIERS' HOME. On the ITtli of October, 1865, an institution for disabled soldiers, known as the Ohio State Soldiers' Home, was o]3ened at Columbus. The grounds, build- ings and equipments of the Tripler Hospital were transferred by the United States Government to the State authorities for the purposes of an asylum of this character. Situated on the river bank, some three miles from the city, it seemed a quiet and safe retreat to which the pensioners of the Cleveland Home could be removed. Its influence was more favorable to the recovery of the sick, for quiet, good nursing and the services of a resident physician were at their disposal. Above all, a permanent asylum was thus provided for those whose disability would probably make them through life dependent upon such institutions. The appointment of Hon. Isaac Brayton as Super- intendent and of Mrs. E. L. Miller, who had been long connected with the Aid Rooms, as Matron of the establishment, gave the Society another interest in its affairs. All the inmates of the Cleveland Home entitled to admission were sent to Columbus at the Aid Society's expense — the more feeble taken thither on stretchers. The notice was widely circulated through Northern Ohio that the same opportunity would be open to all disabled soldiers, and invitations to contribute to the table of the Home were extended to the Branch Societies by means of printed slips issued from the Aid Booms' press. Until the meeting of the Legislature, no appropri- ation for the support of the institution could be 25 386 A HAPPY NEW YEAR. obtained, and the Cincinnati Brancli Sanitary Com- mission at once offered fifteen thousand dollars for the purpose. The Soldiers' Aid Society of Cleveland gave five thousand vrith the promise of more, if further aid became necessary. A condition attached to these gifts opened the institution to soldiers from all States. As the Soldiers' Home at Cleveland contracted its own limits, portions of its furniture were from time to time transferred to the Columbus asylum, with which fre- quent communication was maintained. The men wrote to their Cleveland friends, the officers of the Aid Society twice visited Columbus and endeavored to assist the institution as far as the duties of their own field would permit. The surplus stock of crutches went to the new hospital, and often an opportunity occurred of procuring some additional comforts for its inmates. A spring couch was sent to one bed-ridden man, and an expensive spinal brace purchased to enable another patient to walk about the wards. In several instances the expenses of the visit of a wife or mother to a very ill patient were defrayed from the Society treasury. On the 2d of January, 1865, the Soldiers' Aid Soci- ety gave a dinner to the inmates of the State Home. In the long lines of men ranked on either side of the tables were found a hundred familiar faces. Here were many who had recently left the care of the Cleve- land Home, and others, acquaintances of earlier date, who, through various channels, had also drifted into this comfortable retreat. In the hospital wards were again others — consumptives, cripples, paralytics — who had once been firmly established in the sympa- THE NATIONAL ASYLUM. 387 thies of the Cleveland Sanitary Commission, but who as easily adapted themselves to the nevr quarters. One patient, helpless lad, whose long suffering was drawing to its close, smiled recognition from his bed, and from a vast green cambric tent there issued a cheery voice which, traced to its source, was with difficulty identified as belonging to a blind soldier, who — half maddened by acute inflammation of the eyes — had left no enviable record at the Cleveland Home. Even the advances of its steward — on soap and water and clean clothing bent — had been received with wrath and voluble indignation. But now convalescence beamed upon him — everything was couleur de rose. The officers of the Aid Society regarded the new institution with great interest. It continued and per- fected their own temporary system of relief, and close observation of its government proved that it offered a thoroughly comfortable home to disabled soldiers. Through its various transitions from Sanitary Com- mission and State to National authorities, there has never been occasion to reverse this first favorable opinion. In 1867, the Ohio State Soldiers' Home was turned over to the United States Government, removed to Dayton and converted into the Central National Asylum for Disabled Soldiers. Since this transfer it has been independent of external assistance. An arrangement had been made in October, 1865, with the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati railroad company, Avhereby the Aid Society was enabled to send soldiers to the Home at reduced rates, but the free transportation now provided by the managers 388 THE winter's work. of tlie Asylum renders further aid in this direction unnecessary, save in some individual cases. During the winter of 1865 and ^66, the Home work was very sensibly contracted. Occasional squads of discharged soldiers, from the regiments still serving in Texas, would present themselves as candidates for lodging and refreshment, and there were plenty of men arriving every day on their way home from the various hospitals. The chief service of the Home was now in its character as rendezvous for applicants for admission to the State Home, who were here supplied with what they needed in the way of clothing, and sent at the Society's expense to Columbus. In addition to these were a number of permanent inmates, a large proportion of whom were blind or partially so, who came to Cleveland to be under treat- ment. Every morning, a little procession left the Home for the daily visit to the oculist, the blind leading the blind, or groping their way by means of sticks and canes. Around the reception room fire a group of them was always found, killing the time by mutual experiences of war days, or discussions, per- haps, of the respective merits of Generals Grant and Sherman. A soldier, suffering almost beyond belief and con- fined to his bed for more than a year, was brought by his friends to the Home to take advantage of its nourishing food and medical aid. The comfortable bed, especially provided for his use, stood in the centre of the ward, covered with the gayest and prettiest album quilt that the house afforded, and its occupant IN THE SICK WAED. 389 became a kind of general confidant and counsellor — always to be found, ready to listen, and with so few plans and hopes of his own to communicate. Every one was willing to read or talk to him, for his suffer- ings seemed to call forth what was kindly, even in ungentle natures. Once he was taken to his own home, at his restless desire, then, still hoping for recovery, he asked to be transferred to the Columbus Asylum. Accordingly, his bed was one day again put into a Avagon and taken, temporarily, to the then almost deserted Home. Some one going to the Aid Room door watched it pass — the pale face on its pillow — the red and blue covering fluttering in the wind — until the corner of the street was turned and the long hill — never to be repassed — descended. The Home steward carried him safely to Columbus, where he lived a few weeks and died, leaving the favorite quilt with its bright colors and patriotic devices to a patient equally unfortunate. His successor in the little sick ward of the Home was a young soldier who had been taken from the Infirmary of a neighboring town, where for two years he had lain bedridden, helpless and suffering. The two weeks which were passed in the Home remained a green spot in his dreary life, for here his scanty wardrobe was replenished, and all day long he might lie planning some new dainty, dreamed of, perhaps, in days of workhouse fare. In fact when he left the Home it was with indignation — soon repented of — at a limit being set to his consumption of some indigestible article of diet. Six weeks after his remo- val to Columbus, a little picture with a hymn beneath S9U FAITHFUL MOURNERS. it, set in a humble frame and given him while in Cleveland, was brought back to the donor, with the message that he had looked at it every day until the last. After his death a fellow soldier executed this last commission. In a wretchedly uncomfortable house on the West Side, a German soldier was found, sinking under a chronic disease of many months' duration. From the poverty and discomfort of his own quarters, and the noise of the five hungry flaxen-haired children, he was taken to the Home, hoping there to recruit sufficiently to bear the journey to the State Asylum. With him came the wife and eldest rosy-cheeked boy, and " Thank God ! it is warm here," said the woman as she entered the ward. Every day, mother and child visited the sick man, who never left the warm room until the dark rainy afternoon when he was carried out in his coffin, with the two faithful mourners following. In the two long days when he lay dying and unconscious, they had watched by him — the woman's hand fast clasped in his, long after it grew cold and unresponsive, and the eyes could recognize her no more. Yet she sat there still, refusing even to take food, until another woman's hand for a few moments held his, that he might not know her absence. As a legacy was left the care of the houseful of children, to feed and clothe whom, for a time, the Aid Society felt itself pledged. Through its Claim Agency a pension for mother and children was procured, which, with the addition of what the woman could herself earn, made them in future independent of other aid. It would be impossible within the present limits to GKOWIS'-UP SCHOLARS. 391 give ev^en a passing notice to many inmates of the Home who, by remaining during a long period of con- valescence, won a larger sliare of the general interest. One soldier, who had lost his right arm at the bat- tle of Bentonville, worked his way by uniform good conduct to an established post in tlie institution, — wearing its white badge, executing innumerable errands, reading to tlie sick, and devoting his leisure moments industriously to the cultivation of left-hand penmanship. Through the medium of the Employ- ment Agency he afterwards obtained an excellent situation which he filled with credit. Another was a tall powerful German, wdio limped about the Home on his crutches during the slow process of recovery from amputation of the right leg, and whose absorbing occupation was the jDursuit of knowledge by means of sundry worn geographies, histories and arithmetics. Over these he toiled, hour after hour, with puzzled and sometimes despairing looks, varying the task by the vain endeavor to train his big clumsy fingers to imitate copy-book flourishes. To him the Home was indebted for varnishing and leathering its store of crutches. Providence — of whose dealings his ideas were singularly crude — had in store for him many misadventures. His "reise gepack" was stolen from him in New York, and this appeared to him the natural deduction: "Although from my youth up I have endeavored to do right, and have the fear of God before my eyes and in my heart, I now see it is of no use." After leaving the protection of the Home, numerous other misfortunes pursued him, in the endeavor to establish some business where his 392 A DISABLED MAn's FUTURE. crippled condition and ambitions views conld he reconciled. One could not help pitying the bewilderment \yith which these poor maimed fellows regarded the future. Trained to labor, yet all possibility of earning a liveli- hood by its means removed — there was always a period of sad uncertainty following upon convalescence. At first there seemed nothinsr which a man so disabled could do, but in time the perplexities grew clear; honest desire to work discovered a path to occupation of some kind, and although the ordinary complement of arms and legs was never found to be superfluous, yet many a sharp-witted man made his one arm do good service for two. The increased invalid pension and the care- fully hoarded bounty of some of the more prudent soldiers made a little capital with which to take the first step in the world. It is now the opinion of those who have observed these cases, that most instances of pauperism, or of its companion evil, hand-organ grind- ing, in healthful though crippled subjects in ex-mili- tary coats, may be traced to some radical fault in the individuals themselves. It is seldom, if ever, necessary for the national uniform to be thus disgraced. For the temperate and honest disabled soldier who has no tamily, the National Asylum oilers a home, good food, clothing, education and the opportunity of learning some respectable trade, the pension meanwhile accu- mulating, until, on leaving the Asylum, a little nest- egg for future fortune is provided. A record should be here made of the death of WiLLiA^t Harrison, a member of the lath New York Heavy Artillery, which took place at the Home on UNCLAIMED. 393 the IGth of September, 1865. Keturning to Tennessee, from tlie place wliere his battery was discharged, he was waylaid in Buffalo, N. Y., beaten and robbed of his pay. The shock of the loss, rather than the effect of injuries received, acting upon a constitution already enfeebled by disease, produced a prostration of mind and body from which he could not rally. For the three days after he was brought to the Soldiers' Home at Cleveland, he sat, half unconscious, as if overpow- ered by the weight of some dire calamity, and died on the fourth day after his arrival. In his few lucid moments it was discovered that he had friends in Morgantown and Nashville, Tenn., but none of the many letters announcing his death and requesting his family to claim his clothing, have brought answer of any kind. An advertisement subsequently inserted in one of the Nashville journals met with no more success. The poor fellow lies buried in Woodland Cemetery, in this city, and his grave is properly marked, in the hope that some one may one day be found to inquire his fate. It would be inexpedient to mention those against whose memory no honorable record stands. It was early discovered that the benefits of such an institution must to a certain degree be dispensed with little refer- ence to the worthiness of the applicant, but simj^ly in the ratio of his sufferings. The more disabled, those requiring material aid in every way, were sometimes, morally, the least deserving of any assistance. Fortu- nately the number of such cases is small and extends chiefly over the latter period of the Home's existence. The disbanding of the volunteer army and the gradual 394 RESIDENT PENSIONERS. absorption of its members into civil life and peaceful pursuits, brought to tlie surface a residue of thoroughly disabled men, without home or friends, for whose sup- port the first pension was insufficient, and who, until the establishment of Government or State institutions, necessarily depended upon the Sanitary Commission. In this class were both bad and good men. As the assistance required by soldiers in transit became less, the wants of resident disabled men and their families were more urgently presented. During the winter and early spring a weekly allowance was paid to certain destitute families, and also fuel, food, flour and clothing issued in large quantities. Often an occasion offered for helping a disabled soldier over small accidental difficulties, as for instance, by purchasing for one man, crippled b}^ chronic rheumatism, the tools necessary to establish a cobbler's shop on a tiny scale, and in settling the troublesome arrears of rent for another whose wound had re-opened and whose earn- ings were consequently stopped. The office work still occuj^ying the time of the Aid Society officers, it was impossible to give every case presented the investigation it properly deserved, therefore, in applications for assistance from the fam- ilies of soldiers personally unknown at the Aid Rooms, a recommendation from a Trustee of the ward was required. Saturday, the day appointed for these dis- bursements, brought a motley assemblage of women and children, each with a story of hardship and dis- tress. As summer approached, the number was grad- ually reduced to a few cases which still claimed a FINAL DUTIES. 395 certain degree of assistance. Especially was this necessary in the long sickness or convalescence from dangerous wounds, of soldiers whom it seemed unwise to remove to the State Home, and whose recovery appeared more fully insured by the gift of a small sum of money, enabling them to remain under home care and treatment. At the recommendation of Mr. M. C, Read, the former Sanitary Commission Agent at Nashville, Tenn., the sum of two hundred dollars was placed in the hands of General Whipple, Chief of Staff to General Geoege H. Thomas, for the relief of the destitute widows of Union soldiers in that city. This fund was carefully expended in aiding them to reach their friends, or in providing food for the more needy. A list of the persons relieved and a statement of each individual case was made out by General Whipple and remitted to the Aid Society. In February, 1866, the Home was closed, with the exception of a sleeping ward and reception room which were occupied four months longer. The corps of employes was dismissed and the contracted establish- ment placed under the charge of Geoege H. Gibson, who had succeeded the former superintendent and steward and combined the now limited duties of both positions. The average number of meals during this last stage of its existence only reached two hundred and fifty per month. After the first of June the occasional migratory subjects for special relief were referred to the Aid Rooms, lodged, as under the old system, at boarding 396 THE HOME DISMANTLED. houses, and fed by means of meal tickets, representing a dinner at the depot coifee rooms. Steward Gibson, whose engagement at the Home had proved the value of his services, was now trans- ferred to the Aid Rooms as an auxiliary in the office work, and took the j)lace of the former porter, Timothy Faerell, who had so long and faithfully served the Society as porter and sub-shipping clerk. A portion of the bedding, furniture and clothing of the Home was transferred to the Columbus Asylum, and the remainder, at no little expense in cartage and wareroom rent, was stored away in reserve for a new city hospital then in contemplation, and to partially furnish which the Home outfit could legitimately be applied. This project was, however, abandoned, and the furniture, hardly improved by its many transpor- tations, was sold at auction or distributed to soldiers' families. The Soldiers' Home, now a battered, dingy building, its once new and brilliant flag torn and weather-stained, its tenants discharged, the occasion which brought it into being happily gone by, it seemed fit should serve no other purpose nor be associated with other objects or occupants. The building was accordingly dismantled, sold in sections as it stood, and speedily removed by the purchasers. It has been of course impossible to mention in the history of the Cleveland Soldiers' Home all who aided it, or, if unable to personally assist the officers of the Aid Society, with whom the responsibility of con- ducting the institution rested, frankly gave them their support and confidence. Such a record, could it be made, would be found only to include those who were thoroughly loyal. THE SCHOOL GIRLS' FETE. 397 In Dr. J. S. Newberey the managers of the Home found always a friend and adviser. Through him, as Western Secretary of the Sanitary Commission, the Home obtained the gift of some valuable furniture for the wards, while the salary of the superintendent was for eighteen months paid from the same source. To Messrs. Edwards, Townsend 3 50 ' 3 3 50 (> 85 00 3 5 00 Total $55,017 45 ARTICLES OF DIET AND DELICACIES. Articles. ^y g crallons Apples'."" bushels Apples, Dried - - - -lbs. Apple Butter gallons Barley r"}-^- Beans buslu;!^ Beef, Concentrated. - lbs. Beef, Corned - --- bs. Beef, Dried b^^- Beef, Fresh ----}^^'-- Beets ---- \'-^''}'f'' Brandy - bottles Bread p*- Broma - \\>^- Buckwheat Flour -lbs. Batter {---?''?■ Cabbage - bushels Cakes'and Cookies ,-■■'*'?• Carrots bushel* Catsup bottles Cheese 'os. Chickens, Condensed lbs. Chickens, Dressed lbs. Chocolate Ihs. Cigars - Carried forward ...-.----- Issued. Value. 690 345 00 1.5(U 3.010 00 127.742 25.548 40 2.277 2.277 00 00 10 20 'it> .50 W SO, 101 SO.IOI 00 22.305 2.007 45 5.044 1,188 80 7.007 1.1 11 05 25 32 00 420 840 00 2i).07S 1 .033 !H' 3 1.50 1(1 80 1 T.i;i;3 r, 130 05 30 00 00 4.211 S42 20 50 1)4 00 214 107 01 0.-121 LSSfJO 2.S11 2,S11 00 i;mi 04 (i5 15 7 50 400 20 00 . S130.013 20 APPENDIX A. 4 -J 5 AiiTlCLES OF DIET, ETC.-Co^'JIKUED. Akticles. Broiiirlit forward CinnaiiKMi lbs. CIiivc'S _ lbs. Cocoa lbs. C'odtish lbs. Coffee _ lbs Coffee Extract Cordial .., lbs. bottles ( 'oni Meal lbs. Coi'ii. Dried lbs. Corn Starch lbs. Crackers lbs Cranberries! .- - - bushels Cream Tartar lbs. Cucumbers bushels Ev't^s Farina lbs. FiiTs _ lbs Flour bbls. Fruit, Dried lbs diinj^er lbs (iooseberric!- quarts Grapes lbs Green Corn _ bushels (•iroceries lbs. Tlanis _ lbs. -/ lbs. llerrin^,s boxes Hominy lbs Honey lbs. Hops lbs. Horse Radish - - bottles lee Indi<;o lbs. Isinijlass lbs Lard lbs Lemons liettUCO bushels Lime Juice .. bottles Maccaroni lbs. Ma )le Su''ar lbs Me ons .. . _ . _ Mess Pork lbs. Milk. Concentrated lbs. Milk. Fresh quarts Mustard Mutton lbs Mutton Tallow lbs. Xutmc's ounces ( )a t Meal Onions. lbs. bushels Oranifes dozens Pa rsn ips bushels Pepper. Black. _ lbs. Pi'|)p!'r Sauce .- bottles Pickles j^allous Pies Pie Plant bushels Potatoes bushels Prunc^s lbs. lbs. ttice lbs. Sa-'o lbs. Saleratus ...lbs. Salt lbs. Sardines _ boxes lbs. Shoulders lbs. Issued. 8 10 y.) 2,(509 115 231) l..")2() (i~4 'I5S l.OS!) li IT 12.27H 21.5 •i3(/, !i;i.8~2 " :35,80(j 1!) '.«) 2,43G 10 248. 8T5 1.104 1.71:5 !) 144 81 212 1,1.50 iH)}^ 4 5 34 Gil 30 4,200 3 3,520 30 800 10.731 4.(i38 115 l.(Ul 23 KiO !)!) 8.107 1-; ■ 71 " 44 15 100 .5-1 40.143 3.974 10 .38,a41 17 105 29(5 27 97 1.125 2 557 1.48<1 Value. $130,013 20 ■1 00 10 00 29 75 223 20 1.043 05 115 00 172 50 01 00 07 40 09 15 013 35 32 00 17 00 1 .50 12.50 2.155 00 32 25 1 75 501 .35 1..S7I 40 1V.9()3 00 9 5!) (■> 00 305 4(1 20 00 99 (15 184 00 428 i5 8 50 7 20 24 40 03 00 287 50 205 00 00 10 00 8 25 427 50 00 00 2.100 00 120 881 50 6 00 120 00 S.:i52 00 371 00 57 50 24(1 15 4 (iO 24 00 9 90 215 00 49 70 35 00 25 00 54 50 13 50 15.457 20 590 10 20 00 38,841 00 5 10 42 00 44 35 8 10 14 45 2140 1 00 83 55 222 60 Ifj Carried forward «241,937 70 426 APPENDIX A. ARTICLES OF DIET, ETC.— Cohtinued. Articles. Brought forward . Slippery Elm Spices Saner Kraut Starch S t rawberries Sugar Syrup Tapioca Tea, Black Tea, Green Toast Tobacco Tomatoes Turkeys Turnips. Vermicelli Vinegar Wheat, Cracked.... Whisky Whitetish Wine Yeast Cakes Vegetables, Mixed . ..lbs. ..lbs. -gals. ..lbs. .qts. .n)s. -t ts. .n>s. -lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. -bushels -bushels lb -..-gals. lbs. ..bottles lbs. ..bottles doz. .bushels Value. $241,997 70 900 3 75 2,006 30 7 00 46 80 l,S()->30 02 40 7 20 886 50 327 00 110 20 546 55 150 00 20 00 tuoo 6.30 343 40 KM) 241 00 20 00 6,114 75 32 25 1.187 .50 Total $256,053 50 MISCELLANEOUS. Akticles. Badges Barrel Heads and Hoops Blank Books Bottles, Packing --. Boxes, Packing - Boxes, Contribution Bulbous Roots barrels Coal ---- tons Daily Papers Flags, Large - Flags. Small Gas^ Fixtures and Fitting . Hardware, Sundries Hoes Issued. Value. Marine Glass - Meal Tickets -v--c--,- Oats - bushes Onion Sets - - bushels Pictu res Plants, Flowering - Plumbing Postage Stamps - - - Press, Printing, with Type and Furniture Press, Lever Press, Copy -- Rakes Roller and Blocks setts Rollers, Wooden - Seeds. Garden boxes Seeds, Garden pkgs. Seeds, Garden bushels Signs Spades Sprinklers . Tools Warehouse Truck Wood cords Undassitied .\rt icles Boxes forwarded to Refugees - Boxes forwarded, contents unknown - 52 89 5118 27,759 17 1 146 17,592 6 360 1 1 9571 10 15 87 137 31,831 1 1 10 00 46 10 2.39 95 224 20 13.605 80 24 50 24 00 1,031 65 40185 126 50 30 00 294 80 65 60 100 20 00 2,.3o6 15 6 00 60 00 92 00 27 40 134 65 8.33 15 215 30 (i 00 15 00 1 7o 1 15 35 1 2 50 4 20 (K) 100 20 00 24 96 00 19 89 10 1 1 25 2 2 00 27 29 85 1 8 00 41 457 90 1366 .311 50 46 1,150 00 162 4.050 00 Total $26,175 80 AJ'PENDIX A. 427 RECAPITULATION. VALUE OF SUPPLIES ISSUED. BBdfliii;; and Clothing $()1.),2;54 50 Iloispital Furniture and Surgeon's Supplier .5.'),0n 45 Diet and Delicacies 2.-)t),(),53 50 Mi.-^ccllanoous 2(5, ITS 80 (Jrand Total $982,481 25 428 APPENDIX A. Hospital Stores have been sent by the Soldiers" Aid Society OF Northern Ohio to the following points: (Receipts tor these sliipmonts are on tile amoiifr the jiapcrsof tlie Society.) OHIO. ('am]) Tnvlor, Cleveland, Tth & 8th O. V. I. Camp Wood, Cleveland, 41st O, V. I. Ciim|i WaiU', Cleveland, ;>nd O. V. Cav. and John I'.i'own liitle Co. Camp Tod. Cleveland. 45th and C.Tth O. V, I. Camp Cleveland. lOSfd. lOrith. 107lh, l->4th, 13.5th O. V. I. and lOtli (). V. Cav. Reci-nilinu' Ofliees. Cleveland. Tth, Idth, 33rd, 41st, 15fli. r^Uh. (iTth O. V. I.. 3nd O. V. Cav. and ISth I^ritjadi^ T(>:inisters. 21th Ohio National Gnards. Cleveland. Post Ilo^idtal. Camp (ievidaiui. (Icneral Hospital. Camp Cleveland. Marine Hospital, (Anny iJe|)a;tmenl.> Cleve- land. I>ei)ot Hospital, (San. Com..) Cle\elaiid. Soldiers' Home. (San. Com.,) Cleveland. llutiirned Soldiers, sick, disabled, or ex- ehanired Prisoners. Cleveland. Soldiers' Families, livinq; in and near Cleve- land. Camp Jackson, Columhns, 2-h-i\ aird 24th O. V. I. Camp Thomas. Columlms. Camp Lew Wallace, Colnmbiis, Isi IJeuiment I'nroled Forces. CaniD Delaware. Columbus, ."jth and Ciili V. S. Colored Troops. Camp Chase, ,54th and 120th O. V. I. General Hosi)ital, Cam)) Chase. Tripler Hosintal. Colnmhiis. Ohio State Soldiers' Home, Columbus. Agent V. S. Sanitary Commission, Colum- bus, for distribution. Quartermaster General Ohio, Columbus, for returned Prisoners. Camp iStarietta. Camp Piqua. Camp (4oddard. Post Hospital, Camp Di'unison. Regimental llosiiital Tth, Sth, 53nd, 5lth O. V. I., Camp Dennison. 1st O. Y. Lt. Art., ard O. V. Cavalry, Camp Dennison. General Hospital, Camp Dennison. Branch Sanitary Commission, Cincinnati, for Hospital SteanuM's. Soldiers' Home, (San. Com..) Cincinnati. Freedmon's I^ehef Association, Cincinnati. Woodward Hosjiital. Cincinnati. Washington Park Hospital. Cincinnati. Ih'oadwav and ]\Iain st. Hospital, Cii]ci};i;i'.ti. Post Hospital. Gallipolis. General Hosjiital, Gallipolis. Camp of (ith Veteran Reserve Corps. John- son's Island. TENNESSEE, Supply Depot V. S. Sanitary Com., Nash- ville, for general distribution. Soldiers' Home. San. Com., Nashville, (icneral Hospitals Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, S, i:j, IS, 10, Nashville. General Field Hospital. Nashville. Iicfugec I>ei)artmenr. Nashville Regimental Hospital 1st O. V. I,t. Art . Cimp .\ndv Johnson, Nashville. Soldiers of Ist'O. V. Lt. Art.. ITdih O. \'. I. and Kinth N. Y. Y. T., Nashville. Teamsters in distress. Nashville. V. S. San. C >m. Hospital Steamers Laneas- tf-r .\o. 4. New Dunleilh and others, for dislrilnition at Posts on the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. Hospital Steamers sent by State of Ohio for the wounded of Pittsburg LandiniT Cleveland Citizens' Committee, sen' for the relief of the wounded at Pittsbm-g Landing. Siiiiply Dei)ot l'. S. San. Com.. Pittsburg Lanfling. Supply Depot U. S. San. Com., Ilaniburi: T,anding. Suiiply Depot I'. S. San. Cmn., ?;Icnipliis. "^Iedic'al Director. Savannah. Post Hospital, Savannah. Supply Depot U. S. San. Com.. MurlVocs- boro. Supply Depot U. S. San. Com., Chattanoojja. General Hospitals, Murfreesboro. Convalescent C.imp, Murfreesboro. ' Post Hospital, Ciallatin. Post Hospital, Colninlna. Post Hospilal. Shelbyville. Post Hospital, Fratiklin. Regt.'l Hos))ital 41st O. V. I . Murfree-diivro Regt'l Hospital ll):>d (V A'. I.. Knoxvilie. Regf'l Hospital llt.";th O. Y. I.. (Jallatin. Regt'l Hospital (;:5i-d, T'ind, Tdlh O. A'. I.. PittsburiT Tiandinir. Regi'l Hos])ital Tth Kansas Y. Cav., Mem- phis. Rciifl Hospital :!3nd lowa"\'. I., Fort Pillow Oliio State .'Vircnr. Memjihis. I'. S. San. Com. Ihisjiital \'isitor. >Iemiihis. Chaplain Kith O. Y. Cav.. Murfreeshoro, t'hai)lain T'.tth Penn. ^^ I, Murfreesboro. Chaplain Katon, ^Memphis. Chaplain Porter, for Contrabands. Atemjihis. Rcfuiiecs in distress (Freedmcii.) Gallatin. contraband nurses in U. S. Ho.-pital, Kno.x- ville. Soldiers of 3)1h. 41st and l(l,-)!h O. Y. 1., Murfreesboro. Soldiers of 104th and 13.-)thO.Y. L. I<>anklin. Soldiers of I'.lth, 41st, lIKJrd and l(),5th O. Y. L, (.'hattanooga. Soldiu-s of 14th O. Lt. Art., Jackson. APPENDIX A. ".) VIRGINIA Supply Depot U. S. San Com., Wheelincr. Apartment V. S. San. (.'om., Loiiisvilk". for ceuoi-al issue. KontiK'kv Braiiih l'. S. San. Com., Lonis- villo: Hospitals No. 1, 4. 5, 7, Louisville. Hospital No. 5, Louisville, (Port Donelson wounded.) Ladies' Oonmiittoe. Louisville, for distribu- tion in Hospitals. Soldiers' Home. San. Com., Louisville, Soldiers in all Hospitals. Louisville. Hark Barracks Hospital. Louisville, (Grapes.) Asst. l^>nartermaster iJen. Ohio, Louisville. Au^eney S.mitary Commission, Lexintrton, Ai;euey Sanitary Commission, Columbia, Aireney Sanitary Commission. Perryville,' Ai^ency Sanitary Commission, Danville. Agency Sanitary Commission, Somerset, Ai;ency Sanitary Commission, Nelson's Fur- naces. Oeneral Hospitals, Lexinoton. General Hospitals. Lebanon, General Hospital, Bardstown. General Hospital, Fort Holt. (Jeneral Hospital. Ashland. General Hospital, Paducah, (Fort Donelson wounded. 1 Brigade Hospital, (tSth Brigade,) Ashland. Brigade Hospital, (,lsth Brigade,) Paintville. Brigade Hos|)ital, (:Ut!i Brigade,) Sulphur Fork 'I'restle, Colesburi;-h. Brigade Hi>spital, Lexiiiizton. Brigade Hospital, Camp Ne\ins. Hardin Co. Post Hospital, Lexington, Post Hospital, Lebanon, Post Hospital, Bardstown. Post Hospital, Xew Haven, Post Hospital, Bacon Creek. Post Hospital, Bowling Green. Post Hospital, Ashland, O, V. Lt. Art., Lt. Art., Camp (Edgarton'8 Post Hospital, Paducah. Post Hospital, Munfordsville. Stearns' Hospital, Paducah. St. ]\Iark's Hospital, Paducah. Flat Lick Hospital, Cumberland Ford. Camp Nelson. Regimental Hospital 1st " Camp Jesse D. Bright Regt'l Hospital 1st O. Y Jefi'erson. Eegt'l Hospital 1st O. Lt. Art. Battery,) Bacon Creek. Regt'l Hospital 1st O. Lt. Art., Somerset. Regr' Hospital Dth O. Batterv, Cumberland ■ Ford. Regt'l Hospital 1st O. V. I., Green River, Munfordsville. Regt'l Hospital, Crab Orchard. Regt'l Hospital lOth O. V. I., Cumberland Ford. Regt'l Hospital 21st O. V. I., Bacon Creek. Regt'l Hospital 41st O. V. I., Camp ■\Vickliffe, New Haven. Regt'l Hospital 4-ind O. Y Paintville. Regt'l Hospital 4-3nd O. Y. Regt'l Hospital 40nd O. Y. Regt'l Hospital 4-iiHl O. Y Gap. Regt'l Hospital (i5th O. Y. I.. Bowling Green Regt'l Hospital ID-'Srd O. Y. I.. Frankfort. Regt'l Hospital 104th O. Y. I., Mt. Yernon. Regt'l Hospital lUth O. Y. I., Bowlins: Green. Soldiers of lOtb Ohio Batterv, Richmond. Regt'l Hospital -.ind East Tennessee Y Camp Dick Robison. Regt'l Hospital -.ind East Tennessee Y. I.. Camp Wild Cat. I., Camp Buell, Louisville. Louisa. , Cumberland I. TO THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC Medical Purveyor V. S. A., Washington, D. C., for the wounded at Bull Run." Soldiers' Aid Society. VYashington, D. C. (.>hio Relief .Association. AVashinijton, D. C. Ohio State Agents, Washington. D. C. Mrs. Wheeler, for distribution, Washington, D. C. Camp Vpton, near Washington, 1st O. V. Lt. Artillery, Camp ord Mich. Y. I., Alexandria Heights. Hospitals of CJeorgetown. D. C, (Grapes.) Fairfax Seminary Hospital. Camp fiOth N. Y." Y. I.. Washington, D. C. Camp 150th O. Y. I.. Washiuirton, D, C. Caini) 4th N, Y'. Y. Cav,, Potomac Creek, Branch U. S. Sanitary Commission. Pitts- burgh, Pa., for the \vounded at Gettys- burgh. MARYLAND. Agents of V. S. San. Com.. Cumberland. Medical Director I'. S, A., Cumberland. Post Hospital, Cumberland. Brigade Hosiiital, Cumberland. General Hospitals. Cumberland. Hospital L.. Cumberland. Post Hospital. Oakland. Post Hospital. Clarysville. Post Hospital. Frederick. Regimental Hospital 4th O. Y. I., Oakland. Regimental Hospital 2nd Maryland Y. I. " Cumberland. Regimental Hospital. Keedvsville. Soldiers of <h O. Y. I., Cumberland. GEORGIA AND ALABAMA Agents L*. S. San. Com., Resaca. for general issue. Agents U. S. San. Com,, Atlanta, for general issue. Post Hospital. Marietta. Soldiers of 19th, 55th, 74th and 104th O, Y. I., Atlanta. Soldiers of 12oth O. Y. T., Stevenson, Soldiers of 1st O. Y. Lt. Art. and i)th Ohio Battery, Bridgeport. APPENDIX A. 431 MISSISSIPPI, U. S. San. Com. Hospital Supply Steamers, for general distribution. Agent Christian Commission, Vicksburg. Soldiers of 42nd O. V. I. Vicksburg. Soldiers of 65th O. V. I., camp near Corinth. ARK ANS AS Soldiers of 25th O. V. I., Little Rock. Soldiers, Duvall's Bluff. LOUISIANA. Soldiers of 42nd O. V. I., Plaquimine. APPENDIX B. SPECIAL RELIEF REPORT, 434 APPENDIX B. o m O Q < m W o < ft o Oh Pi5 h^ <1 I— ( o w a? •pjqsiuaii^ itojjtjjjodsuujx CC 5^ C< r-l 1-1 r-l r-l i ■papuorfxg; qsBO 'pajojsiSaji: -Oil ib^ox ■^ lO ~ I- :c w ^ i-H 1-^ 1- 1— I r-II— tl— IWt— »1— IT— iT-l •9lU00a PIV IT! pojajsiSsy; XoaaSy 5uoinXo(diua[ jOaqi suoijBOiidclB -o^j pa[tj eosB3 jsqimi^ ouioii ;c pojo^spajj uAvon^inn s^uorapajj •soaSnjoa ^ saa^aasad ■OAjasaa; m?J0}0A •saTJiiiSaji ■pD.lO[00 ■i.mossjn iy isubisuiot; ■B^osounjj^ BJlSBjqaK pnB scxax •t!!lUOJl[B0 pUU 'BAVOI aossauuax -vAH'OiHu^S ■nisnoosiAV m 1-1 CO in I- m •BllBipUI pUB StOUinl I SOOTtN-^TOOM'^OiCO •ubSiijoii^ s; •omo BUIlSjlA ■?? PUB[AJB1\[ .-!•■G0-t~iO'.-ica:c: s5ioiO'4;ot-icos^^o G^ T-( W CO (T* tH r-l tH tM ■easiiofi "aipJBoq piTB SUBII Sauna; }i! siuoj\[ •aiuoH ^sjaipiog ^B siBapi o-*'oO"to='n'-iooo5 ir»mio-*o- ^ fc. H < ^ 1-5 1-5 -"I CO O O 5 OOCCiOOtOO^OiO'-'CO I 00 (Nt-I r-t 1-1 G^ O lO G^ S^ G^ O 1-1 CO O T-t ;CnO lO ;s t- T-. l- :C I- x- T-H CO T-H G^ lO C^ r-irNiOi- 1— I T-1 •p9.ia;siSoa: -ojsi icioj, : r: CO X c; 11^ I- c: ?'7'*C10COOCO'^H •SlUOOJI piy IB pajajsiSDji o CO =-. o o o» -r* c CO LI X 1= t-i 2 •jCd'ib^v ■juaiuXo[d[U3 j ::::::::::;: ,ojuj sjnt!0![ddv 'o^; | :::::::;:::: ■JiousuY iu(Bi,:) ,oim P8[B sa-ES j^quiuisj ■oraou It! pa.iaj-JiSDa i-ccccW'7>wCvxX':r»i:?c; it) o •uAvouJiun snisraiSsa -^ ^ :C <- T-^ X r-H ■ CO -T jr^ c: ^-r«i-co ;|,'5 :'-':g5}i5 ■soaSnjaa ^ 8i9}J9S3(i T-l (Ti ?C •aAjaSajI UBJO^OA T> OT r^ rn ^ I» rr O j- CC m 1 •SJB[tiSoa; o -i X o -J -f o> t- X l- O t- Ii5 •pjJO[oo UnoSSIJ^ q> BUCI3U101 •B ,-1 •OiqO 1 ?- ~ X '- i - 1--^ 00 -r X c; ct o ■s. 10 o) -^ C-. -r o> c lo CO »- ^ i- ■BUllSjlA V ptiBt.uBjv; 1 : : I*- :-^-^^ ; r^^ : UO •BlUBA[A!;iUI3J 1 1 OJ Ol ri ,-1 OJ r^ CO -^ " 0» rt c: i-t -.Cosaof AVOi^[ I •JlJOi AWX I •inoipaunoo • o« . • O ■ CO ■^ OS •pnB[Si opoqjT oj -in ••--••••. . X •snssnqoBSSBK T-l T-l ? iaouiJ9\ •T-l • • 'T-ll-lT-l • • • • -* •auqsdutuH av9^ ' p "aaiKH; • St • ; O .XX • • TH • ^ • IBOJV JO -O^I IB}0X o t- iT ^ »o >o I- tr :r ^ -H- i— C> X CO T-) lO C-. — 1- O Tl -f --O c: o ■* X e: := C-. o> T-. LO -f CO TH— ItH THTHCOCiffiCOfN 1 •sasuofi^tuip.iBog pau S([B£I jTuIUIQ )B S[BOpt O i- O 1-1 O* T* ^ 1-! ^ CO ■■+' ^SJOipiOS IB SIBOJt X X X I- X .0 :==-.=-. T CO o r-< T^ -Tt rf '7> ■yZ '^t •sSujSpoi i- 00 0( X O -■ O — CO lO I- o> -rcoc;--— lOf-rocoi-— — - •*-'#»oo:sa;i-THXTHi-;(N tH tH TH tH o» i coc;o*i-iooo>cs'7(coc:o ^ X CO t- i- X o> i- o* 'T r- X CO o 1.0 -- X CO JO -r -^ CO CO "^ 0< C< i-t 1-1 i-( t- I- 0( i-i CO 1-1 CO -hT X 1- r- r: o* I- X tr i- o* ^ w c; c* ic o* c: lO 1- c w o -^ OT 1-1 1— 1 ■^ O iO 1— 1 1— * ▼-< i-< S S • . • • CO X :o -^ X -r if^ I- . . . • cc CO lO t- :s lO CO 'T* i . . , .t-Tfio-^iAi-fWjn - . . • ^ TT « C?« r-ii-l ri 1-4 *t t- ^ oi -r c^ -J o c; t^ i- CO o -t lO -r i- X :r- cr. c: 1— o> o O* (7^ ^ 1-. ^ -^ -O ;^ CO ^ 1 i I- CO X X C: L- -J O i- ^ C Q 0> lO C-J lO O «D t- fft CO ^ 2^ '^ in CO c; c; CO o Tt T-l o 1-1 in 1-1 ; 1—1 C: c; o OJ! -r ■^^ i-O' i-o o ~. -T c:- iOior::5Xx:ri-i'^coi-Or-H T-1 1-1 -^ 1-1 CO 1—1 t-f-oxcort^'-'i-i-'-'i-co !7*corj'ir5;cco:;::r~-fOrH T-tl-l 1-1 <7i CO i 1-1 1-1 . CO -^ X cc 1- :c C-. X . 1-1 -rl i-t -- IjO I- c: C". * c; c» CO CO CO • CO "^ ■'i* 1— 1 I-l 1— 1 1— 1 - • Tj'irtc^TdOT-f'yii-ti-i .1-1 t-l o o* "s . . . .l»T-i . -co .iH . ^- tr:: o> 1-" lo ic CO o> o» • • >?» cocot-x«i-;,^ . . o*t-^coof^OLOC:0(N tH Ci i-H rH 1-1 1-1 CO 1-» rH X-+~XC:iiO'^OXCOCOi-i 1-^ (71 lO t- CO -r io X i-x-r CO o T4 T-ixcOT«o-tc:»-c^'7»Tj'c: o t- :c c ' -^ m I- CO '7* ,^ 1-1 io o* -r c. o? CO X :r: c". i- i- co in o lo CO t— c: o i- — r^ CO o JO — lo o c: I- I- I- — iri i- c; =2 -S-OJlCCO^l-OXCOCOOJS* ; ; ; ;S« ;-* ;OJ •■* ; (7? 1— I s* t- c. L-^ X o» LO CO C-. X ;= CO oi^ia-sm -TH -Tji . .CO THc:coi-0'.t'o>oo»tco?co c: ;= X o -.= 3 >o I- X 5- in is thc: c;:s 0? !r»!;-lO-*IMTH(r»l3 -tHthCO CO CO ;;;;«;;; ;-*T-i • J:- » L- JO tH th Q t- . I- C. C: O T-(^a> .C5tH tH tH . co g5 ••^ . .THTH-fi^THClTHCO • . COS! COtH tH ^1-:OtH«tH . .0»(?JT!>C0 53 X ot lO t* m -f o CO I- -f "^ i- T- o> C2 S'* >-< -r in JT o i- n i- cocococooociotinco^too* ^ — ^ o< o o> o> ^ p ij^ r; i^ lo ?^OtCOC0COC^O*^COT"COOS I CI --. -H I O f- o -=fc; I' XC^l-l-OJXOXCOO^i-" 1 -^ o o> i- 1- -f -,= — — -r — X ^hO i-t-'^'7«C;Cl'?*OOC0XCi (7 i-[uu s^uoraiSaa ! '^^ ■^^^'o -l-oji- j; — C. TO l-- -f I- -f 5» TJ I- -^ ~. 'S 1 1 "1 • 1 ■ ■S3a;Suj3y; !y s.ia}a9!5aa 1 :::::::'-':::: T-< •aA.Tasaa uB.iojoA -"--" : : : ■rl . . IT* ::: -.^ ::::::: \ -- : : : : ::::::: | •s.it![ugajj loo'No • j'" T-1 §-" :::;::::: Ig « ::::::::: 1 S ■P9.10100 j WracOOTTO . . ■ • T-l . T^ ::::-:::::: :p uuossiiV ^ luiBtsiuoT; n cc 1 " ■B}osouu!i\i • ■ 1 •Bsisiuqajj put! avsaj, \ ::::::: : 1 : •Bui.iojiiBo pu« B.ttoi j "::::": • at 1 : : : : :^ : : : : • • a9sa8[uiox5'jC>(ju}uo>i " : :" i*^ :"-^;=;" :i§ - ■ • -r-l .-t .C: --ti-HO •uisuoDsiAv : : : : : : S5 :::::::::::: •■BUBipuI puB SJOUini l-COmTP . .^jNict-.-r^ jc i '??••.•'?* -^ ... . 1 -*2«'^'*'^-<'^« • 1 : 1 : 1 TO .TO 1 : •omo| S^^355|S^-SS 5 3 l-l T-H i ■uiuiSaiA. ^s* puBiA'.iBj^ 1 :""''""::::;:: 1 'o ■rH 'BiuBAiAsnuaj S-i OT lO ■* Tf •.Casjaf .vva^ | :::: '^ ::::::; | '^ -rinoocci-oD .-r-ir-i •» ■ o •Jl.ioAAvaK " -H^ . : : t^- . ^ . ^ . W?* . . . . . 1 o ;;;•;;;;;;;.! ■ :)uoi},")ouuo3 : •piiB[si apoiiH 1 :: '^ ::::::::: 1 '-' 1 •siiasuqoBssBiij :c.T»^ ri ^^ •4UOIU.13A 1 T? :::::::::::: Ui -r vr X i i- (N TO •amoH §Sfs7?° : : : : : : : ^s.T3ip[os IB sisaj^ l^"^'" : : : : : ■ : -.gu^gpoT iS|S^ — "-- T( • • • T- TO TJ 1? . . • -T 1 ■* V. E 1800. January.. . . February .. March April May June July August September.. October .... November. . S o o o p "3 o 1807. January February . . March April May June July August .... September.. October.. .. December.. APPENDIX B. 437 Q M H Z O o o o H I— ( o o H P^ O I— I <1 1— ( Q W P^ •patisiuanj noiiBj.iodsuBjj, r-i • W • * •m 'T^ ' in •popuoclxa USOO 1— « O O • ■ if5 T-H • O ■ 1 o: KO o • • c: CO • o • ' en o o : : i- o 1 Tt : I *t T-l O . . ■?» CC . r-t ,1 t-l 00 . . 1-1 , .1 «^ : : : :| i ■pD.ia}siSo}j -ox uuoj. «"^? -.r TJ c! CO w ■ .-H • ^ ! •suiooji piV }u poJajsiiiaa: CO 0» « 7> T? CO CO • 1-t • (W ■x.iuaSv' ni3uiXo[dma[ ::::::::::) :j ,o.iqi suoiiBoiidflti 'o^ ::::::::::! :\ po[ij S9SB3 jaquiufj • ■ T( ;;;«•;;; 1 CO : : : : : : : : | •siuoji IB pa-ia^siSaa ::::::::::' : •••••••••• 1 • •UittonjiHn. s^tistuiSaa (?> IC -* S* IN (TJ SI • • • T-1 ... § ■soaSnjaa ^S* saaijasafl •oAJasaa uBJajaA :::::::::: ::::::::::! ; 1 •8.iB[il8oa ::::::::::! : ::::::::::! : •pa.io[oo :::::::::: • 1 i.uiossii\['y BUBiauioi j :::::::::: 1 ■B405auu!jv! 1 .! ■ 1 1 ■B5i5B.iqa^ put? sT?x8jj 1 :::::::::: 1 : 1 •BIIUOJIIBO puB BMOI I I • ■ • I I I I I : aassauuaj, TXj[oniaa5i •uisnoasiAi I I ! C I I I ! I I 1 . • 'H •Bucipui puB siouidi 1 : : ::::::: at •aBSiqoij^r ■oiqo ^ ': \ \ r r \ v-xnoiiw cv pmq.OBi^ | :::::::::: : ■BtuB.\i.<:suua(j 1 :::::::::: •Xosasf A\a>i :::::::::: :"::.::::: : •3[.lOi MB^ « ■^uonooauoo :::::::::: ■ •puB[si apoqa 1 :::::::::: : •sjiasnqaBssBK : : : : : ". : ". ". : •}uoaiJ8A ] ::::::::::]: •ajiqpdiuBH ^^K ■auiBj^ j ■sptoK .10 -oj^ 1B}0J, 0> CO CO 0» « « CO • f« ■ T-H CO • • g •auioH 1 :::::::::: .s.iaipioj; IB siBOK 1 :::::::::: 1 ' 1 ■■ •sSuiSpoi ; I- ; ; ; ; rH _. . . oo 1 January. . .. February . . March April May June July August September.. October i o iS <2 438 APPENDIX B. SPECIAL EELIEF DEPARTMENT. •♦• CASH REPORT. ••• Paid for building and fiiniishing Soldiers' Home $7,02-1 69 " Salaries of Home Employes and for Extra Services 3422, 16 " Subsistence aud Meal Tickets _. 13.200 74 " Hoasehold Expenses, Fuel and Medicine - 2,026 07 " Burial Expenses. 6017 Individual Relief, Transportation and Board of Sick Soldiers 4,018 27 Expenses of Claim Agency .-_ 6,784 23 Total $35,536 33 ELLEN F. TERRY, Treasurer. APPENDIX B. 43 9 CASH CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOLDIERS' HOME. Trinity Churcli, Cleveland $110 61 S. A. S., Millersburgh 103 HO T. W. Keniiard 100 00 H. B. Perkins, Warren, O 100 00 Theta Phi Alpha Soc, Cleveland Ins- ptitute - 7000 Dr. W. S. Streator _ 50 00 Citizens of Frogsville 40 54 S. A. S., Willousrhby 4« 44 S. A. S., Bedford 44 50 Wadsworth Dramatic Club. 4-i 50 Union League, Cleveland 40 50 G. E. nerrick._ 35 00 S. A. S., Earlville 33 25 Woolson, Hitchcock & Carter 30 50 Harmon & Crowl 25 00 B. W. Jenncss & Co_ 25 00 S. A. S.. Middlebury 25 00 Lucien S.Phillips 25 00 S. A. S., Ravenna 25 00 James Root. Hartford, Ct 25 00 Seaborn & Hempy 25 00 Sheldon &French 25 00 Elisha Savage, Berea, O 25 00 S. A. S., Gustavus 23 00 A Friend.. 21 00 Diidlev Baldwin.. 20 00 W. Bingham & Co 20 00 Clark & Rockefeller 20 00 S. A. S., Cleveland, 7th Ward 20 00 L. Crawford & Co 20 00 Crowell & Childs 20 00 Edwards, Townsend & Co 20 00 H Harvey 20 00 C. G. King.. 2000 S. L. Mather _ 20 00 S. D. McMillan. 20 00 Morris & Price 20 00 Northern Transportation Co 20 00 S. A. S.. Olmsted Falls 20 00 Otis & Brownell 20 00 Parish & Knight 20 00 H. B. Payne 20 00 M. B. Scott 20 00 D. B. Sexton 20 00 George A. Stanley - 20 00 Tennis & Dangler 20 00 Thomas A Butts 20(10 John F. Warner 20 00 Geo. Worthington 20 00 S. A. S., Dover 19 05 S. A. S., Rawsonville 10 00 S. A. S, Hiram 10 43 Bond & Morris 15 (X) L. F. & S. Burgess. 15 00 Rev. L. Carter 15 00 Cross & Pavne 15 00 Hushes & Rockefeller 15 00 W. Sabine 15 00 James J.Tracy 15 00 Young People, Dist. No. 5, Parma. . . 12 05 R. P. Myers.... 11 50 S. A. S.. Perry 10 57 H. G. Abbey 10 00 Adams & Jewett 10 00 Alcott & Horton 10 00 Babcock & Hurd 10 00 F. M. Backus 10 00 F. T. Backus 10 00 E. I. Baldwin & Co $ lo qq T. S. Beckwith lo 00 Begges & Sinclair lo 00 George A. Benedict lo 00 J. P. Bishop 10 00 Thos. Bolton - 10 00 Mrs. Mary Bradford 10 00 Bratenahl Bros lo 00 S. A. S. Brooklyn 10 00 O. A. Brooks & Co 10 00 Burgert & Adams 10 00 S. A. S., Burton 10 00 C.L.Camp 10 00 W. F. Carey 10 00 Cash 10 00 Mrs. H. Chisholm. 10 00 Chas. Clark 10 00 J. H. Clark & Co 10 00 J. B. Cobb &Co 10 00 W. P. Cooke & Co 10 00 Dr. E. Gushing 10 00 Dr. H. K. Cushing 10 00 J. H. DeWitt 1000 R. B. Douglass 10 00 George B. Ely 10 00 W. P. Fogg - 1000 Morrison'Foster 1000 Glaser Bros 10 00 S. O. Griswold 10 00 John B. Goodsell 10 00 E. B. Hale 10 00 W. B. Hancock 10 00 T. P. Handy 10 00 R. Hanna & Co 10 00 B. Harrington 10 00 Wm. Hart 10 00 Mrs. W. R. Henrv 10 00 Hervev & Bousfleld 10 00 J. M. &H. T. Hower 10 00 Hower & Higbee 10 00 J. M. Hoyt... 1000 S. Hvman 10 00 F. Cl Keith 10 00 M. R. Keith 10 00 Moses Kelly 10 00 H. D. Kendall & Co 10 00 Richard Kimball 10 00 Koch, Levi & Meyer 10 00 H. H. Little & Jennings 10 00 Lyon & Sherman. 10 00 J. Marchand 10 00 Geo. F. Marshall 10 00 T. Maxfleld & Co 10 00 Dr. C. S. Mackenzie 10 00 Miller & Parsons 10 00 George Mygatt 10 00 Morgan &"Root 10 00 G.W.Morrill 10 00 Chas. W. Noble 10 00 Palmer & Dennis 10 00 N. P. Payne 10 00 O.H. Perry 10 00 F.J.Prentiss 10 00 Loren Prentiss 10 00 S. B. Prentiss... 10 00 Prescotts & Chase 10 00 A. & E. C. Pope 1000 A. Quinn & Son 1000 Raymond, Lowe & Co 10 00 440 APPENDIX B. CASH CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOLDIERS' HOME— Continued. C. A. Read ...- ---$ 10 00 Adolph Kettbpric - - - - - - 10 00 Rice & Burnett , 10(10 John W. Siir2;eant 10 00 Philo Scovill. --- 10 00 Seaman & Smith.. 10 00 Smith &Dodd 10 00 ,T. n. Smith 1000 Smith &Cui-tiss 10 00 R.P.Spalding 10 00 Cieo. Spraguo 10 00 E. Stair.:... 10 00 Stillson. Leek & Price 10 00 .\. B. Stone .--- 10 00 Strong & Armstrong 10 00 Tavlor & Griswold 10 00 John Tod 10 00 J. H. Wade 10 00 M rs. P. M. Weddell 10 00 Horace P. Weddell... 10 00 C. Whitalier 10 00 II. S. Whittlesey 10 00 Lemuel Wick .-- 10 00 H. Wick & Co 10 00 Willev&Carv.. 10 00 S. Williamson 10 00 (ieo. S. Wright. 10 00 S. A. S., Tallmadge 00 J. T. Watterson 00 Benton Bros f^ 00 T). U. Pratt. 50 W. K. Adams 5 00 A. W. J .- 500 W. D. Baker 5 00 J. Benton 5 00 ('. P. Born 500 I). G. Branch 5 00 ('. G. Bruce 5 00 F. Butts & Co 5t)0 Cannon & Freeman... 5 00 M. Carson 5 00 Cash .--- 5 00 Cash 500 Cash - 500 Mrs. E. Clark 5 00 S. Corning 5 00 R. Cowles 5 00 W. D. Cushing 5 00 Davis & Vorce 5 00 S. Dewev 5 00 Fusier & Burgert 5 00 K. F. Gavlord 5 00 H. C. Hawkins 5 00 Ililliard & Hatch 5 00 t4eo. W. Fahrion 5 00 (Jeo. Freeman 5 00 John A. Foot 5 00 (ieo. Ingcrsoll 5 00 C^apt. Jerome 5 00 T. M. Kelley 5 00 H. Leutkemeyer 5 00 S. Mann 5 00 S. A. S., Maytield 5 00 Morehouse & Merriam 5 00 C. F. Morse 5 00 (■Jcorge S. Mygatt 5 00 J. D.''0"Neil & Son 5 00 JohnM. Peck 5 00 S. Ranuey - 5 00 H. K. Raynolds $ 5 00 C.Shaw 5 00 T. G. Sholes .5 00 Mrs. P. A. Sterling 5 00 Miss Laura W. Sterling .5 00 A. B. Stockwell .5 00 Mrs. A. B. Stone 5 00 C. L. Thompson 5 00 D. R. Tilden 5 00 Mrs. W 500 George Whitelaw 5 00 J. V.^N. Yates 5 00 E. Chester 4 00 H. Lord 4 00 W. J. Warner 4 00 Universalist S. S. Conneautville 3 80 L. C. Baker 3 00 Cash 300 Cash 300 J. 1). Cleveland 3 00 A. S. Houk. 300 A. & C. Loeb 3 00 Silas Smith S 00 J. Wansor 3 00 George Wilkinson 3 (HI WMllonghbv and Vicinity.. 2 25 B. &n: B;ier 2 00 L. Benedict 2 00 B. P. Bowers 2 00 B. Butts 200 Cash 200 L. Bufi'ett 2 00 Cash 2 00 Deckand & Co 2 00 E. J. Estep 200 D. W. Gage 2 00 J. P. Koehler 2 00 S. May 300 John Schwab 2 00 J. F. Whitelaw 2 00 Mr. Sinclair. 2 00 A Friend 1 00 N. Barber 1 00 S. A. S. Brimfleld 1 00 S. Brainard 100 Cash 1 00 G. W. Clark 100 R. A. Dver, Newburgh 1 00 Chas. Flie.dner 1 00 E. M. Flvnt 1 00 O. A. Granger. 1 00 Miss O. R.'Gurney 1 00 J. Hall '. 1 00 J. Halle 1 00 N. Heisel 100 Mrs. Ilinnian.. 1 00 Mr. Lvman 1 00 Mrs. Porter 1 00 Mrs. Dr. Robinson 100 Wm. P. Stanley... 1 00 John Storey 1 00 Dr. John Wheeler 1 00 W.J. T 1 (K) A Friend 95 Cash SO Mrs. Mitchell 50 A. n. Brown 50 S. A. S.. St. Clair Road 42 C\ash Box at Home 8 70 APPEJVDIX B, 441 BUAXCLl SOCIETIES CONTRIBUTING TO SOLDIERS' HOME. Akron, a.miiekst. ArWATEll. Bainbridge. Bath. Bedford. Berlin Centre. Berea. Berlin Heights. BlUJIINGUAM. BoARUMAN. Boston State R,)ad. Bkecksville. Brimfield. Bristolvii.le. Brooklyn, Brooklyn Centre. Burton. Butternut Ridge, Olmsted. Chagrin Fall.'*. Ch.\rlesto\v'n. Chatham Centre. Chester Cross Koads. CoLLAMEK. COLUJIBIA . CONNEAUTVILLE UNIVERSAL- IST S. S. Dover. Dover Cong. Church. Earlville. East Cleveland. Euclid. Franklin Mills. Freedom. Garrettsville. Geneva. Greenpoet. CjrREENWICH STATION. Gustavus. Harrisville. iilncklbv and granger. Hiram. holmesvillb. homerville and sullivan Glee Club. Huron. Christ Church, johnsonville. Judd's Corners, Concord, O. Kent. Kingsville. Kinsman. KiRTLAND. Mayfield. MiDDLEBURY. l\riLLERSBURG. Newburgh. Newton Falls. North Jackson. Olena. Olmsted. Olmsted Falls. Painesville. Parkman. Parisville. Parma. Perry. Randolph. Ravenna. Rawsonville. Rockport. RUGOLES. Shalersville. Sheffield. South Rockport. St. Clair Road, Cleveland. Streetsboro. Strongsville. Tallmadge. Troy, Nova P. O. twinsburgh, Union Four Cokners. Uniontown. Unionville. Viall District. Wadsworth. Wadsworth Dramatic Club Wakeman. Warren. Warrensville. West Rockport. WiCKLIPFE. Winchester. Windham. Willoughby. WiLLOUGHBY RiDGE. APPENDIX C. CLAIM AGENCY REPORT, 444 APPENDIX c. clb:velaxd branch sanitary commisson claim aqency. STATEMENT NUMBER OF CASES PrLED. I II valid Pension _ 97 Iiicrcasc Invalid Pon^ion, US \Vi(li)\v"s Pi'nsion. _ __ o(; Incioasf Widow's Pension __ _. ct Mother's Pi'iision, _ __ ]5 Guardian's Pension _ _ 3 (iiiardian's Pension and Increase,...- _ (i Transler Pension, i; Anvai's Pension, _ 1 Arrears I'.iy and Bounty, KIT Pension Money ". _ _ 45 x\dditioi)al Bounty, Act July 28tii lli:j Heirs' Additional Bounty, Act July'^Sth,. im Avtilicial Limbs ". ."_.. 3 Tiu-ee Months' Pay ..T./.y..^..^^].^.]!^!/."..] 7 C'oninintation of Italions _ 13 M iseellaneous Cases, _ _ _ 3 Total, ..1890 FILED TUEOUOn CENTKAI. EUFiEAU OP CLAIMS. Invalid Pension 4<) Inerease Invalid Pension, 1 Widow's Pensit)!!, _ K; Mother's Pension 1 Arrears Pay and Bounty, .. IIC. C'onnnntation of llations, 7 Total, IIK) EXPENSE account By paid salaries Accents and Clerks, $4,419 93 " prinlinir and adve^'tisinix 72'.l 73 stationery, postage, leyal blanks and record books, 1.0-^7 55 notarial fees 1 _ 31 '2 58 office expenses, desks, safe and notary seal 2.>4 (18 expenses of collecting claims at Ohio "state Soldiers' Home, 39 77 Total, $6,784 24 A P ]' E .N I) I X 1) . NAMES OF xA[ EMBERS 446 APPENDIX D. jNI E M B E R S :mrs IIenrt G. Abbey. " S. C. Aiken. " L. Ai.roTT. ik Sherlock J. Andrews hi M. C. K. Arter. '^ Caleb Atwatkr. Miss Carrie Atwai'er. Mrs? Levi Aist. JtRS . F. T. BACKrs. •• Henry Baker. *' TiiKo. Baker. " E. 1. Baldwin. Mis^ Mary Baldwin. ]Mks Jamks Baknett. Mi*!' Annette Barxett. Mrs J. Beansiin. •• Geo. E. Beebe. hi R. A. Beebe. bb R. V. Becher. hi M. E. Beikwitii. " Silas Belden. ik Geo. a. Benedict. " L. Benedict. fci S. M. Beniiam. Li Curtis Bentos. it Carlos Benton. ii Horace Benton. ii Bester. ti A. Beverlix. ■• KdWAKD BlNlillAM. ■■ William Binciiam. •• ,). P. BlSHOl". " BiSSITT. MlSsBlXBY. Mrs S. H. BcVVRDMAN. WM. J. BOARDMAN. " Boise. ii Thomas Bolton. " J. BofSFIELD. " William Bowler. " J. M. Brainard. ** William Bradford. Miss Clara Hramh. Mrs . C. n. Brayton. J[iss Mart Clark Braytdn Mrs . N. C. Brewer. • • C. C Brioos. iV John BRoitai. ii Fayette Brown. ii J. C. BlKLL. " M. BuowN. ii TllOS. Bl'RNlIAM. •• L. BURtiKRT. " p. K. BlRNETT. •* BlFFINliTON. " L. BrRTo>j. ih Levi Bittles. " Bolivar Bitts. ii Caldwell. •• LOIISE i'ALKINS. " ,1. F. Card. Miss Alice Carky. Mrs . Lawson Carter. Miss Belle Cartki:. Mrs . Cartwrigut. •' J. Lang Casseu.s. Mrs Wm. B. Castle. ■• Sklah Chamberlin. " H. M. Chapin. " J, H. Cu.\sE. " Henry Chisuolm. " D. Chittkndkn. " Elizabeth Chubb. '• E. Clark. " I. L. Clark. " W. A. Clark. Miss M. S. Cleveland. Mrs. -T. :M. Coffinberry. •• J). O. Cole. " Wm. Collins. " H. E. Cooke. " W. C. COOLEY. " John Coon. " L. K. COWLES. " Wm. Craig. " Crapser. " J. IL Crittenden. " S. W. Crittenden. " T. D. Crocker. " E. W. Crooks. " H. L. Crowell. " John Crowell. " Crowx. " CUBBOX. " Cunningham. " Wm. T>. Cushing. '• H. K. CUSUING. •' F. B. Dakrow. " Bennitt Dare. " Alfred D.wis. " Chas. a. Dean. " R. B. Dennis. " M. J. Dickenson. " B. F. Dexter. " Degenin. " Geo. C. Dodge. " R. Button. " C. F. Dutton. " Donaitte. " J. Douglas. " O. S. Douglas. " Alfred Ely. " Geo. B. Ely. " A. W. Fairbanks. " James Fak.mer. " Ferguson. " Feusier. " Wm. a. Fiske. Miss Sarah Fitch. " Jennie Fonts. Mrs. a. E. Foote. " Horace Foote. " John A. Foote. " Fowle. " !Morrison Foster. " E. Freeman. " A. FULLKR. " Geo. W. (Gardner. Miss Fannie Gardner. Mrs. C. M. Gidings. Miss Georgie Gordon. Mrs. Hiram Griswold. APPENDIX D. MEMBERS— CoNTiNUKD. 447 Mus. W. B. GuYLES. " Hale, W. S. Miss S. S. Hall. Mrs. Wm. B. Hancock. Mus. Ai.BEKT M. Hakmon. ■' B. llAURINIiTON. " J. A. HaivUis. " Wm. Hakt. " G. H. Haskell. Mlss Nellie Haskell. Mils. K. Hayes. '• JOSEPU Haywaiu). '• Wm. H. IIaywai!!). '■ G. E. IIekiuck, " Chas. Hickox. " M. Jl Hun.EV. Miss Emma Hills. Mks. L. C. HoAii. •• HOBART. •• Dennis Holt. ■' It. C. Hopkins. " A. G. HOTKINSON. " J. M. Hoyt. " M. A. Hoyt. Miss Idda Hoyt. Mrs. IIubbell. "• O. E. Huntington. '• HURLBURT, W. S. •^ H. B. HURLBIKT. ■■ HUTCUINS. '■ L. M. Hubby. ■' M. Y. HUTTON, '• L. D. Hudson. " Huntoon. " Wm. Hutton. " G. A. Hydk. " Hiram Iddinus, " W. A. INOIIAM. •■ J. E. iNCliRSOLL. " Isaac A. Isaacs. •' E. S. IsoM. " E. jENNIN(iS. " S. W. Johnson. " (J. H. JOUNSON. " S. A. Jewett. ■• T. M. Kelley. Miss Kent. ■' Amelia Kent. Mrs. James Kirby. •■ Wm. Lacy. " M. 0. Lane. •' Lauderbale. '■ G. W. LEri'ER. ■■ J. Leonard. •' E. H. Lewis. ■• LiPE. •' Thos. List. '• H. H. LiTTLK. " Juliana Lono. *• Lydia Lonu. '• W. W. Luck. •' Joseph Lyman. ■* Mallory. ■■ S. II. MANNINti. ■' (,". Masters. "■ E. Masters. " 11. C. MAltSUALL. " James Mason. " S. II. Mather. " Wm. Melhinch. " Wm. M. Meri.\m. " J. B. Meriam. " E. il. Merrill. Mrs. Dr. Merritt. ■' Wm. Milfori). " Wm. Mittleberoer. ■' McNeil. " Nelson Monroe. Miss Keokee Monroe. Mrs. E. p. Morgan. " .1. H. MoRLKY. " R. P. Myers. " J. J. Myers. " Geo. Mygatt. " Myrick. "■ ZiNA Needham. Miss MuLViNA Nevins. Mus. IIknry Nkwton. Miss Julia E. Noblk. " Henry Nkwberuv. " Stanley L. Noble. " O. M. Oviatt. " S. B. Page. Miss S. Palmer. Mrs. J. D. Palmer. '■ Fanny Parsons. " R. F. Paine. " Austin 1'armeter. " Peck. " Pendleton. " Joseph Perkins. Miss Phelps. " Matilda Pickands, Mrs. Pollock. '■ Wells Porter. " D. IT. Pratt. " H. F. Percival. •' Perry Prentiss. '■ Loren Prentiss. " S. B. Prentiss. " F. J. Prentiss. "■ W. M. Prentice. " N. B. PUENTK'K. •' W. 11. Price. Miss Ellen Puitchard. Mrs. p. Probeck. " L. M. Pryor. " Geo. Presley. Miss M. Presley. Mrs. N. Purdy. " R. P. Ranney. " Raymond. " J. A. Redington. " Reese. " D. P. Rhodes. " C. L. Rhodes. " J. M. Richards. " C. H. Roberts. " Dr. Rodman. " ROITNDS. •■ B. Rouse. •' B. F. Rouse. " C. L. Russell. " E. S. I{OOT, '• A. CJ. Russell. '• W. 8ABINE. " J. C. Sanders. " Sanderson. " Sanfohd. " Nelson Sanford. " J. H. Sargent. " J. W. Sargeant. Miss S. Scott. Mrs. Philo Scovill. " O. C. Scovill. " A. G. Searls. 448 APPENDIX D. MEMBERS-coxTiNUED. Mrs Lewis Severance. " John Siiki.i.ey. " A. SlIARI'IC. Miss Mary Siiki.i.ey. Mrs . 1). A. SiiErARi). •' O. B. Skinnkr. •• 8i Mary I''.. Smith. Mrs W. 1". Sdl'THWORTH K. P. Sl'AI.lHNli. Sl-ARROWHAWK. .Mis> L. Sl'Kl. I.MAN. C Si'KI. I.MAN. Mrs Kffik Standart. \V. K. Stan HART. " 1. 'r. Stkvkns. .lotlN y\. STKRl.INli, hk K. T. Steri.ino. ;4 Jl. B. Sticknky. " Amasa Stone, Jr. ^» A. B. Si'ONK. Mi!?s Flora Stone. '*■ Clara Stone. Mrs E. Stimm. UiKis Swift. " Swan. •• ]>. C. Taylor. •• E. Taylor. Charles .\ Tkrry. Miss Ellen F Terry. Mks Petku Tuatcuek. .Jr Mrs. T)r. Thayer. " EuwiN Thayer. " J. A. Thome. " CI. Ticker. Mrs. D. K. Tildkn. •• S. C. Van Horn. " John Varner. " A. Vantassel. " J. II. Waih;. •■ Kandall Wade. Miss T,ii.\- Walton. " Walworth. Mrs.B. r. Warh. ■■ Wm. >I. WARMINtiTON. ■■ J. Waubirton. Miss Warmincton. ^Irs. Washini;ton. ■• V. Wehdei.l. ■■ A. J. Wenham. ■• A. WlIKKl.KR. ■• Charles \V heeler. ■■ 11. L. \\'hitman. •' S. Williamson. •• II. V. Wii.i.soN. " T. P. Wilson. '• I">oro.i.AS White. ■■ M'ei.ch. ■■ Stii. L.MAN Witt. " ('. A. WOODWORTH. •• R. C. Yates. •• J. V. X. Yates. ■" M. 0. YoixuLOVE. Miss Carrie V. Yoinulovk. HON R A K V -M KM BE US, Fitch Ahams. L. Alcott. U. II. Babcock. Charles C. Baldwin. Drni.EY Baldwin. E. I. Baldwin. C. J. r.ALl.ARD. T. S. Beck WITH. Geo. E. Bkkbe. .\. II. Benedict. Earl Bill. William Binoham. William .1. Boardman. T. X. Bond. W. II. Boy DEN. ii. k. boyi.ston. Francis Branch. I>. G. Branch. Charles G. Bratknahl II. F. Bray-ton. O. A. Brooks. BiHT. Hose & Co. Theodore Bi'rv. Bolivar Butts. W. F. Carey. Charles C. Carter. W. L. Carter. Leonard Case, Jr. II. M. Chai-in. G, a. Chii.ds. S. P. Chirihill, James F, Clark. Henry F. Clark. I. L. Clark. B. J. Cor.B. Cau-sC Cobb. CoE it Hastings. CoK it May. Ma.i. John Coon. E, Cowles. R. COWLRS, L Crawford. Wm, W. Crawkord C^liDEN CRITTKNDT^N. S. W. Crittknden. II L. Crowei.l. Wm Crowei.l. Wm. D. CrsHiNu. n. .\. TV\N(;ler. n S. Davis. Wm. Edwards. Dan. p. Eells. T. DwuiHT Eells. a. Ely, Jr. Gi-o B. Ely. T. W. Evans. J. FiNciER. Morrison Foster. J. .\. FOOTE. (iEo. Freeman. Li'KE B. French. Hai.zie J. Fri.LKR. H. C. Gayi.ord. Kkv. W.m. II. Goodrich. APPENDIX D. HONORARY MEMBERS— Continued. 449 A. S. OOKIIAM. E. R. fililSWOLD. E. T. Hall. H. M. Hall. ITniov H.vi.i,. E. N. Hammond. T. P. TTanuv. Kor.Eur Hanna. Wm Haut. H. a. Hakvey. W. H. Hauvkt. H. H. Hatch. R. Hausman. J. Haywaud. (t. E. H lilUCK. E. C. Uinv.EK. Addison Hills. n. O. Hitchcock. B. W. HOKTON. Jonx G HowKR. Jamks M Hoyt. Artiiuk Hughes. n. H HruLRuiiT. J. O. HnssEY. F. JimsoN. F. C. KiCITH. H. T> Kl'VDALL. Robert Knight. Wm Lawtev. T W Leek H. W, LEUTKEMKTEn. H. H Little. Geo H Lodge. R. H. Lodge. E. C. Luce. H. C. Lucis. S. Mann. H. C, AIarshall. Samuel L. Mather. Samuel H. Mather. Wm. M. Maxon. C. S. Macicnzie. W. J. McKlNNlE. W'lLLIAM MkLUINCH. J. B. Mkriam. S D. McMillan. Jacob Miller. E. p. Morgan. G. B. Murpey. R. P. Myers. Geo. Myoatt. J. Y). Norton. O. M, Oviatt. Rev. Wilbur F. Paddock. J. B Parsons. R. C. Parsons. B. P. Pkixotto. Nathan P. Payne. JOSEVII PiCHKlNS. A. M. PfRRY. Oliver H. Peisry. E C. Pope. Chauncey Prentiss. F .T. Prentiss. S. U. PliEMTISS. P. r Prick. W. IL Price. A. QuiNN it Son. 8. Raymond. pl k r - y.nolds. Wm Rockefeller. E. Rockwell. James Root. R. R. Root. B. F. Rouse. l. d. rucker. Geo H. Russell. Alkx. Sackktt. E. W Sackrider. Dr. John c;. Sanders. M 15. Scott. o. c. scovii.le. Seaborn & Hk.mpt. John Seaman. Geo. B. Senter. D. B. Sexton. Geo. a. Stanley. S. L. Severance. S. H. SlIKLDON. Joseph SiiipptN. O. B. Skinnee. J. B. SiMITII. W. T. Smith. S. C. Smith. Orso.n Spencer. Geo. Sprague. John M. Sterling, Jr. H. H Stilso.v. A. Stone. Jr. John Tennis. P' TER Thatcher, Jr. C. L. Thompson. Amos Townsend. h b. 'j'uttle. J. H. Wade F. T. Wallace. T. Walton. T. A. Walton. H. D. Wattkrson. J. L. Weatherly. H. P. Wkodsll. John A. Wheeler. Charles L. White. John E. AVhite. A. H. VV^icK. C. C. Wick. Geo. Willey. W. G Williams. A. P. WiNSLOW. R. K. Winslow. Stillman Witt, c. j. woolson. Geo S. Wright. W. W. Wright. R. C. Yates. M. C. Y0UNGL0V3. 30 452 APPENDIX E. AMATEUR PATRIOTIC CONCERT. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, SEPT. 24, 18C1. (Page 30.) Soprano?.— Miss Nettie Brayton, Miss Mary Shelley, Miss Nellie Wick, Miss Clara Woolson, Miss Emma Witt. Contraltos.— Miss lUic Crawford, Miss Constance Woolson. Tenors.- E. C. Rouse, A. J. Moultou. Bassos.— J. II. Stanley, J. II. DcWitt, J. F. Whitclaw, J. Erable, J. P. Holbrook, Ed. Stair. Pianists.- Prof. J. Long, Mrs. J. M. Isaacs. A i\I A T E U R E N T E R T A I N ]\I E N T Music and Tableaux Vivakts. academy of music, maech 3 and 5, 1863. (Page 102.) Executite Committee.— E. C. Parsons, Joseph Perkins, Stillman Witt, M. C. Yonng- love, William Edwards, John M. Sterling, Jr , J. Burton Parsons, B. P. Pci.^otto, T. N. Bond, Mrs. M. C. Younglove, Mrs. Wm. J. Boardman, Miss Terry. Sopranos.- Mrs. S. J. Miller, Miss Mary Shelley, Miss Emma Witt, Miss Nellie Y.inghan, Miss Lizzie Gates, Miss Nellie Wick. Tenor.— E. C. Eonse. Basso.— D. O. Cole. PiAMiSTS.— Mrs. George S. Mygatt, Misses Ara and Bella Stone, Geo. W. Brainard. Violoncello.— D. O. Cole. APPENDIX K 453 NORTHERN II I SANITARY FAIR SPECIAL COMMITTEES (Page 144.) ON BUTLDENGS AND HALLS. Peter Thatcher, Jr., Chairman; Dr. E. Sterling, Secretary; Randall Crawford, W.J. Warner, W. F. Smith, J. M. Blackburn, S. C. Brooks, S. N. Neltion, Geo. IL Burt, R. R. Herrick, Geo. P. Smith, Wm. Rattle, P. Freeman. Lumber.— C. G. King. Ezra Thomas, L. C. Butts, A. J. Piper, E. Freeman, C. S. Ran- som, L. M. Cobb, A. M. Harman, S. H. Crowl, Isaac Sturtevant, P. B. Young, N. Purdy, C. McNeil, Sheldon & French, B. W. Jcuness, Edward Sauford, William Sabin, Nelson Sanford; Henderson & Wilson, Mayfield; Page & Beer, Collamer; J. W. Rogers, Ashta- bula ; L. P. Gage, Palnesville. Gas.— William E. Beckwith, G. A. Hyde, Mark W. House, T. Dwight Eclls, Timothy Heath, W. P. Fogg. Watek.— S. F. Lester, George W. Girty, J. McGarvey, L. M. Hubby, Joseph Singer, B. P. Bowers. Heating.— C. J. Woolson, W. L. Carter, Horace G. Hitchcock, C. P. Born, C. Whitaker, R. P. Myers, J. Wansor, J. B. Parish, S. Merchant, R. Knight. ON RECEPTION. I. U. Masters, Chairman; Amos Townsend, H. S. Stevens, B. Rouse, E. C. Rouse, Wm Collins, J. P. Bishop, Mrs. B. Rouse, Mrs. Wm. Melhinch, Mrs. L. Burton. Railroads.— L. M. Hubby, John Gardner, A. Stone, Jr., J. N. McCullough, T. W. Kennard. Traksportatiox.- E. S. Flint, H. Nottingham, L. D. Rucker, Charles L. Rhodes, Wm. Hewitt, Charles E. Gorham, A. Everett, W. G. Yates, H. II. Eldis. ON DECORATIONS. T. N. Bond. Chairman; John M. Sterling. Jr., Marcus A. Hanna, Fayette Brown, Silas Merchant. J. Ensworth, Geo. E. Hall, Geo. W. Chapin. Bolivar Butts, D. Pratt, C Busch, Geo. Stowell, D. A. Dannrler, C. W, Palmer, Caius C. Cobb, George Hewlett, Geo. B. Ely, B. F. Peixotto, J. H. DeWitt, H. C. Luce, J. S. Tascott, H. C. Marshall, Dr. John Dickin- son, R. F. Paine, D. P. EoUs, A. M. Van Duzer, G. W. CrowcU, John Sargeant, L. R. Morris, Charles C. Carter, Charles A. Brayton, George C. Vaillant, S. Chamberlain, D. R. Morris. John Wightman. Geo. W. Howe. Geo. Woodworth, Capt. S. F. Drake, Capt. H. D. Pheatt, Capt. S. Rummage, Belden Seymour, F. R. Myers, II. P. Seymour. Capt. Ed. Kelly, S. B Conklin, John Robinson. J. V. Painter, Charles W. Noble, George W. Rouse, I. W. Bla'ce, Simuel Stair, John Walker. Charles G. Atwood, Dr. C. O. Butler, J. Hough- ton, T. W. Morse, Capt. James Hill, Henry Sizer, A. Mcintosh. Dr. E. Taylor, James Far- mer, G. n. Lodge, A. C. Hubbell, George A. Tisdale, Loren Prentiss, Perry Prentiss, Capt. 454 APPENDIX E. T. W. Steele, S. P. Jenkins, Mrs. T. N. Bond, Mrs. Joseph Hay ward, Mrs. C. M. Gidings, Mrs. S. Witt, Mrs. J. D. Palmer, Mrs. Charles Doiihleday, Mrs. H. H. Little, Mrs. J. F. Card, Mrs. W. W. Chandler, Mrs. Robert Hanna, Mrs. John A. Ellsler, Mrs. J. M. Gillette, Mrs. John Tod, Mrs. E. N. Keyes, Mrs. A.M. VanDuzer, Mrs. Henry Sizer, Mrs. William Smythe, Mrs. J. R. Shiphcrd, Mrs. Swift, Mrs, B. F. Pratt, Mrs. C. D. Cook. Mrs. J. Ens- worth, Mrs. S. P. Churchill. Mrs. H. A. Hurlburt, Mrs. L. L. Doming, Mrs. W.D. McBride, Mrs. J. W. Sargeant, Mrs. William May, Mrs. G. Woodworth, Mrs. W. Wellhouse, Mrs. J. H. Sargent, Mrs. P. G. Watmough, Mrs. J. J. Myers, Mrs. William Shipherd, Mrs. W. F. Smith, Mrs. R. T. Lyon, Misses Ariel Hanna, Louise Gardner, Fanny Paine, Mary Mahan, Ruth Kellogg, Sarah Walworth, Mary Lodge, Clara Miles, Nina Miles, Lizzie Dockstader, Emma Hancock, Lizzie Phoatt, Harriet Hurlburt, Alice McCurdy, Jessie Fox, Mary Stetson, Lily Walton, Fanny Smith, Lily Barstow, Mary J. Blair, Hattie Blair, M. Barstow, S. Barstow, Fanny Gardner, Clara Hurlburt, Libbie Fitch, S. Petta, L. Robinson, Emily Stair, Mary Stair, Lucy Blair, Nelly Blair, Kate Larrimore, Sarah Gardner, Ollie Coon, Mary Lane, Mattie Tildcn, Julia Durgin, Matilda Pickands, Julia Kellogg. ON PRODUCE. J. G. Hussey, Chairman; Geo. W. Gardner, Secretary; O. M. Oviatt, R. T. Lj'on, J. G. Simmons, W. H. Sholl, C. J. Comstock, M. B. Scott, George Sprague, T. Walton, J. H. Gorham, P. Chamberlin, N. Heisel, Addison Hills, Thomas Burnham, H. M. Hall, A. C. Hubbell, A. J. Wenham, L. A. Pierce, William Melhinch, T. W. Evans, F. Raymond, H. S. Davis, J. H. Clark, A. V. Cannon, P. H. Babcock, M. B. Clark, B. H. Stair, Chauncey Prentiss, George Sinclair, William Rockefeller, William Murray, Robert Hanna, H. Harvey, A. Burgert, S. F. Lester, Charles Bradburn, George Corning, R. S. Weaver, B. Browncll, J. Bash, Toledo ; G. D. Bates, Akron ; H. A. Foster, Minerva ; Hull & Buss, Oneida ; L. S. & C. A. Crim, Gallon ; L. K. Warner, Newark ; Isaac Steese, Massillon ; John Dickson, Bolivar ; E. Burnett, Canal Dover ; A Woodward, Bellevue ; George Thornton, Sandusky ; H. S. Lucas, Marion ; J. M. Johnson, Oberlin ; D. T. Haines, Muncie ; Samuel Bartlett, Canal Winchester ; Hills & Co., Delaware; O. J. Mauzy, Union City; Morrison & Dins- more, Erie, Pa. ; R. M. N. Tajdor, Meadville, Pa. ; A. Wallace, Indianapolis, lud. ON MACHINERY AND MANUFACTURES. M. C. Younglove, Chairman; George Worthington, Charles Whitaker, Wm. F. Smith, E. C. Garlick, Alton Pope, R. P. Myers, Jacob Lowman, William Hart, Geo. A. Stanley, Jacob Hovey, E. C. Bacon, S. A. Jewett, C. J. Woolson, S. M. Carpenter, Wm. Marriott, John P. Holt, G. W. Sizer, Charles Wason, G. W. Morrell, C. Koch, James Seaborn, J. W. Britton, Wm. Dewitt, John Young, Robert Knight, J. G. Graham, A. M. Ilazen, Thos. Jones, Jr., C. S. Ransom, Walter Farnan, J. F. Holloway, E. W. Brooks, F. D. Stone ; James Ward, Jr., Niles ; N. B. Gates, Elyria ; Gen'l C. P. Buckingham, Mt. Vernon ; C. L. Boalt, Norwalk ; P. P. Sanford, Painesville ; Marvin Kent, Kent ; R. F. Russell, Toledo ; J. H. Brown, Youngstown ; J. W. Williams, Chagrin Falls ; C. Aultman, Massillon ; Clem- ent Russell, Massillon ; A. Kent, Akron ; D. K. Wisell, Warren ; Liddell & McCarty, Erie, Pa. Iron, Steel and Copper.— A. G. Smith, A. B. Stone, C. A. Otis, Henry Chisholm, Major Collins. Correspondence.— A. H. Massey, N. W. Taylor, P. E. Schrieber, F. O. Bacon, W. H. Burridge. ON MERCHANDISE. William Bingham, Chairman; C. W. Coe, Secretary; L. Alcott, S. D. McMillan, O. A. Brooks, E. I. Baldwin, H. D. Kendall, A. G. Colwell, L. L. Lyon, L. F. Burgess, J. B. Cobb, N. E. Crittenden, E. Stair, F. C. Keith, W. P. Fogg, J. B. Parish, S. M. Strong, H. APPENDIX E. 455 L. Crowell, A. Rottberg, J. H. Chase, J. A. Vincent, John Shelley, O. A. Childs, G. W. Whitney, S. S. Lyon, J. W. Sargeut, William T. Smith, A. S. Gardner, E. W. Sackrider, Charles G. Bratenahl, R. R. Root, E. L. Dodd, B. Butts, W. D. Baker, George Whitelaw, H. A. Stephens, R. J. Fuller, C. E. Morse, J. Marchand, William Lowrie, Peter Diemer, Wm. Beckonbach, B. F. Ronse, S. Corning, C. S. Bragg, W. B. nancock, George F. Mar- shall, R. P. Cattrall, W. R. Mould, E. S. Willard, W. H. Truscott, Carlos Benton, Capt. D. P. Nickerson, E. C. Pope, P. W. Rice, Isaac A. Isaacs, E. M. Flynt, D. W. Cross, S. M. Cad}', John E. White, J. H. Weed, M. Halle, Henry Hill. ON WOOD AND COAL. J. V. N. Yates, Chairman ; J. F. Card, James Farmer, John Hays, Allen Jones, J. P. Price, William McReynokls, E. N. Hammond, Capt. Lacey, W. W. Crawford, Freeman Butts. ON BOOTHS AND FANCY TABLES. Mrs. Fayette Brown, Chairman; Mrs. A. B. Stone, Mrs. William Bingham, Mrs. D. P. Rhodes, Mrs. J. II. Chase, Mrs. E. B. Hale, Mrs. William Collins, Mrs. J. G. Hussey, Mrs. F. A. Sterling, Mrs. Robert Hauna, Mrs. H. M Chapin, Mrs. D. Chittenden. ON FANCY ARTICLES. Mrs. A. G. Cohvcll, Chairman ; Mrs. A. W. Fairbanks, Secretary ; Mrs. W. J. Boardman, Mrs. S. J. Miller, Mrs. W. D. Cashing, Mrs. George Willey, Mrs. F. J. Prentiss, Mrs. R. F. Paine, Mrs. J. M. Sterling, Jr., Mrs. J. M. Richards, Mrs. A. Stone, Jr., Mrs. D. P. Eells, Mrs. D. R. Tilden, Mrs. A. A. Adams, Mrs. G. E. Herrick, Mrs. A. J. Moulton, Mrs. Joseph Perkins, Mrs. P. Roeder, Mrs S. B. Prentiss, Mrs. L. D. Rucker, Mrs. H. Iddlngs, Mrs. J. B. Meriam, Mrs. L. Buttles, Mrs. J. C. Sanders, Mrs. D. Howe, Mrs. A. G. Law- rence, Mrs. W. W. Andrews, Mrs. A. G. Riddle, Mrs. W. P. Fogg, Mrs. Charles Lepper, Mrs. Isaac A. Isaacs, Mrs. A. Rettberg, Mrs. S. Chamberlain, Mrs. F. X. Byerly, Mrs. C. G. Bratenahl, Mrs. Alfred Ely, Mrs. Fanny Parsons, Mrs. B. F. Peixotto, Mrs. J. H. De Witt, Mrs. Fitch Adams, Mrs. S. H. Boardman, Mrs. William Bradford, Mrs. E. I. Baldwin, Mr.s. H. R. Hatch, Mrs. C. R. Evatt, Mrs. J. M. Hughes, Mrs. C. A. Crumb, Mrs. Robert Knight, Mrs. T. H. Hawks, Mrs. S. W. Crittenden, Mrs. J. A. Thome, Mrs. J. H. Rylance, Mrs. Thomas Bolton, Mrs. H. C. Luce, Mrs. H. Garrettson, Mrs. S. K. Davis, Mrs. J. V. Painter, Mrs. H. P. Weddell, Mrs. Wm. G. Williams, Mrs. E. C. Rouse, Mrs. A. T. Brins- made, Mrs. W. W. Wright, Mrs. S. O. Griswold, Mrs. H. C. Gaylord, Mrs. William Hil- liard, Mrs. L. Austin, Mrs. C. C. Cobb, Mrs. E. Ransom, Mrs. S. Brainard, Mrs. George W. Gardner, Mrs. W. D. Baker, Mrs. J. Singer. Misses Prentiss, S. S. Hall, Sarah Fitch, M. J. Blair, Sarah Walworth, Sarah Stanley, Alice Fairbanks, Belle Carter, Nelly Russell, Nelly Wick, Florence Wick, Amelia Burton, Frances Foote, Agnes Foote, Emily Stair, Nelly Andrews, Hattie Colwell, Fanny Col- well, Marion Clark, Annie Clark, Kitty Worley, Mary Goodwin, Mattie Tilden, Kitty Kelly, Augiiota Rhodes. ON FLORAL HALL. Mrs. Dr. E. Sterling, Chairman; Laura W. Sterling, Secretary; F. R. Elliott, Superin- tendent ; Joseph Perkins, II. B. Hurlburt. S. Witt, H. F. Clark, C. G. Bratenahl, A. Mcin- tosh, William Rattle, Geo. A. Stanley, Dr. E. Taylor, Dr. W. II. Beaumont, J. Kirkpatrick, William Crowell, Geo Iloyt, James Fitch, C. Chandler, Dr. G. F. Turrill, Morris Jackson, John L. Mcintosh, Henry Iloyt, William Root. Mrs. S. Witt, Mrs. John Shelley, Mrs. II. B. Hurlburt, Mrs. W. II. Beaumont, Mrs. E. S. Root, Mrs. L. Prentiss, Mrs. E. Taylor, Mrs. C. A. Hayes, Mrs. J. H. Sargent, Mrs. Wm. Smythe, Mrs. T. N. Bond, Mrs. F. R. Elliott, Mrs. G. F. Turrill, Mrs. J. D. Hurd. 45 G APPENDIX E. Misses Josie Wheeler. E. Strcator, M. Streator, Helen Cutter, Mary Stevens, Augusta Rhodes, Nelly Russell, Fanny Hoyt, Illie Crawford, Emma Witt, Laura W. Ililliard, M. Mcintosh, Lizzie Bolton, 11. Doane, A. Doane. Dr. J. P. Kirtland, Dr. and Mrs. Ilofi'raan, Mrs. Lewis Nicholson. Mrs. Charles Pease, Gov. and Mrs. Wood, IMr. and Mrs. George B. Merwin, Rockport ; E. P. Bassett, Mrs. J. A. Scott, Mrs. Israel Hall, Toledo; J. Storrs, J. J. Harrison. Mrs. Horace Steele, Jr.. Mrs. P. P. Sanford, Rev. J. A. Brayton, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Avery, Painesville ; C. L. Boalt, John Gardner. J. II. Beardsley, Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Worcester, Norwalk; Messrs. Luce & Strong, Ashtabula; Mrs. C. .\rthur Ely, Mrs. Heman Ely, Elyria; H. S. Abbey, David L. King, Akron ; E. N. Sill, J. H. Cook, Cuyahoga Falls ; S. B. Marshall, Mrs. L. Teller, Miss Jane Watson, Massillon ; J. P. Robison, Bedford; H. B. Lum, H. Dewey, Mrs O. Follott, Sandusky; William Porter, Mrs. Henry B. Perkins, Mrs. Frederick Kinsman, Mrs. Barton Fitch, Mrs. 0. Morgan, Warren ; H. Manning, W. S. Crawford. Youngstown ; Hon. and Mrs. John Sherman. Mrs. Charles T. Sherman, Mansfield; S. Bieler, Zoar ; S. W. Campbell, Delaware ; Mr. Bonsall. Salem : E. Stone, Jlrs. McClure, Milan : M. B. Bate- ham, A. Hanneford, Columbus; Dr. Jewett. Middlebury ; Robert Johnston, Rootstown ; N. Kelly, Mr. and ISIrs. Carpenter, Mrs. E. Huntington, Kelly's Island; Mrs. Ruggles Wright, Huron ; R. P. Fulkerson, Ashland ; II. K. Morse, Poland ; H. H. Myers, Canton ; Charles Coit, Euclid ; Mrs. E. A. Slingluff, Canal Dover; E. Huidekoper, Meadville, Pa. ; Alfred Curtis, Sharon, Pa. ; T. L. Shields. Sewickley, Pa. ON TABLES AND TABLE FURNITLTIE. William Edwards and Mrs. M. C. Yonnjjlove, Chairmen; John M. Sterling, Jr., J. B. Parsons, Capt. J. Ensworth, John A. Wheeler, E. S. Flint, C. R. Evatt, W. H. Sholl, M. A. Hanna, W. R. Mould, George Stowell, M. A. Brown, Henry Bingham, Mrs. H. L. Cro- well, Mrs. N. W. Taylor, Mrs. J. G. Hussey, Mrs. L. Alcott, Mrs. S. Corning, Mrs. H. C. Blossom, Mrs. James Wade, Jr., Mrs. S. Starkweather, Mrs. E. S. Flint, Mrs. John Brough, Mrs. C. J. Ballard, Mrs. O. A. Brooks, Mrs. B. F. Rouse, Mrs. E. Cowles, Mrs. Jas. Mason, Mrs. L. F. Mellen, Mrs. Geo. Chapman, Mrs. T. R. Chase, Mrs. A. C. Keating, Mrs. D. P. Rhodes, Mrs. Dr. Cassels, Mrs. Geo. H. Russell, Mrs. L. A. Pierce. Mrs. C. L. Rhodes, Mrs. E. T. Sterling, Mrs. W^m. C. North, Mrs. E. A. Scovill, Mrs. H. L. AATiitman, Mrs. O. N. Skeels, Mrs. B. Butts, Mrs. Geo. B. Ely, Mrs. Wm. Robinson, Mrs. S. A. Jewett, Mrs. E. L. Knowlton, Mrs. J. E. Turner, Mrs. A. Fuller, Mrs. Edw'd Bingham, Mrs. J. Ross, Mrs. B. F. Collins, Mrs. A. P. Winslow, Mrs. S. H. Sheldon, Mrs. J. A. Thome, Mrs. Carlos Benton, Mrs. G. W. Whitney, Mrs. A. J. Breed, Miss Annette Barnett, Miss Scott. ON REFRESHMENTS. Mrs. Thomas Burnham. Chairman ; ;Miss Anne Walworth, Secretary. Soliciting and Receiving.— Mrs. William T. Smith, Mrs. E. F. Gaj-lord, Mrs. P. M. Weddell, Mrs. Philo Scovill, Mrs. Rob't Hanna, Mrs. Dr. John Wheeler, Mrs. Geo. Mygatt, Mrs. P. Thatcher, Jr.. i\Irs. J. A. Foot, Mrs. Silas Belden, Mrs. James Farmer, Mrs, John Crowell. :Mrs. Wm. Lemen. Mrs. O. M, Oviatt. Mrs. A. S. Sanford, Mrs. C. Stetson, Mrs. Dr. Starkey, Mrs, Geo. C. Dodge, Mrs. L. Crawford, Mrs. H. Wick, Mrs. Harvey Rice, Mrs. H. Harvey. Mrs, II. Garrettson, Mrs. W. S. Streator, Mrs. Charles Wheeler, :Mrs. T. S. Beckwith, Mrs. C. A. Dean, Mrs. J. M. Richards, Mrs. D. Chittenden, Mrs. J. H. Chase, Mrs. S. Raymond, Mrs. H. A. Hurlburt, Mrs. J. Beverlin, Mrs. A. Quinn, Mrs. W, R. Henry, Mrs. D. G. Branch, Mrs. M. C. Arter, Mrs. W. D. McBride, Mrs. J. G. Hussey, Mrs, J. Stoppel, Mrs. Geo. A. Hyde, Mrs. C. Wason, Mrs. I. T. Stevens, Mrs. J. Dickinson, Mrs. J. Ensworth, Mrs. W. P. Soulhworth, Mrs. J. J. Rockefeller, Mrs. S. W. Johnson, Jlrs. P. Rocdor, Mrs. O. E. Huntington, Mrs. Alfred Ely, Mrs. M. Crapser, Mrs, Dr. Hortou, Mrs, II. N. Bander, Mrs. W. B. Hancock. Mrs. H. C. Gaylord. Mrs. Dr. T. P. Wilson, Mrs. D. W. Cross, Mrs. S. R. Beckwith, Mrs. L. C. Butts, Mrs, L, W, Curtiss, Mrs, George II APPENDIX E. 457 Warmington, Mrs. IT. Ilurd, Mrs. G. W. Jones, Mrs. L. L. Deming. Mrs. Sam'l M. Strong, Mrs. C. L. Jones, Mrs. S. Jackson, Mrs. J. C. Bucll, Mrs. C. C. Cobb, Mrs. Geo. Whitelaw, Mrs. Robert Knight, Mrs. J. H. Sargent, Mrs. Bissett, Mrs. Ilarbcck, Misses Clara Hyde, Susie Northrup, Mary Stair, O. J. Bander, Ice Cream and Cake.— Mrs. Josepli Lyman, Mrs. Uenry Sizer, Mrs. Wm. Edwards, Mrs. J. C. Grannis, Mrs. H. Harvey, Mrs. J. M. Hughes, Mrs. S. J. Miller, Mis. H. G. Abbey, Mrs. D. W. Cross, Mrs. Geo. W. Howe, Mrs. A. S. Gorham, Mrs. E. C. Mould, Mrs. E. N. Koyes, Mrs. L. B. French, Mrs. O. A. Knight, Mrs. S. O. Grisvold. Mrs. C. A. Otis, Mrs. Thomas Bolton, Mrs. R. P. Ranney, Mrs. R. B. Dennis, Mrs. S. J. Lewis, Mrs. A. M. Harman, Mrs. H. S. Stevens, Mrs. C. L. Russell, Mrs. A. E. Adams, Miss Julia Newberry, Miss M. J. Blair. Miss Bowlesby. Oysters.— Mrs. L. L. Lyon, Mrs. Wm. Mittleberger, Mrs. L. Rawson, Mrs. H. V. Will- son, Mrs. Horace Foote, Mrs. B. Butts, Mrs. S. D. McMillan, Mrs. T. M. Kelley, Mrs. Jas. Barnett, Mrs. S. J. Andrews, Mrs. D. P. Rhodes, Mrs. J. H. Wade, Mrs. G. yV. Whitney, Mrs. L. Alcott, Mrs. John Coon, Mrs. Wm. Shepard, Mrs. Charles Whitaker, Mrs. J. M. Cofflnberry, Mrs. W. J. Gordon, Mrs. George H. Burritt, Mrs, J. C. Calhoun. CoFrEE.— Mrs. Wm. Rattle, Mrs. James F. Clark, Mrs. O. C. Scovill, Mrs. R. F. Paine, Mrs. Charles Hickox, Mrs. C. D. Brayton, Mrs. H. D. Kendall, Mrs. R. C. Yates, Mrs. Daniels, Mrs. B. ILarrington, Mrs. T. P. Handy, Mrs. F. T. Backus, Mrs. S. L. Mather, Mrs I. L. Clark, Mrs. Dudley Baldwin, Mrs. S. H. Mather, Mrs. George B. Senter, Mrs. S. H.Kimball, Mrs. J. A. Hart, Mrs. Henry Newberry, Mrs. G. A. Tisdale, Mrs. H. B. Tuttle, Mrs. John E Cary, Mrs. E. Shepard, Mrs. J. Merriam, Mrs. C. E. Gorham. ON MEMORIALS AND CURIOSITIES. H. F. Brayton, Chairman ; Col. Chas. Whittlesey^ Col. C. C. Goddard, T. R. Chase, H. W. Boardraan, J. S. Perley, Dr. J. S. Newberry, George E. Beebee, Edwin Cowles II. B. Ilurlburt, R. C. Parsons, Dr. T. Garlick, John Coon, J. G. Graham, Carlos A. Smith, Henry A. Smith, Col. O H. Payne, Capt. B. A. Stanard, Dr. E. Sterling, R. K. Winslow, W. W. Chandler, W. L. Cutter, Capt. J. M. Lundy, H. C. Luce, Geo. A. Stanley, E. Hossenmueller ; Dr. J. P. Kirtland, Geo. B. Merwin, Rockport ; Prof. H. E. Peck, Ober- lin ; Prof. N. P. Seymour, Hudson ; W. H. Upson, Akron ; Col. Huidekoper, Meadville, Pa. Mrs. Dr. E. Gushing, Mrs. A. B. Stone, Mrs. Chas. Pease, Mrs. Dr. Hopkins, Mrs. Rum- ney, Mrs. H. M. Chapiu, Mrs. C. C. Goddard, Mrs. Dr. J. C. Schenck, Mrs. W. L. Cutter, Mrs. E. M. Livermore, Mrs. Dr. J. S. Newberry, Mrs. Theodore Hocke, Mrs. K. Hays; Mrs. O. Follett, Sandusky. Misses Belle Brayton, Julia Huntington, Sophie Hensch, Berta Sterne, Abby Rhodes, Charlotte Black. , ON FINE ART HALL. Wm. J. Boardman, Chairman ; Geo. Willey, H. F. Clark, Dr. A. Maynard, R. K. Wins- low, F. W. Parsons, Rev. Dr. Goodrich, Rev. Dr. Starkey, Rt. Rev. Bishop Rappe, B. J. Cobb, Leonard Case, II. C. Gaylord, Joseph Perkins, Wm. Bingham, J. F. Ryder, W. C. North, C. W. Stimpson, J. M. Greene, J. W. Sargeant, H. B. Castle, J. Clough,D. 0. Cole, Wm. Crowell, E. R. Perkins, A. Sharpies. Mrs. Fayette Brown, Mrs. Wm. Bingham, Mrs. F. W. Parsons, Mrs. Geo. Willey, Mrs. D. 0. Cole, Miss Cleveland, Miss A. Walworth, Miss C. L. Ransom. ON MUSIC-U, ENTERTAINMENTS. T. P. Handy, Chairman ; F. X. Byerly, E. F. Sargeant, Geo. W. Brainard, J. Underner, E. C. Rouse, J. M. Lcland, J. A. Redington, E. B. Allen, E. Stair, J. G. Graham. 31 458 APPI3DIX E. OX TABLEAUX. Geo. WiDev, CbaimLan : G«). H. Ely. S^cretaiy ; E. C. Parsons. Dr. C. A. Teny. Dr. A. Maynard. Geo. W. Brainard. E. Cowles. Joseph Brainard, W. J. Boaidman, C. W. Palmer, Carlos A. Smith. Dr. T. GarHck. Fi^. C. Prentiss. Charies C. Carter. Mrs. Geo. W. Brainard. Mrs. W. D. Cashing. Mrs. Joseph Brainard. Mrs. Geo. H. Bor- rin. >Irs. Wm. Edwards. Mrs. Geo. WiUey. Mrs. W. C. Xorth, Mrs. J. V. X. Yates. Mrs. E. M. Livermore. Mrs. Geo. H. Ely. Mrs. D. P. Rhodes, Mrs. D. O. Cole. Mrs. W. B. Castle. Mrs. C. J. Woolson. Mrs. H. W. Boardman. Mrs. E. C. Parsons. Mrs. W. J. Board- man. Mi.'s E. L. BisseD. Miss Julia Mathews, Miss Anna Walters, Miss Woolson ; Miss Annie Brayton. Paines-rille. Drajiatics.— CoL Z. S. Spalding. Dr. T. P. Wilson. CoL C. C. Goddard. F. W. Parsons, D. O. Cole. J. T. X. Yates. H. Clay White. Chas. ChUds. Wm. CrowelL Mrs. William Edwards. Miss Taaehan. Miss Julia W. Terry. Miss Mary W. Benedict, Miss Mattie TU- den. Miss Carrie W. Grant : Mrs. Stanley L. Xoble. Painesville. OX LECTUBES. D. P. Eell*, Chairman : J. B. Meriam, O. A. Brooks, Chas. W. Palmer, B. F. Peixotto. OX EEGISTRATIOX. John F. Warner. Chairman : CoL C. C. Goddard, L. F. Mellen, A. T. Brinsmade, CoL Geo. S. Myjan. O. X. Ske^ls. H. S. Whittlesey, Earl BUL H. G. Abbey. Felix Xicola. OX PPJXTIXG AXD STATIOXERY. A. W. Fairbanks. Chairman ; E. Cowlesi, J. A. Harris, J. S. Stephenson, J. Feather- stone. W. R. Xevins. C. C. Cobb, X. W. Taylor, A. Thieme, W. D. Baker, E. Sanford, C. S. Bragg. M. W. Yeits. S. W. Savage. OX MILITABY. CoL W. H. Hayward. Chairman: CoL J. X. Frazee. Capt. F. W. Pelton, Capt. J. Ensworth. OX POLICE. CoL J. X. Fcazee. Chairman : T. X. Bond, X. P. Payne. CASHLESS. T. P. Handy. Treas.: James J. Tracy. W. E. Clarke. Henry W. Boardman. S. L. Sererance, A H. Wick. L. H. Severance, J. C. Baell ; J. Theodore Briggs, Titnsville, Pa. ALDrnXG COMMITTEE. H. M. Chapin, A. Stone, Jr. Appej^dix e. 459 tableaux and amateur tiieatrk^als. BENEFIT OF soldiers' HOME. Braixard's Hall, March, 18G5. (Page 338.'^ TABLEAUX COMMITTEE. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Edwards, Dr. and Mrs. E. Sterling, Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Liver- more, Mr. and Mrs. Goo. W. Brainard, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Brainard, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Willcy, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. D. Gushing, Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Parsons, Mr. and Mrs. J. V. N. Yates, Miss Atwater. DRAMATIC CLITB. Mr. and ISIrs. S. K. Davis, Mr. J. II. Bcssoll, Mr. G. F. Bingham, Mr. II. B. DeWolf, Mr. G. McLaughlin, Miss E. Spangler. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF THE U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION Appointed Nov., 1861, Cleveland 0. (Page 2T7.) Dr. J. S. Newberry, Benjamin Rouse, Stillman Witt, Joseph Perkins, T. P. Handy. Wm. Bingham, M. C. Younglove, A. Stone, Jr., Dr. E. Gushing, Dr. Alleyue Mayuard, E. S. Flint. Dr. J. S. Newberry, President. Benjamin Rouse, Vice President and Treasurer. Dr. Alleyne Maynard, Secretary. WARD RELIEF COMMITTEES. (Pages 21 and 275.) SECOND WARD.— Geo. A. Benedict, Pees. ; Mrs. J. Y. Painter. Sec. ; Mrs. F. J. Pren- tiss, Tkeas. Committee.— Mrs. S. Williamson, Mrs. H. H. Little, Mrs. Wm. Mittleberger, Mrs. Chas. A. Terry, Mrs. Wm. T. Smith, Mrs. J. J. Rockefeller, Mrs. A. W. Fairbanks. THIRD WARD.— Mr. and Mrs. Randall Crawford, Mrs. J. O. Seymour, Mrs. Peter Thatcher, Mrs. J. A. Harris, Mrs L. M. Cobb, Mrs. S. Bclden. FOURTH WARD.— Hon. R. P. Spalding, Mrs. Geo. II. Wynian, :Mrs. N. W. Taylor. FIFTH WARD.— Joseph Perkins, Pres. : L. F. Mcares, Sec. and Treas. Commit- tee.— Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Stone, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. J. Boardman, Mr. and Mrs. A. Stone, 460 APPENDIX E. Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Collins, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Hickos, Mr. and Mrs. T. P. Handy, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Buell, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Chisbolm, Mrs. Geo. C. Dodge, Mrs. Capt. JaftVay, IMrs. T. M. Kelley, Mrs. Horace Kelley, Joseph Sturgis, Wm. Heisley, W. Lowrey, B. Tunte, N. P. Payne. Thomas Parcell. Amount expended, $7,433.63. EIGHTH WARD.— S. W. Johnson, Mrs. M. A. Brown, Mrs. W. B. Guyles. NINTH WARD.— Nelson Sanford, Mrs. D. P. Rhodes, Mrs. J. H. Sargent. TENTH WARD.— Chas. R. Evatt, Mrs. Bissett. ELE\T:nTH ward.— Thomas Dixon, Mrs. F. B. Pratt, Mrs. A. H. Blake. RECEPTION COMMITTEE, (Page 350.) From the Council.— F. W. Pelton, Amos Townsend, Randall Crawford, Joseph Stur- gis, G. W. Calkins. County Military Committee.— Wm. Bingham, Wm. Edwards, E. Hessenmneller, F. Nicola, Stillman Witt, Geo. B. Senter, H. M. Chapin, Fayette Brown. Citizens' Committee.— Col. James Barnett, Col. W. H. Hayward, Col. O. H. Payne, Bolivar Butts, C. W. Palmer, Joseph Perkins, A. Everett, M. R. Keith, Nelson Purdy, Philo Chamherlin, Jno. C. Grannis. APTENDIX F. BRANCH SOCIETIES. ■ii}'2 APPE^-DIX F. BRANCH SOCIETIES AKEOX. SrMMiT Co. Pees., Mr?. C. P. VTolcott, Mrs. S. H. Cobnrn. Mrs. E. P. Green. Mrs. H. S. Abbey: Vice PRE?..Mrs. Capt. Howe, Mrs. Delos Smith ; Sec. and Tf.eas.. Mrs. E. Oviatt. 3Irs. C. Brown. Mrs. L. B. Anstin. Miss E. B. Howe. Miss Sarah T. Peck, Mrs. W. B. Ravmond. ALBIOX, Erie Co., Pa. Pres.. Mrs. Francis EandaH : Sec. Mrs. L. W. Flower : Agext. L. D. Davenport. ALLIAXCE, Stark Co. Pres., Mrs. I>r. E. L S. Thomas, Mrs. E. Amerman : Sec, Mrs. A. C. Pickett, Miss Kate McKee : Tkeas., Mrs. Geo. M. Bates. AMBOY. Ashtabula Co. Pre?.. Mrs. Electa A. Teits. Mrs. E. Hewit : Sec. Miss SvMa C. Rirrett. 3Gss A. B. Greenlee: Treas.. Mrs. Fannie E. Eathbun. Mrs. L. Hickock. AMHERST, LoRATX Co. ^'ORTH ASniERST.— Pkes., Mrs. H. Warner, Mrs. H. E. Mnssey : Sec, Miss M. L. Shupe, Mrs. C. B. Carhart, Mrs. L. S. Oldfield : Tkeas., Mrs. H. Hirsching. XORTH- WEST AMHEEST.— Pees.. Mrs. Curtis Riilev: Tice Pees.. Mrs. \rilli.fTS, Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Tompkins. NORTH-EAST BRUNSWICK AND SOUTH-EAST STRONGSVILLE.-Pres., Mrs. Horace Carpenter, Mrs. J. Southworth ; Sec, Miss Donnie Perkins, Mrs. J. C. Aldrich, Mrs. H. C. Wyman: Treas., Mrs. E. Crosby, Mrs. 0. C. Morton. BURTON, Geauga Co. Pres., Mrs. Mary D. Witter; Vice Pres., Mrs. Richard Beach; Sec, Mrs. Mary E. Hotchkiss, Mrs. Mary D. Witter; Treas., Mrs. S. Dayton. Disbursements in cash, $5!K). In supplies, |8'T0. Total, $1,4(10. BUTLER TOWNSHIP, Ashland Co. Pres., Mrs. P. Latimer, Mrs. E. P. Smith; Sec, Miss Mary Johnston, Miss JI. Cope- land ; Treas., John Lawson, Miss Mary Smith. BUTTERNUT RIDGE, Sandusky Co. Pres., Mrs. J. Linton ; Vice Pres., Mrs. M. Bahcock; Sec, Miss Nellie Hogg; Tebas., Mrs. William Lay. APPENDIX F. 469 BUTTERNUT EIDGE, Cuyahoga Co. Pres., Mrs. Eliza lliird , Vice Pkes., Mrs. Robinf?on ; Sec, Mrs. Anna Stearn?; Treas., Mrs. Jane Carpenter. BUTTERNUT RIDGE, Lorain Co. Pres., Mrs. C. L. Sexton; Yipe Pres., Mrs. R. Blain ; Sec. Mrs. Williiim Drinkall: Treas., Mrs. S. McNeal. CAMDEN, Lorain Co. Pres., Mrs. Marj^ J. Cole, Miss Eliza Hawkins, Mrs. Sarah ITove}- ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Mary Washburn, Mrs. Melissa Ilovey, Mrs. Agnes Morgan ; Sec and Treas., Mrs. Rnth E. Allen, Mrs. Lydia Eldredge. CANAL DOVER, Tuscarawas Co. Pres., Mrs. L. C. Blickensderfer ; Skc. jSIrs. S. W. Dcmutli ; Tkeas.. Mi-s M. J. Walton. CANAL FULTON, Stark Co. Pres., Mrs. A. Cunningham. Mrs. Jacoli IloflU'man ; Sec, Miss Mettic Frazee, Miss M. R. Hanks ; Treas., Mrs. John Mobley. CAN FIELD, Mahoning Co. Pres.. Mrs. Sarah Canfield, Mrs. O. P. Bond ; Sec, Miss M. M. Pierson, Miss M. L. Lake, Mrs. P. T. Jones ; Treas., Mrs. M. Survis, Mrs. H. Truesdale, Mrs. L. M. Bidwell. CANTON, Stalk Go. Prf.s., Mrs. J. G. Lester : Vice Pres., Mrs. Geo. Reynolds ; Cor. Sec, Mrs. J. G. Les- ter, Miss Coi-nelia Beach ; Rec Stc, Miss Emma Hazlette, Mrs. Thomas Saxton, Miss A. Bockins, Mrs. D. J. Beggs, Mrs. Dr. Lewis Slusser; Treas., Mrs. James A. Saxton; Di- rectors, Mrs. M. Wikidal. Mrs. C Aultman, Mrs. Geo. Dietrich, Mrs. Dr. Wallace, M'-«, N. Pierong, Mrs. Thos. Patton; Advisory Committee, Mrs. Jos. S. Saxton, Mrs. A. L3'nch, Mrs. Geo. Prince, Mrs. John F. Reynolds, Mrs. Geo. Fogle, Mrs. McCleary, Mrs. Piatt, Mrs. Metz, Miss H. Bockins, Miss Medill. The Canton Branch reports shipments to the value of .$10,000, and a cash expenditure of 11,600.54, which is exclusive of its contributions to the Sanitary Fair. Two hundred and fifty-five packages of hospital goods were forwarded to Cleveland, many boxes were sent direct to regiments in the field, to hospitals at the front, and to State Relief agencies, with some supplies of money and stores to the Freedmen. The loyal citizens of Canton gave largely in fitting regiments for service, and in relief to soldiers in transit, and were extremely liberal in contributing through their Aid Society to the Northern Ohio Sani- tary Fair. CARROLLTON, Carroll Co. Pres., Mrs. Etta Stocken ; Sec, Miss Hattic Butler, Miss Kate Thompson ; Treas., Miss Helen Eckley. 470 appe:n^dix f. CENTERTOX, Huron Co. Pres., Mra. C. S. Herrick; Sec, Airs. N. 11. Nichols, Miss Adelaide Merriam ; Trkas., Mrs. M. S. Merriam. CENTRAL STATE LINE, Ashtabula Co. Pres., Miss Lizzie E. Law ; Sec , Miss Kate Putne3'; Treas., Mrs. Amelia Wyman. CHAGRIN FALLS, Cuyahoga Co. Pres., Mrs. J. T. Stui-tevant, Mrs. Samuel Poole, Miss Jane E. Church; Vice Pres., Mrs. Phineas Upham, Mrs. Dr. Smith, Mrs. David Tenney; Sec, Miss Jane E. Churcli, Mrs. C. H. Hubbcll ; Treas., Mrs. Thos. Shaw, Mrs. Charles Force, Mrs. Orson Bullard, Mrs. Hannibal Goodell, Miss Jane E. Church. Cash receipts, $833.51. Value of supplies, $40G.1S. Sent through the Cleveland Sani- tary Commission, forty-seven packages, valued at $7.58.9.3. Sent direct to the field and to hospitals, twenty-six packages, valued at $263.11. Expended in local relief to soldiers and their ftimilies, $23. Contributions to Cleveland Soldiers' Home and to Freedmen, not estimated. Value of articles sent to the Cleveland Sanitary Fair, $159.00. The balance in the treasury at the close of the Society's labors, $134, was appropriated to- wards a monument to the memory of the fallen soldiers of the township. The organiza- tion was continued till the sum of $1,335 had been raised, and in September, ISOT, the soldiers' monument was erected and dedicated under the auspices of the ladies of the Chagrin Falls Aid Society, who thus appropriately brought to a close their long and faithful public services. CHAMPION, Trumbull Co. CHAMPION.— Pres., Mrs. H. L. Eutan ; Sec. and Treas., Miss Mary J. AlcComhs. WEST CHAMPION.— Miss Mary J. Prentice. CHARDON, Geauga Co. Pres., Mrs. C. P. Bisbee, Mrs. M. C. Canfield, Mrs. Austin Canfleld ; Sec, Mrs. J. O. Worrall, Miss Lovina Metcalf, Mrs. L. A. S. Cook ; Treas., Miss Laura E. Williston, Mrs. L. E. Durfee, Mrs. Thos. Metcalf, Mrs. Mary Marsh. Disbursements in cash and hospital stores estimated at $1,500. CHARLESTOWN, Portage Co. Pre?., Miss Jane Catlin ; Sec, Miss Emily Wetmore, Miss Eliza II. Curtiss ; Treas., Miss Cynthia Coe, Miss Eliza H. Curtiss. Cash expended, $304. Value of contributions to Sanitary Fair, $24. CHATHAM CENTER, Medina Co. Pres., Miss Parmelia Ripley; Sec, Mrs. Thos. S. Shaw, Miss Mattie Packard ; Treas., Mrs. A. J. Dyer. CHERRY HILL, Erie Co., Pa. Pres., Mrs. Ira Marcy; Sec, Miss Jane B. Tuttle, Mrs. Addison Thompson; Treas., Mrs. E. Sturtevant. APPENDIX F. CHERRY VALI.EY, Ashtabula Co. 471 Pres., Mrs. Rachel H. Green ; Vice Pees., Mrs. P. G. Sanford; Sec, Mrs. Celestia R. Colby ; Tbeas., Mrs. Hannah Roberts. CHESTER X ROADS, Geauga Co. Pres., Mrs. A. E. Janes, Mrs. C. Herrick; Vice Pees., Mrs. Phelps ; Sec, Mrs. A. E. Janes, Mrs. Kent ; Tkeas., Miss Aurelia Gilmore, Mrs. H. Johnson. BUSY BEES, (Juvenile).— Pees., Miss Amantha Smith; Vice Pees., Miss Tira Ames ; Sec, Miss Emma Ames ; Treas., Miss Florence Lyman. CHIPPEWA, Wayne Co. Pres., Mrs. Dr. Armstrong ; Vice Pees., Miss Margaret Frank; Sec, Mrs. Andrew Jackson, Miss C. A. Lyon ; Committee, Mrs. Carson, Miss Gettie Armstrong. CLARIDON, Geauga Co. CLARIDON CENTER.— Pees., Mrs. Col. Treat ; Sec, Miss Anna Taylor. EAST CLARIDON.— Pee3., Mrs. J. B. Aylworth, Mrs. J. P. Lukins ; Vice Pees., Mrs. Emily Bradley; Chaplain, Mrs. E. D. Taylor ; Sec and Treas., Miss Artimissa Chace. WEST CLARIDON.— Pees., Mrs. II. N. Spencer; Sec, Miss Celia Spencer; Treas., Mrs. W. Wood. CLARK'S CORNERS, Ashtabula Co. Pres.. Mrs. Sarah Phelps; Sec, Mrs. M. Hayes; Treas., Mrs. L. Clark. CLARKSFIELD, Huron Co. Pres., Mrs. Harriet E. S. Holley, Mrs. O. J. Husted, Mrs. Edwin D. Tyler; Sec and Teeas., Mrs. L. A. Lyon, Mrs. M. E. Bunce. CLEVELAND, Cuyahoga Co. ' GERMAN SOCIETY.— Pees., Mrs. Schmidt; Sec, Mrs. Glasser; Teeas., Mrs. Berg- holz. ST. CLAIR ROAD SOCIETY.— Pres., Mrs. A. Variau; Sec, Miss M. O. Varian; Treas., Mrs. H. E. Strong. TEMPERANCE AID SOCIETY.— Pres., Mrs. H. N. Bander; Sec. Mrs. L. White. COLORED AUXILIARY SOCIETY.— Pees., Mrs. Geo. Vosbnrgh ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Richard Hazel ; Sec, Mrs. Lavina Sabb ; Treas., Mrs. Harriet Weaver. WARING STREET MISSION.— Pees., Mrs. Ziua Needham ; Sec, Mrs. E. Wood. UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS SOCIETY.— Pees., Mrs. Francis Branch ; Sec and Teeas., Miss Ruth Kellogg. CLINTON, Summit Co. Pees., Mrs. Chas. Rhinehart, Mrs. A. M. Russell ; Sec. and Treas., Miss Maggie Russell. 472 APPENDIX F. CODDINGVILLE, Medina Co. Pkes., Mi'tA. L. C. Hills ; Sec, Mrs. Marilla Van Oniian ; Treas., Mrs. Lydia Codding. COLEBROOK, Ashtabula Co. Pees., Mrs. Harriet Gray, Mrs. K. Partridge ; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. S. R. Beckwitli, Miss Sarah J. Tnttle. Value of supplies disbursed, $450.46. COLLAMEB, Cuyahoga Co. Pkes. and Sec, Mrs. Andrew Sharpe ; Vice Pees., Mrs, Andrew Weniple. COLUMBIA, Lorain Co. Pees., Mrs. M. Weeden, Mrs. E. H.Taylor; Vice Pres., Mrs. C. Nichols, Mrs. Anne Burr; Sec, Miss Sara C. Adams, Miss Martha Fish, Mrs. Helen E. Osborne ; Teeas., Mrs. S. Stock, Mrs. Caroline Reed. COLUMBLIXA, Columbiana Co. Pres.. Mrs. Amanda Vogleson, Miss Anna E. Motzger; Vice Pees., Mrs. iMary A. Beeson, Miss Belle Vogleson; Sec, Miss Sallie E. Hines, Miss Lizzie M. Potts ; Treas"., Mrs. S. E. King ; Committee, Miss Belle Strickler, Mis^ Mary Marvin. COMMERCE, Oakland Co., Mkii. Pres., Mrs. John Clark, Mrs. S. M. Leggett ; Vice Pres., Mrs. T. A. Smith : Sec. Mrs. S. M. Leggett, Mrs. Abram Allen ; Treas., Mrs. D. C. Goodwillie. Mrs. Harley Round. Value of contributions, ,f 1,000. CONCORD, Lake Co. Pees., Mrs. Roswell Burr; Vice Pees., Mrs. John H. Murray; Sec, Miss Matilda Winchell; Tbeas., Mrs. Orson Willson. CONNEAUT, Ashtabula Co. CONNEAUT.— Pres., Mrs. Ales. Bartlett; Sec and Treas., Mrs S. M. Sauford : DiEECTOES, Mrs. Capron, Mrs. Isaac Judson. CONNEAUT BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.— Pres. and Sec, Mrs. Julia Jacobs. CONNEAUT VALLEY.— Pres., Mrs. Lydia Kennedy ; Sec, Mrs. Alniira Paul ; Treas. Mrs. Laura Paul ; Committee, Mrs. Janette Paul. Miss Adaline Kennedy. Cash and stores disbursed, $585.62. CONNEAUTVILLE, Crawfokd Co., Fa. Pees., Mrs. L. Montross; Sec, Miss Clara M. Hitchcock. APPENDIX F. 473 COPLEY, Summit Co. COI'LEV.— PkEs., Mrs. R. F. Codding, Mrs. P. Arnold ; Vice I'iiks.. Mrs. B. Cl),ii)man; Sec, Mrs. J. Starr; Treas., Mrs. M. D. Pratt. Miss Melissa Hall. COPLEY, DISTRICT No. 3.-Pkes., Mrs. A. Stimson : Sec, Miss M. Winkler: Tkeas., Mrs. W. Ball. CRAB CPtEEK, Mahoning Co. PiiEs., Miss Hattie Beatley ; Sec, Miss Maggie Mahan : Tkeas.. Mrs. Miriiini Davis. CROXTON, Jefferson Co. Pkks. and Sec, Mrs. D. Smith. CUYAHOGA FALLS, Summit Co. Pres., Mrs. Charles Clark, Mrs. Henry McKinney. Mrs. Geo. P. Upson; Vice Pres.. >[rs. Dr. Clark, Mrs. L. L. Holden, Mrs. Gillette, Mrs. O. B. Beebe ; Sec. and Treas., Mrs, Ed. Ycomans, Mr«. Geo. Sackett. Miss Eliza Baber, Miss Hattie A. Mizc. Cash disbursements. $998.81. Supplies not estimated. DALTOX, Wayne Co. Pres., Mrs. P. M. Seniple : Vice Pres., Mrs. J. Erwin. Mrs. A. Cook ; Sec. Mrs. M. It. Faust; Treas., 3Irs. A. Cameron. Estimated value of contributions, ^l.lTo. DAMASCUS, CoLUMBi.vN.\ Co. Pres., Mrs. J. M. Hale, Miss Mary Jobes, Miss Temp. Blackburn; Sec, Mrs. J. ]'.. Naylor, Miss Ella Preston ; Treas., Seth Pennock. C. Walton. Estimate of contributions, $1,000. DEERCREEK, Pa. Pres., Mrs. Alexander, Sec. Miss Annie J. Shields; Treas., Miss Ann Davidson. DEERFIELD, Poktacje Co. DEEUFIELD.— Pres. Mrs. M. Tibbies. .Vlrs. E. W. (Jray; VicKPiiKs.. Mrs. White; Sec AND Treas., Mrs. Sarah Warner. Miss A. J. Gibbs. Estimate of contributions, $1,000. DEERFIELD, SOUTH BRANCH.— Pres., Mrs. T. R. Mowen : Sec and Treas., >liss M. Permelia Diver. Cash expended, $90. ^'ahK■ of suiiplics forwarded, $203.88. DENMARK, Asiitaijula Co. Sec. -Mrs. :\[. Palmer. 474 APPENDIX F. DOVER, Cuyahoga Co. Pkes.. Rev. Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Phinney, >[is-s Mar3'E. Northrup ; Sec, Mies Lydia W, IJrackett; Tkeas., Mi-s. Dr. Morse. DOYLESTOWN, Wayne Co. Pkes., Mrs. A. M. Armstrong; Sec, Miss Macii'ic Graham; Tre.\s., Miss Lettle Armstrong. EAGLEVILLE, AsriTABUi>A Co. Pres.. Mrs. James stone ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Horace Wolcott, Mrs. Eben Tuttle, Mrs. Oscar Lee ; Sec, Miss Abhic Stone, Miss Rosie L. Mills, Miss Mary A. Wolcott ; Treas., Mrs. Alfred Mills. Mrs. A. Bartholomew, Miss Rosie L. Mills ; Directors, Mrs. A. How- ard. Mrs. Newton Lee. Mrs. John Halliday, Mrs. Geo. Olmsted, Miss A. Y. Stanley, Mrs. Joseph McNiitt, Mrs. Harvey Mills, Mrs. J. B. Bartholomew, Mrs. J. ^lorley, Mrs. John Srilson, Mrs. John Chapel, Estimate of money and stores disbursed. $1,240.41. EARLVILLE, Portage Co. Pres. and Treas., Mrs. M. R. Haymaker; Vice Pres., Mrs. Almira Whitney, Mrs. Ruth Stratton ; Sec. Mrs. Lucy Russell. Miss Nancy Dewey, Miss Gertrude Lemmerman. EAST CLEVELAND, Cuyahoga Co. EAST CLEVELAND.— Pres., Mrs. H. C, Ford, Mrs. Dr. Chipman. Mrs. Handley ; Vice Pres., Mrs. A. M. Richardson; Sec, Mrs. N. Post, Miss M. R. Post, Mrs. N. L. Post; Treas., Mrs. E. P. Ingersoll, Mi8§ S. J. Walters ; Directors, Mrs. D. E. Sprague, Mrs. P. Sherwin, Mrs. N. Cozad ; Mrs. Hickos, Mrs. M'alters, Mrs. Watkins, Mrs. Hildreth, Mrs. Spaythe, Mrs. Millard. Besides large contributions of hospital goods, and of articles for the Sanitary Fair valued at $100, this Society made one hundred and twenty-five garments from material furnished. EAST CLEVELAND, DISTRICT No. 9.— Pres., Mrs. E. Nott ; Sec, Mrs. Ben. Phillips. EAST FAIRFIELD, Columbiana Co. Pres., Miss L. Williamson ; Sec. Miss Lizzie TuUis ; Treas., Miss Amanda Tullis EAST MAYFIELD and WEST CHESTER, Cuyahoga Co. Pres.. Mrs. H. N. Battles; Vice Pres., Mrs. A. M. Snow; Sec, Mrs. M. A. Battles: Treas., Mrs. L. Ferry. Value of supplies not estimated. 21',! articles made for Central Society. $10 contributed to the Sanitary Fair. EAST ROCHESTER, Columbiana Co. Pres., Mrs. C. A. Messimore, Mrs. E. A. Henry; Sec, Miss Lizzie McDaniels. Miss M. J. Blanchard ; Treas., Miss Sallie J. Evans. APPENDIX F. 475 EDINBORO, Erip: Co., Pa. Pkes., Mrs. James Thompson, Mrs. John True ; Vice Prks., Mrs. Isaac Becdor; SKf., MissCollom, Mrs. Wm. Grassie ; Treas., Mrs. Winters Campbell. Miss M A. Phelps: Directors, Mrs. Mary Rogers, Mrs. Phelps. Mrs. Hiram Johnson. Miss M. Phelps. EDINBURGH, Poktage Co. Pres.. Mrs. J. B. Stilson ; Sec. and Treas.. :Mrs. Virgil Ooddard. ELLSWORTH, Mahoki.ng Co. Pees., Mrs. E. Coit, Miss A. McKune, Mrs. Eli Miller, Mrs. Harvey Ripley ; Vice Pres., Mrs. H. Sill, Miss Sarah Dheld, Mrs. Ann Hughes ; Sec. Miss Mary Allen, Miss Ellen Huntington, Miss Fannie Coit ; Treas., Miss H. Bingham. Miss A. Beardsley. Miss Sarah Dheld. Estimate of contributions, $1,000. ELYRIA, LoRAix Co. Pres., Mrs. C. H. Doolittle, Mrs. A. A. Bliss, Mrs. Geo. Starr: Vice Pres.. Mrs. J. M. Vincent; Sec, Mrs. J. E. D. Laundon, Miss Mary E. Manter: Treas., Mrs. G. G. Wash- burn, Miss Sue M. Manter. The Elyria Branch, one of the principal tributaries to the Cleveland Sanitary Commis- sion, makes no estimate of the value of its shipments, but reports a cash exjieiiditure of $9,509.85. The citizens of Elyria responded liberally to the calls of their .\id Society, which was ever efficient in rendering local relief, and in the direct care of the regiments recruited in Lorain county, as well as in the army work done through the Sanitary Com- mission. This Society contributed to the Sanitary Fair articles valued at ,f400. and its members were actively interested in making the Lorain County Bodtli attractive and profitable to the Fair. ERIE, Erie Co., Pa. Pres., Mrs. C. I. Gara, Mrs. James Skinner; Sec, Miss Sarah L. Olmstead : Treas., Mrs. Wm. F. Rindernecht. EUCLID, Cuyahoga Co. EUCLID CRKEK.— Pres., Mrs. S. W. Dille ; Sec, Mrs. Jos. Phillips ; Treas., Mrs. John Wilcox. EUCLID RIDGE.— Pbes., Mrs. Hannah Webster ; Sec. Mrs. Mary Humphrey : Treas., Miss Olive Sanders. NORTH EUCLID.— Pres., Mrs. Wm. Treat. Mrs. Ellen Bail, Mrs. Sophia Russell : Sec, Mrs. E. Parr, Mrs. Ellen Bail; Treas., Mrs. J. Wilcox, Mrs. Emma Crosier. FAIRVIEW, Erie Co., Pa. Pres., Mrs. John Sturgeon, Miss Nancy Sturgeon ; Sec, Miss EfHe Sturgeon, Miss Lizzie J. Moorhead ; Tkeas., Miss Jane McCreary. 476 APPENDIX F. FARMINGTON, Trumbut.l Co. Pkes.. :Mi->. a. D. Kibbee. Mri^. O. A. Page: Vice Pres., Mr«. James Caldwell; Sec, Mrs. Sarah J. Taft, Aris^^ Emma O. Kibbee; Tbeas., Miss Rebecca J. Trew, Miss Sarah Palmer. Total value of hospital stores, $'.)lS.ti8. Cash e.xpeiuled. $500. FITCHVILLE, Huron Co. Pres., Mrs. O. Burjjess, Mrs. Nancy Palmer, Mrs. T. W. Thompson : VrcE Pres., Mrs. Burr; Sec Miss Olive Burgess, Miss Louisa Green, ]Miss Ellen Ward. Mrs. Julia Ward. Mrs. Eliza Palmer; Treas., Mrs. Ann Palmer. Cadi expended, .'f411.-i4. Supplies not estimated. FLORENCE, Erie Co. Pres., :Mrs. Dr. Osbom. ^Irs. J. A. Darling; Sec. and Treas., ]N[iss S. E. Heath. Mrs. TJ. \. Blackmail. FOOTVILLE, Trumbull Co. Pres.. Mrs. Hiram Spatl'ord; Vice Pres., Miss Lotfy Bacon: Sec, ■>rrs. E. O. Foot ; Tueas.. Mrs. Maltby. FOUR CORNERS, HuROK Co. Pres.. Mrs. Laura Read, :\rrs. H. N. Allen, Mrs. A. Stone, jNIrs. Henry Kingsley, Mrs. S. Atherton; Vice Pres., Mrs. L. Bogardus, Mrs. A. Barnes, Mrs. C. Hawley, Mrs. Scarles : Sec , Mrs. E. J. Cook, Mrs. H. M. Hoyt, Mrs. S. L. Smith, Miss Sylvia Cornell, Mrs. L. Bogardus: Tueas.. Mrs. S. Salisbury. Estimate of suiiplies forwarded, ftu'i. FOWLER, Trumbull Co. FOWLER.— Pees., Mrs. Mary C. Andrews; Sec, Miss Amelia Tew, Treas., Mrs. O. M. Baldwin ; Directors, Mrs. Esther Williamson, Mrs. Sarah Ross. Mrs. Margaret Alderman. FOWLER, No. 2.— Pres., Mrs. Lavinia Jones ; Sec. Miss Euretta Jones ; Treas.. Mrs. Frank Horton. Value of supplies sent, $900. FOWLER'S MILLS.-Pres., Mrs. H. S. Hazen ; Sec, Mrs. E. E. Miller. FOWLER RIDGE AND CHAD^^^CK CORNERS.— Pres., Mrs. C. Stewart, :^rrs. Sarah J. Greenwood ; Sec , Mrs. Lucy JL Baldwin, Mrs. Hannah Doud ; Treas., Mrs. Lucy M. Baldwin, Mrs. Adeline Chadwick. Value of supplies. .^100. FRANKLIN, Summit Co. Pres.. Mrs. David Keller ; Sec, :Mrs. H. C. Housman ; Treas., Mrs. Wm. Sisler. FRANKLIN MILLS, Portage Co. Pres.. Mrs. Justus Barr. Mrs. Dr. Crittenden; Vice Pkes., Mrs. E. Hurlburt ; Sec .\xd The.Jls.. Mrs. II. A. Bradshaw. APPENDIX F. 477 FEEEDOM, Portage Co. FREEDOM.— Pres., Mrs. H. D. Curtis, Mrs. C. Burrows ; SKc.,Mrs. H. Bryant ; Treas., Miss Emma Bryant. Value of supplies, ijJoOO. FREEDOM, M'EST SIDE. -Pres., Mrs. J. C. Parker; Sec, Mrs. Maria Kellogg. FRUCJSVILLE, Cuyahoga Co. Pres, Miss Julia .\. Moses ; Vice Pres., Miss Kate Moses; Sec and Treas., Miss Libbie H. Mcllrath. This Society, composed of school-girls, contributed about .f70 in cash, and one hundred and tifty articles of hospital clothing. GARRETTSVILLE, Portage Co. Pres., Mrs. E. A. Frisby, Mrs. W. White ; ViC3 Pres., Mrs. M. A. Adams, Mrs. C. M. Wight ; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. A. W. Lake ; Committee, Mrs. D. Peffers, Mrs. C. Willson, Mrs. M. Pierce. Mrs. A. Dunn, Mrs. M. Daniels, Mrs. L. White. Miss Abbie Ellinwood. Cash expended, $:M4.'.li. Supplies not estimated. GATES' MILLS, Cuyahoga Co. Pres.. Mrs. liUcy Ann Gates ; Sec, Mrs. H. G. Spear; Treas., Mrs. Wm. Shuai-t. GENEVA, Ashtabula Co. GENEVA.— Pres., Mrs. J. E. Chapin, Mrs. M. Fitch, Mrs. Richmond, Mrs.S. P. Fitch ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Haskell. Mrs. Dickinson, Mrs. ,T. Condit, Mrs. J. Boughton, Mrs. H. Lane, Mrs. C. Wright; Sec, Mrs. E. H. Lindergreen ; Treas., Mrs. J. Condit, Mrs. S. P. Fitch, Mrs. S. Stow, Mrs. H. Lane. Value of supjilies, $fi8(i. Cash expended. .fSTS. Balance on hand at the close of the war, $~M, which was distributed among the destitute families of soldiers. NORTH GENEVA.— Pres., Mrs. L. Carey; Sec. Miss Jerusha AVard ; Tkeas., Mrs. Cornelia Castle. Cash disbursed, $^r)?^ <)7. GIRAED, Erie Co., Pa. GIRARD.— Pres., Mrs. David Clin ; Sec, Mrs. R. S. Battles. WEST GIRARD.— Pres., Mrs. H. Miles. GOSHEN, Mahoning Co. Pres., Miss Phebe James, Mrs. Isabel T. French ; Sec. ]\riss Sarah Townsend, Miss Hannah K. James; Treas., Mrs. Sarah A. Davis. Supplies valued at .|;1.3H).-iT. Cash to Sanitary Fair. $49. GRAFTON CENTER, Lorain Co. Pres. and Sec. Mrs. M. S. Lawrence. 478 APPE]srDix F. GRAND RIVER, Ashtabula Co. Pres., Mrs. Tlio!?. Bn\-tor; Sec, Miss Mary Henry; Tueas., Mrs. J. A. Chapinrtii. GRANGER, Medina Co. Pres., Mrs. E. B. Low, Miss Frances Crisman; Vice Pres., Mrs. J. C. Braiiiavd, ^Nfrs Bnnkle: Sec. Mrs. M. C. Hickox, Mrs. L. E. Hopkins. GREENFIELD, Hdron Co. Pres., Mrs. A. Tiittle; Vice Pres., Mrs. T. Newberry; Sec, Mrs. S. Cleland ; Treas., Hiram Smitli; Committee, Mrs. Hiram Smith, Mrs. Erastus Smith, Mrs. Burnett Roe. airs. J. M. Wright, Mrs. John Wheeler. VahiP of supplies, $37.3.21. Cash disbursed, $115.21. GREEN HILL, Columbiana Co. Agent, Miss Rachel Taylor. Value of supplies, $125. GREENSBURGH, Trumbull Co. GREENSBURGH.— Pres., Miss Eldah Gibbs, Mrs. Calista Chapman; Sec, Miss Sophia Bartlett, Miss Flora McKee; Treas., Mrs. M. M. Cooley. GREENE, DISTRICT No. .3.— Pres., Mrs. R. Harrison; Vice Pres., Mrs. II. Bnrliu- game; Sec, Miss Roxa A. Bartlett; Treas., Miss Amanda Harrington. GREEN SPRINGS, Seneca Co. Pres., Mrs. James A. Watrous ; Sec, Miss Marion Dana, Miss N. E. Watrons ; Treas., Mrs. Fairchild. GREENTOWN, Stark Co. Pres., Mrs. J. G. Reifsnider ; Sec, Mrs. L. Kryder; Treas., Miss Matilda Smith. GREEN TOWNSHIP, Summit Co. Pres., Mrs. A. A. Tousley ; Sec, Mrs. A. V. Perdue ; Treas., Mrs. C. Hunsburger. GREENWICH, Huron Co. GREENWICH STATION.— Pres., Mrs. Martha Carl; Sec and Treas., Mrs. Marcus Mead; Directors, Mrs. Joanna Briggs, Mrs. Lucy Berry, Mrs. M. Hall, Mrs. J. Hopkins, Mrs. Anna Mead, Mrs. Mary Sheldon, Mrs. Harriet Carl. EAST GREENWICH.— Pres., Miss Hattie Gorham ; Sec Miss Maria Doud ; Treas., Mrs. Anna Doud. YOUNG LADIES' WIDE AWAKE CLLTB, GREENWICH STATION.— Pres., Miss Annie M. Smith ; Vice Pres., Miss Annie Mead ; Sec, Miss Anna S. Jenny ; Treas., Miss Annie A. Barnes. J APPENDIX F. 479 GUSTAVUS, Trumbull Co. Tkes., Mrs. Geo. W. Cowden ; Vice Pres., Mrs. E. M. William?; Sec, Miss I'hebe M. Barues, Mrs. C. M. M'akefleld; Treas., Mrs. J. S. Sheldon, Mrs. Mitchell Scott. HALLECK, Columbiana Co. Pres., Kev. James N. Swau; Vice Pres., Miss Maggie Falconer; Sec, Miss Kate McKenzie ; Treas., Mrs. A. M. Swan. This Society reports 14 boxes shipped to Cleveland, and articles valued at $50 with $44 in cash to Sanitary Fair, besides supplies to State Associations and to soldiers in camp. IIAMBDEN, Geauga Co. IIAMBDEN.— Pres , Mrs. Clarinda Hale; Vice Pees., Mrs. Louisa Griste, Mrs. Martha Elliott ; Sec. Miss Mary E. Field ; Treas., Mrs. Elizabeth Mead. Cash to soldiers and their families, $1.125 ; supplies not estimated. NORTH HAMBDEN.— Pres., Mrs. Esther A. Maynard ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Caroline Sheldon ; Sec, Mrs. Emma M. Brown ; Treas., Miss Lizzie Shattuck. HANOVERTON, Columblvna Co. Pres., Mrs. Susan Arter; Vice Pres.. Mrs. Mary C. Arter. Mrs. Sarah Mill)urn; Sec, Miss Jennie Voglesong; Treas., Mrs. Elizabeth Pritchard. Sent to the Sanitary Fair $176; supplies not estimated. HARBOR CREEK, Erie Co., Pa. Pres., Mrs. L. H. Cousc, Mrs. John Dodge; Vice Pres., Mrs. B. F. Walker; Sfc, Mrs. Wm. Besley, Mrs. J. Carter; Treas.. Mrs. J. Sherwin. HARDY and MONROE TOWNSHIPS, Holmes Co. Pres., Miss Maggie Finney; Sec, Miss Lizzie Korns; Treas., Mrs. Caroline Close. HARPERSFIELD, Ashtabula Co. HAKPERSFIELD.— Pres., Mrs. F. E.Clemens; Vice Pres., Mrs. J. Hibbard ; Sec, Miss Sara M. Tuttlc ; Treas., Mrs. O. F. Gibbs. Estimate of disbursements, .$550. HARPERSFIELD, JTVENILE.— Pres.. Miss R. W. Phillips ; Sec and Treas.. Miss Eliza J. Phillips. HARRISBURG, Stark Co. Pres.. Mrs. C. Stockburger; Sec. Mrs. P. A. Sheets: Treas., Mrs. E. Hoover. Value of supi)!ies, .$53..50. HARRISONVILLE, Erie Co , Pa. Pres., Mrs. Miranda Keep ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Mary J. Lewis ; Sec, Miss Lydia L. Cole ; Treas., Mrs. Polly Keep. 480 Ari'EM)ix V. HARRISVILLE, Hahki^^o.n Co. Pke?., Mrs. Mni-y J. De Vilbiss: Sec. and Treas., Mrs. Helen E. Walsou, Miss Litliii B. Hayhurst. HAHRISVILLE, Medina Co. Pkes., Mrs. II. B. Tuttle ; Sec. and Tkeas., INIrs. L. M. Ford. HARTFORD, Trumbui-l Co. Pres.. Mrs. r. B. Miner, Mrs. B. Fejni. Mrs. D. Tarsdns. Mrs. J. :M!itt<)x. Miss Eliza Spear, Miss J. A. Bushiicll ; Sec, Mrs. Dr. Hart, Mrs. R. W. Johnson, Miss M. E. Beebe ; Treas., Mrs D. Parsons, Mrs. J. Mattox, Miss Eliza Spear, Mrs. A. D. Drnry. Estimate of disbursements, $1,000. HARTLAND, Hueon Co. Pkes., Mrs. Almera V. Snow, Mrs. William Wooden ; Sec, !Mrs. Thomas Strattor. HARTSGROVE, Ashtahui-a Co. I'KES.. Mrs. M. (). Bailey ; Vice Pres., Mrs. A. Flowers ; Sec. Miss Lucy Babcoek, Miss KiUh A. Hunt ; Treas.. Miss Catherine Williams, Mrs. C. L. Parker. IIARTVILLE, Stakk Co. Pres., Mrs. Sarah Keed ; Vice Pres.. ^Irs. Louisa Hooxer ; Sec, Miss Lydia Kimmell : Treas., Mrs. Lizzie Thompson. HATCH'S CORNERS, Asiitaiula Co. PuEs., Mrs. O. Abbott : Sec. Miss L. A. Spauldin.i:: Treas., Mrs. L. .'. Eaton. HAYESVILLE, Ashland Co. Pres., Miss Belle Kose, Mrs. Jane McNeil: Sec, Miss Mary J. Ashenhurst. Miss A. M . Staltbrd; Treas., Mrs. S. Glass, Mrs. J. Kinniger. Estimate of disbursements, $'^,000. HENRIETTA, Lohain Co. IIENKIETTA.— Pres., M'-s. E. Maey ; Sec, Mrs. S. B. Dudley: Treas., .^!i^s Angie Fuller. SOUTH HENRIETTA.— Pres.. Miss Lina Bates: Vice Pkes.. Mrs. J. Ladow. Mrs. C. Close; Sec, Miss Sallie Shook; Treas., Miss Allie Bayles. Cash expended. |;115.50. HINCKLEY, Medina Co. EAST HINCKLEY.— Pres.. Mrs. Wm. Searls; Vk e Pres.. Mrs. J. (.ioueh ; Sec, Miss Julia K. Gouch ; Treas., Mrs. J. Porter. APPENDIX F. 4S1 HINCKLEY AND BIU'NSWICK TOWN LINE.— Pres., Mrs. Jerome Chicl?ey; Vice Pbes., Mrs. Horace Kennedy; Sec, Mrs. Horatio J. Chidscy ; Tueas., Mrs. Julius Phelps. HINCKLEY AND GRANGER TOWN LINE.— Pres., Mrs. O. Perrin ; Vice Pres., Mrs. D. Oviatt, Mrs. S. Newton : Sec, Mrs. John Musser ; Treas., Mrs. John Kellogj:. Value of supplies, $48". 75. NORTH HINCKLEY RIDGE.— Pres.. Mrs. Nathaniel Porter; Treas.. Mrs. Rollin Eastman. SOUTH EAST HINCKLEY. -Pres., Miss Julia K. Gouch, Mrs. E. Marquitt, Mrs. J. E. Marquitt; Vice Pkes., Mrs. A. G. Wilder, Mrs. E. Hall; Sec, Mrs. J. W. Parker, Mrs. R. Porter, Miss Julia K. Goiieh : Treas., Miss J. Bell. Mrs. S. Marquitt. Mrs. J, Porter. HIRAM, Portage Co. Phes., Mrs. Perry Reno; Vice Pres., Mrs. Buckingham; Sec, Mrs. (ien, Garfield, Mrs. Frederic Wilmot; Treas., Mrs. James I. Young, Mrs. John C. Rudolph. Cash expended, $411.88. No supply report. IIOLMESVILLE, Hot.mes Co. Pres., Mrs. Maria Griffin, Miss S. J. Sadler; Sec, Miss Mattie Officer, Miss Emma McMonigal; Treas., Mrs. Sarah McMonigal, Mrs. Lewis Crawford. HUBBARD, Trumbull Co. HUBBARD.— Pkes., Mrs. Samuel Iline; Vice Pres., Mrs. J. Jackson; Sec. Mrs. Augustus Dilley; Treas., Mrs. John Eyster. Cash expended, $252.51. NORTH HUBBARD.— Pres., :Mrs. Joseph Patterson ; Sec, Miss Amanda Bartholomew: Treas., Miss Adeline Hart. HUDSOX, SuJiMiT Co. Pres., Mrs. T. B. Fairchild. :Mrs. N. P. Seymour, Mrs. M. C. Read ; Sec, Mrs. N. P. Seymour, Mrs. Van R. Humphrey, ^liss Sarah Ashniun, Miss Fannie L. Trowhrid^-c: TiJEAS , Mrs. N. P. Seymour. \ HUNTINGTOX, Lorain Co. Pres , Mrs. A. R. Clark. Mrs. J. A. Chapman, Mrs. S. S. Warner, Mrs. C. M. D. Perkins; Vk.-e Pre?.. Mrs. S. G. Bowker, Jlrs. D. H. Austin, Mrs. O. T, Baker, Mrs. A. D. Perkins; Cou. Sec, Mrs. C. M D. Perkins, Mrs. L. M. Sago, Mrs. J, A. Chapman, Mrs. E. West; Rsc Sec, Mrs. O. T. Baker, Mrs. S. S. M'arner, Mrs. W.W.Wills, Mrs. R. Smith; Treas.. Mrs. Wm. June, Miss Delia Elder, Mrs. Wm. Mooney, Mrs. J. A. Snow. Estimate of hosi)ital stores, $1,.525. Cash expended, $164.15. To Sanitary Fairs, $T4 (i5. .•ind a large amount of proxisions and fancy articles. HUXTSBURGH, Geauga Co. Pkes.. Mr?. Louisa Hridgnian, Mrs. Sniilh Wright: Sec, Mrs. L. W. Sharp, Mrs. Henry Strong: TitE.\.s.. ?\[rs. ('has. Steer. 3 1 4.S2 APPENDIX F. HURON, Ekie Co. I'UEs., Mrs. Otis Spragiic, Mrs. llonian ; Vice Pkesi., Mrs. Tower Jackson ; Sec, Mrs. Ftnugles Wright, Mrs. J. W. Si)r;v2:ue, Mrs. A. G. Brainhfrd; Treas., Mrs. C. N. Ryan, Mrs. F. H. Wri-ht. IX DEPENDENCE, Cuvaiioga Co. INDEPENDENCE.— Pres., Mrs. Sarah A. Stafford : Sec. Mrs. Sabiua Brewster. INDEPENDENCE, DISTRICT No. 2.— Pres., Mrs. I, L. Gleason ; Sec, Mrs. C. L. Glea- poii ; Treas.. Mrs. I. Newton. JAMESTOWN, Ckautauque Co., N. Y. Pres., Mrs. S. Seymour: Sec , Mrs. A. Fletelier; Treas., Mrs. P. R. Marvin. JEFFERSON, Ashtabula Co. JEFFERSON.— Pres., Mrs. William Goodrich; Sec, Miss A. Hawley. Miss L. M. Gid- dings. Miss H. S. Kellogg ; Treas., Mrs. N. E. French. NORTH JEFFERSON.— Pres., Mrs. H. J. Pease; Vice Pres., Mrs. Susan Loomis; Sec, Mrs. Lavinia Jones ; Treas.. Mrs. Julia A. Sikes ; Committee, Mrs. Lois Udell, Mrs. T. A. Jerome, Miss Martha Bunnell. JEROMEVILLE, Ashlakd Co. Pres., Jliss Sarah J. Hargrave; Sec, Miss Addle Allcnian. JOHNSTONVILLE, Trumbull Co. Pres., Mrs. Amelia Y. Eells ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Levens ; Sec, Miss Emily Bartlett; Treas., Mrs. Marian Hine; Committee, Miss Betsey Dickinson, Mrs. Harriet Brinsmade. Mrs. Celia Barnes, Mrs. Laura Thompson, Mrs. Louisa Holcomb, Mrs. Ellen Norcott. Estimate of supplies, §(iOO. Sent to Sanitary Fair, .'J^IOO. KANSAS, Sexkca Co. COM.MITTEE, Miss Eliza Standish, Mrs. Barbara Ash. Estimate of supplies, $4U0. KELLOGGSVILLE. Asht.^bula Co. Pres. and Sec, Mrs. R. P. Brown ; Virs 1'res., Mrs. S. S. Bushnell: Treas . Mrs. A. Kellogg. KELLEY'S ISLAND. Pres., Mrs. Datus Kelle y ; Vice Pres., Mrs. ?,I. Titus: Sec and Treas.. Mrs. E. K. Huntington. Cash di-^bursed, $173.-12. Estimate of stores, $1,971.20. Total eoutrihution. $2.11)4.()2. APPKIN^DIX F. 48'] KENT, POKTAGE Co. Pres., Mrs. A. W. Botsfonl; Sec, ifrs. John C. U:\rt : Tueas.. Mrs. L. Ilolden. KIANTONE, CiiArT.vuQUE Co., X. Y. Pke3., Mrs. E. O. Morgan ; Sec, Mrs. II. P. C'ai'cy ; Tkeas., :Mrs. C. Slicrm.in ; Diuectoiis. Mrs. Chapin, Mrs. Jones. Estimatfi of supplies. sSi.oOO. KIXaSVILLE, Ashtabula Co. KIXGSVILLE.— PiiEs., Mrs. Helen Murray, Mrs. E. M.Webster; Vice Pres., Mrs. Dorla Luce, Mrs. A. B. Luce ; Sec, Mrs. Maria Nettleton, Mrs. E. M. Webster ; Treas., Mrs. Lura Brown, Mrs. Oliver Barrett. Estimate of supplies, $G50. Cash expended, $11.5. KINGSVILLE, LAKE SHORE.— Pres Mrs. Geo. Van Slyke : Sec, Mrs. Lovina Wood- worth ; Treas., Mrs. Louisa Smith. Cash expended, $00. NORTH KTNGSVILLE.— Pres., Mrs. E. D. Nettleton ; Sec, Jfrs. D. C. Caughey ; Treas., Mrs. Dow Craytou ; Directors, Mrs. Chas. Craytou, Mrs. John Hotchkiss. Estimate of contributions, ,f.32.5. SOUTH KINGSVILLE.— Pres., Mrs. V. C. Fox ; Sec, Miss Laura A. Whitney ; Treas., Mrs. Lizzie Mu.llett ; Directors. Mr*. Whiton, Mrs. Ambrose Curtiss. Mrs. Alniira Bujjboe TvINSMA.V, Trumbull Co. KINSMAN.— Pres., Mrs. Sophia B. Kinsman, Mrs. John S. Alien, Mrs. Sylvesler Ca-e ; Vice Pees., Mrs. John Yeomans: Sec. Miss Mary H. Christy. Ca.sh expended, $5"i-2..">8. Cash value of new material. .*T0-i.4-i. Estimated value of sup- plies, .$3,450.40. KINSMAN, No. -3.- Pr.Es . :Mrs. Lucius Ailing; Vice Phes.. Sidney Mine;-. E-q. : Sec. Mrs. Mary A. T. Wood : Treas., Miss Abbie S. Wood. Estimate of contributions. $'>{){). KINSMAN. JUVENILE.— Miss Jeni.ie (ilb.ci!. Mi-s Becca P. Kinsman. KIRTLAXD,'Lm[rs. Pahnor ; VicK Pr>i;s.. Mrs. Goodrich, Mi9^s A. Harrington, Mrs. Jolm Williams ; Sec, Mrs. Brintuall, Miss Emma J. Phinney ; Tue.'V.s., .>rrs. BriiiliKill. Miss Sarah E. Thomas. LiURANGE, i.ouArx Co. LA GRAXGE.— Prks., Mrs. Matilda Ilumphruy. Mrs. C. Wilcox; Sec, Mrs. J. L. Rich- mond, Mrs. G. Wilco.\ ; Trk.\s., Mrs. Lucia Merriam, Mrs. N. P. Johnson. EAST LA GR.\NGR.— PuES.. :>Irs. E. B. Baldwin ; Sec, Mrs. David Clark. LAMARTIXE, Carroll Co. AoK.N'T. (ico. W. Adami. LA PORTE, Lorain Co. Pkes., Mrs. Sophia B. liriijgs ; Vice Pres., iMrs. IL Carpenter: Sec. a.vd Tkeas., Mr>*. Phcbo M. A!j:ard. LEICESTER, Livingston Co., X. Y. PuKs.. Mrs. IL Tillon ; Sec .vnu Ti!EAS., Mrs. W. 11. Sellow. LEXOX, Ashtabula Co. PKEs.,Mrs. J. A. Uydo, Mrs. A. D. Eddy: Sec. Miss E. J. Ilciilcr-^on. Mrs. B. L. Mosher ; Tbsas., Mrs. M. J. French. Es;timate of contributions, $-J5r2.O0. LIBERTY, TKU.M15ULL Co., (United Pkksbyi-ekian CuuRcn.) Pkes., Rov. David (Joodwillie. Robert Stranahan ; Sec. Miss Mary fl:irk : Tr.EAS..Mrs. Mari;aret Gorley. LIMAVILLE, Stark Co. Pkes.. Mrs. A. Morss : Sec. Miss Amelia Day; Tiieas,. ;Mi-s Emma Morssj. LircHFIELD, Medina Co. Pkes., Mrs. Amy Delamater; Vice Pres., !Mrs. Brinsmade ; Sec, Mrs. Mark S. Sibley, Mrs. P. C. Stranahan, Miss Mary S. Clapp ; Treas., Mrs. Rice, Mrs. J. Brooker. LIVERPOOL, Medina Co. Pkes., Mrs. Fanny Pannelee, INOss Sallie V. Thermot ; Skc, Miss Juliette Howard, Miss Emma Wilmot. LOCUST POIXT, Ottvwa Co. Skc, Miss Emma Xui^ent. APPENDIX K 485 LOTTSVILLE, Warken Co., Pa. Agents. Mrs. S. M. Lott, Miss 11. D. Lott. LOriSVJLLE, Stauk Co., Pres.. Mrs. K. Sl\()!)!). ^ LOWELL, Sexeca Co. Piucs.. >rrs. Kiiiily (^-ockctt, ; Srsc, Miss Nellie Hogg-. LOWKLLSVILLE, MAUoxrNCr Co. Pkes.. Mrs. P. .T. Walsou; Sec, Mary A. Hunter. McKAY, Ashland Co. Pkes.. Mrs. A. P.. Case; Sec, Miss Libbie Read; Tueas,. iliss Jennie Read. MACEDONIA, Summit Co. Pres., Mrs. H. O. Uiitlierrord ; Vice Pres., Mrs. M. Ranuey, Mrs. W. Johnson, Mrs. J. Monroe; Sec. and Tkeas., Mrs. E. E. Stone; Committee, Miss L. Ramiey. Mrs. D. H. W. Carley. :Mrs. H. D. Clark. Miss A. Everest, Mrs. Charaberlin. MADISON, Lake Co. MADISON.— Pres., Miss Susan Warner, Mrs. E. F. Ensign ; Vice Pkes., Mrs. C. W. Torrey ; Sec and Treas., Miss N. Howard, ^Nlrs. C. W. Ensign, Jr. NORTH MADISON.— Pres., Mrs. J. E. Bailey, Miss Helen M. Wadsworth, Mrs. Betsey E. Baldwin, Mrs. S. G. Brancli ; \WE Pres., Mrs. J. H. Whiting, .Airs. R. R. Davis, Mrs. J. W. Crocker; Sec, Mrs. C. H. DeForest, Miss Nancy Dow, Miss Frank L. Branch ; Tkeas., Mrs. C. Wadsworth, Miss Gertrude Bailey. NORTH MADISON, No. 3.— Pres. Mrs. J. M. Green : Vice Pres.. Miss E. Toby ; Sec, Miss Alice Fuller; Treas., Miss E. Warner. NORTH MADISON, L.\KE DISTRICT.— Pres., Mrs. Susan Doty: Sec, Mrs. II. P. Thornburgh, Mrs. Emily Woodworth ; Treas., Mrs. John Dow. NORTH MADISON, LAKE SIIORE.-Pkes.. Mrs. Xaliianiel Waterman: Sec. Mr.s. Thomas Blair : Treas., Mrs. John F. Blair. SOl'TH MADISON.— Pres., Mrs. Lunian Wlictder; Sec, Miss Joanna K. (Jriswold. MALVERN, Caki-.oi.l Co., Pres., Miss .Mary Lat(a : Nice Pres., Mrs. Dr. A. Eakin ; Sec, Mrs. S. T. Tressell, Miss Lizzie Rukenbrod; Treas., Mrs. S. J. Ross; Financial Sec, Mrs. II. J. Hardesty ; Com- mittee, Mrs. Isabella Latta, Mrs. M. Amos. Cash expended, $'>W). Thirty boxes of hospital stores shi])))c>d, value not e>^tiuiat('il. xMA.XCilESTEK, Summit Co. Pres., Mrs. L. R. Sisler: Sec . Mrs. II. A. Housman. 480 APF^ENDIX F. MANTUA, PonTAOE Co. MANTUA CENTER.— Pres., :Miss S. R. Bump, Mi>. T. Ingoll, Mrs. Dr. O. Ferris : Vuk Pres., Mrs. Dr. A. J. Squire, Mrs. M, Post; Sec, Miss Carrie M.Davis, Miss C. S. Bump, Miss S. R. Bump ; Tueas., Mrs. Dr. O. Ferris, Miss R AY. Davis, Miss S. R. Bump. Value of contributions, $431.0". MANTUA STATION.— Pres., Mrs. P. JI. Folgor; Sec, :Mrs. Adeline PI Goddard; Tri.:.\s.. Mrs. Anne Farr. NORTH-EAST MANTUA.-Phes., Mrs. Betsey W. Esty ; Sec, Mrs. Levi E. Carlton. SOUTH MANTl'A.— Pres., Mrs. E. P. Crooks; Sec axd Treas., Mrs. A. Fmst. MAPLE HILL, Geaug.v Co. Pres., Mrs. Milo Blakcsley ; Sec, Mrs. Jlartlia Bartlett. :Mrs. Mary R. Hansard ; Tueas., Mrs. L. S. Blakesley. MARLBORO, Stauk Co. Pres., Mrs. Mary Mendeuhall ; Mrs. Nancy :McElroy ; Sec. Mrs. H. W. Brooke, .Mrs. U. G. Savage; Treap., Mrs. Louise M. Doering. MARSIIALLVILLE, Wayne Co. Pres., Mrs. L. L. Cunniugham ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Elizalietli Wear : Sec, ^Hss Catharine Keck; Theas., Mrs. Catharine A. Cuuniugham. Cash expended, $"."). Two thousand pounds of hospital comforts shipped through the Cleveland Sanitary Commission. MASSILLON. ?TAi!iv Co. Pres., Mrs. M. Earl, Mrs. Geo. Harsh: Vice Pres., Mrs. T. S. Webb, Mrs. Chidester ; Sec, INIiss H. A. Ricks, Miss E. L. Clark ; Treas.. Mrs. Lewis Pangborn. :Mrs. James M. Brown ; Coji.mittbe, Mrs. Thorn. Williams, Miss Lamina Focke. Besides the regular duties of gathering and shipping large supplies, and a donation to the Cleveland Sanitary Fair, valued at ,f 1.200, the Massillon Branch administered special relief to soldiers" families to the amount of STS.}, furnished comforts to the hospitals of the 104th and 115th O. V. 1., encamped in town, at an expense of |;1,000; were active iti hospitalities to passing regiments and squads; and celebrated Thanksgiving days during the period of the war by providing abundant dinners for soldiers' lamiiies. and distribut- ing to tliem wood, coal and provisions, contributed by the citizens for that purpose. MAYFIELD CENTER, Cuyahoga Co. Pres.. Mrs. Ellen B. Whitney; Sioc, Miss Belle (i. Miner; Treas , Miss M. A. Atkins. MEADVILLE, Ckawfobd Co., Pa. Pres., Mrs. Hannah Moore. Mrs. Wm. Thorp; Skc, Miss Lizzie C. Callender ; Tueas., Miss Lizzie Huidekoi)er. This society, though properly i-epurting its business to the credit of the State of Penn- sylvania, was. for convenience of railroad transjiortation. a tributary to the Soldiers' Aid APPEXDIX F. 487 Society of Northern Ohio. From its oru'!iniz.atioii. October. 18(il, to tlie close of the war. the Meadville Aid Sociery was an important auxiliary to the Cleveland Sanitary Commis- sion. Besides>hipnients of two hundred and sixty-one packa,i,'es of choice hospital stores, and liberal supplies furnished to sick soldiers and their families in and near the city, its bijoks show a cash disbursement of $(i,iiSl."Jl. The citizens of Meadville contributed thron>;h their Aid Society to the Cleveland Sani- tary b'air articlo< valued at .$74!) (K). and to the Pittsburir Sanitary Fair, $.500. MRCC.\, 'riuMiu'i.i, To MSCCA.— Pkbs.. Mrs. M. D. Higbee, Mrs. Eunice McCuller ; Vice Pres., Mrs. A1)i,<:ail Ilolcorab. Mrs. Eunice Benton, Mrs. Nancy E. Case ; Sec, Mrs. M. D. Higbee, Mrs. Kachael Love ; Tre.\s., Mrs. Eliza Love, Mrs. Chloe Abell. SOUTH MECCA.— Pre?., .Mrs. Millen Powers: Sec. Mrs. Clarissa Crafl : Tkea^.. Miss .\nna Rose. MECHANICSVILLE, Amitauul.v Co. Pi'.Ks., .Antoinette W'aldiug : SEC.Xaomi Webb: Tue.vs.. Eliza ^\'arren. MEDINA, Mi:dina Co. Pkes.. Mrs. n. G. Blake: Vice Pres., Mrs. N. H. Bostvvick, Mrs. S. J. Hayslip, Mrs. D. \. Gro^venor: Sac. an'd Tre.vs., Miss Fannie E. Ticknor, Mrs. S Humphreville, Miss .Mariette Butler. Mrs. S. G. Barnard, Mrs. A. L. Peak: Directors, Mrs. Paul Schuh, Mrs. Hiram Ferris, :>Irs. Timothy Clark, Mrs. S. B. Woodward, :\rrs. A. W. McClure, Mrs. Whipple, Mrs. C. T. Hill. Tlie stores disbursed to soldiers and llieir families are estimated at ^CS.OIO.SS. Besides this, mucli was collected for direct distribution to rei^inients, and for relief of the P'reed- men. Tlie citizens of Medina loyally supported the cause of the soldier during- the whole period of the war. .MELMOKE. Sesk'j.k Co. Pues.. Mrs. Dr. II. Ladd, >[rs. S. A. Ivis|)augh, Mrs. James Gibson, Mrs. Calvin Kogers. Mrs. Richard Baker; Sec, 3Irs. A. R. Webb, Mrs. John Delamater, Mrs. Emma Brayman, Miss Lucy Arnold; Tre.\s., Mrs. Daniel Ptichards, Mrs A. IJ. Webb, Mrs. Richard Baker. Aggrej^ito of money and stores disbursed. .*2,800. MEN TO II, Lake Co. P:ii;s., Mrs. Marthew S. Clapp : Vice P;iES., Mrs. Abner M. I'arnialee : Sec, Mrs. Tru- man P. Barber, Miss Carrie Clapp : Treas., :\iiss :Nraria Corning, :Miss Christia Radclifle, Mrs. Jacob Blisli. Money and stores disbursed. *;-i,:!1.5. IT. exclusive of supplies sent directly to regiments in the field. MESOPOTAMIA, Tuum!;i;:,l Co. AoKNT. T'Jrs. Chai-loltc a. SJieldon. MIDPLE )5HANCn, Staj'.k Co. PiiKs.. Mr-i. John I'.rrei- : Se( .. ^li^s Xrllie Warner: Treas., >lrs. Jacob Byrer. 4Sri's. E. B. Maybin ; Vick I'iies., Afrs. R. L. Wnlroiis, Mr*. J. niivn'' ; Sec, Mi-j*. J. L. Dickinson ; Tkkas., ]\Irs. Julia II. Edwnrils. ('Msli disluirscd. .*(M'i.;5() Supplies not cstimati'd. XOIlTilFIELD, SuMMFT Co. I'ui:s., Mr.*. .T. W. Loi^uc ; Vice Puss.. Mrs. Daniel I'l'octoi': Sec, Miss Libbie Alexan- der, Miss Ellen Bliss ; Tueas., Mrs. Geo. Seidel. Cnsli expended, $310.33. Contribntcd to Sanitary Fair, .$1 i;i.3T. K-lim.ile oi" supplies sent to re^-inients, iftiro. Total, $(11S.(i!). NORTH JAL'KSOX, UxnosiSG Co. I'UKS.. Mrs. Ar.iry .1. Kiddle: Skc. Miss Maggie Johnston : Tkeas.. Miss M. S. Gault. NORTH LAWREXCE, St.vuk Co. Pr!:s., Mr". K. Fulton : Skp., Miss Xannie MeCuo, Miss Beccie Sliull ; Tueas.. Mrs. C. Sehafler. NORTH RIDi;EVH.LE, Lok.vin Co. NORTH UlDlUiiVILLK.— PuES., Mrs. Mark Humphrey: Vice Pres.. Mrs. John Cahoon ; Sec, Miss Harriet Bryner; Tkeas,, Mrs. Sydney Butler. Estimate of supplies shipped through the Sanitary Commission. .'j;l.355. Sent direct to regiments, §300. To the Sanitary Fair, $114.5t). Total, $1,700.50. XOTJTII RIDGEVILLE, JUVENILE. -Pues.. Miss Emma Terrell : Sec. .Miss Theresa Terrell : Treas,, Miss Nellie Beehee. l-'stiu\a!e ol'eonlrilmtinns, $50. NORTH RIDGKVILLE, WEST CREEK.— Pues.. jyUss Mary Byington: Vice Pues.. Miss Carrie Hostlauder: Skc. Miss Alary Howk; Tkeas.. Miss Mary Race. NORTH ROVAT.TON, Cuy.uiooa Co. NORTH UOYALTON.— PRES.,Mrs. M. J. Carter; Vice Pues., Mrs. James Tousley : Skc, Mrs. S. W. Chandler; Tkeas., Mrs. Wm. Tousley. NORTH ROYALTON, No. 3.— Pres., Mrs. Oliver Taylor; Sec ano Tubas.. Mrs. John Kingzctt. NORTH ROYALTON AND HINCKLEY. -Pues., Mrs. \V. Wilber; Sec. Mrs. P. A. Taylor; Treas., Mrs. E. Webber. NORTH SPRINGFIELD, Summit Co. Pkes., Mrs. L. Atcheson ; Sec, Mrs. J. Ewart, Mrs. E. II. Boyd ; Tkeas., Mrs. M. Fisher, Mrs. M. White NORTON, Summit Co. Pkks., Mrs. Louisa Marshall; Vice Pues.. Mrs. Rebecca Vanderhoot': Sec. Mrs. F. Weary; Tkeas.. Mrs. Sarah Miller. APPENDIX F. 493 XORWALK. llruoN Co. XORWALK, DISTRICT No. (;.-T'ni;s., Mis-; liosc Slicr;u.iii : Sr:c.. Miss Jennie .ToncM : TiiEAs., Wia-a Lucy Slicrniun. Casli expinidwl, $30. Value of lioi-pilal store.; Ibrwanled, $100. XORWALK SOLDIKltS" All) SOCIETY.— (Kki'oiitiod hy Mhs. S. T. Wonf'KSTKTt.)--Vei-y e.'U'Iy in tho year 1801 the citizens of Norwalk beiifau to work for tlic soldiers. A ])art of tlie 8tli Regiment had been collected, (luartercd and drilled lliore. On tlic Sabbath before they left, relif^ious services weroheld in ttunr camp, and the occasion, so new ami allVel ins. called fm'th the most profound sensations of sorrow and api)rehension. Some days previously tho ladies had been entfased in supplying those soldiers with such necessaries and luxuries as tho deeixjst interest could suggosl. Immediately after llieir departui'e, a society, of both sex(!S, was formed, tho object of which was to follow those who went from the vicinity with aid and comfort, in any form, and by any means that could reach thcni. thussccurinir, as was hoped, an unbroken intercourse with them. A quarterly Bubscripl ion ainnnu: the gentlemen was oslablished. the first instalment of which is dated IMay ISIh, 1«(il. The ofiictsrs elected were Charles B, Sti(dvney, President ; J. C. Curtis, Secretary: David U. Pease, '^"reasurer; Mrs. G. O. Baker, Mrs. .T. \V. Baker, Mrs. O. Jenney, Mrs. C. E. Ponnewell and Mrs. S. T. Worcester, Hoard of Directors — the latter Secretary of the Hoard. From that time to Novembei', tsi)'.!, somelliing was contimially being done, but the dilliculties in the way of reaching the i-ei^imenis, al'ler tliey went into a<'tiial servicer, and tlie consecpienl irregularity of tlie (|uarterly payments, seriously obstructed i)ro;;ress. In the meantime a Society had Ixu'u organized in Clev(dand, through wliich, as a medium, it was l)elie\-('(l tlie regiments coul boxes, barrels or kegs have been forwarded, with various and sometimes (|uite large sums in cash, to bo disposed of by known and trusty agents. They were sent to the Sanitary flommission. Christian Commission, Uoliof Association in Washington, to Annapolis, Richmond, Get- tysburg. Mart insburg, Winchester, llari)er"s Ferry, Alexandria, Hilton Head, to Gov. Hrough, f(n- llie use of State Agents, and to the 8th, .Wth, 101st and I'JiW Regiments, and occasionally to others. Many letters from many soldiers in diflerent localities attest the (idcdlty of llios(! to whom they were entrusted, and tlie donors rest satisfied with the 1 ( sidt of their labors. The Soeietv ilisbaudod June 1st, ISC"). 494 APPEXRIX K. NOEWALK UNION.— Pres., Mrs. H. M. Wooster; Tick Pres., Mr-:. Eli Peters, ISIlss M. A. Watson ; Sec, Mrs. J. M. Farr; Tre.\s., Mrs. D. W. Newton. The members of this Soeiety liiul been active workers in tlie Soldiers' Aid Society of Norwalk until November 27th, 1SC.3, and the results of their industry prior to that date are included in the l\)rej.-oin2.- report. On formlnii-a separate organization they continued their labors for the soldiei-s with remarkable vigor and success, and with unilorni loyalty to the Sanitary Commission. In the year and a half of their independent organization, they disbursed in cash, $1.8li0.4l and forwarded two hundred packages of hospital stores, valued at .$1,000. making a total contribution of $2,833.44. The Hospital G.ir.len at Chattanooga was an object of much interest to the ladies of this society, who frequently remembered it in their gifts, and in the spring of l.StU forwarded onion sets and garden seeds in great variety for its early cultivation. The preparation of -'chopped pickle" was a specialty of the Norwalk ITnion, over one tho!i>=and gallons having been forwarded to the army in the course of one summer. At the close of the war the surplus funds of this society were distributed as follows : iflOO to the Columbus Soldiers" Home ; $100 to the Union Commission, N. Y.; $.-)0 to the Cleveland Soldiers" Home, and the remainder, $S0, to the Norwalk Young Men"s Library Association. NORWALK YOUNG LADIES' ALERT CLUB.— (Reported bt Mrs. S. T. Worces- ter.)— The Alert Club commenced its labors in August, 1862, but was not fully organized until September 13th of that year, when the following officers were elected: Mrs. S. T. Worcester, President; Miss Lizzie Gallup, Secretary: Misses Mary Graves and Lucy Preston, Treasurers ; Mrs. T. W. Christian, Misses S. Rowland and C. Jenney, Direct- resses, with an indefinite number of Collectors. The Soldiers' Aid Society had been in operation over a j'ear, but was languishing for want of funds, the quarterly subscription, on which it depended, being irregularly paid. In this emergency thirty-seven young ladies, whose numbers soon increased to sixty, agreed to unite for one year, specially to raise funds for that society, but also to be on the alert, (hence their name,) to contribute in every possible way to the comfort of the need}' soldier. They immediately revived the gentlemen"s quarterly subscription and collected it, and without delay established a ladies' monthly, and, in October following, agentlemen's monthly subscription. These three subscriptions they fiiithfuUy and promptly collected the entire year, and paid over the proceeds, $824.7.5, to the Aid Society. They held regular meetings, prepared large quantities of lint and bandages, made ISO pairs of slippers, over 600 handkerchiefs, 9(1 towels, 2 quilts, and cut and dried :51 bushels of apples, all of which were passed to the Aid Society, besides sending many kind remembrances, in various forms, to the regi- ments with which they were acquainted. They also collected a special subscription to pay the debt on the home of Bessie Lynch, her husband being the first Norwalk soldier killed in battle, and herself and three young children left destitute. This, with some small debts which the creditors, at their request, remitted, amounted to $60.06. At the expiration of the year they voted to associate for another year. Miss C. Jenney resigned. Miss S. C. Mason was elected Recorder, a new office which the nature of the service soon to be entered upon, required. They now agreed to leave the subscription lists to the Aid Society, to raise their own funds by Festivals, Tableaux, Dram.atic Enter- tainments, &c., and to devote them to clothing the children of absent soldiers, and of poor widows, furnishing them with all the necessaries required by well conditioned scholars, looking after them, keeping them in school, &e. In this service they were greatly assisted by Mr. Stephenson, Superintendent of the Public Schools, and by a number of judicious married ladies. They had, from the 1st of September, 1863, to the 1st of November, 1864, forty-nine dift'erent families as beneficiaries, furnishing to eacii new material according to their need, in value from $2.52, the lowest sum, to $61.19, the highest. Total amount raised during that time. $l.}i40.S2. Total expended, $1,496.99. appp:ndix v. 495 They al^^o s^eiit Ibrwiird various! contributions, as sympatliy prompti'd, to thf soldiers. In November, 18(i4, tliey reorganized as a regular Soldiers' Aid Society, specially voting to retain their own distinctive name. Officers: Mrs. S. T. Worcester, President; Mrs. T. W. Christian and Miss S. Rowland Vice Presidents; Miss Lizzie Gallup, Recording Secretary; Miss Mary Wickham, Corresponding Secretary, and Mrs. W. M. Cline. Treas- urer. They began this year with $343.83, the overplus of last year. They continued to acquire as well as expend, so that at their last regular meeting, in May, 1805, they had forwarded, in all, 3~ boxes, barrels or kegs of hospital stores. $330 in cash, and had, in possession or expectancy, ^M). To this sum they added tlie net gain of a subsequent series of Tableaux, and eventually presented to the Young Men's Library, then being established, the sum of $1)00. With the remainder they j)urrhased, framed arid suitably lettered the two engravings entitled, ''The First Reading of the Emancipation Procla- mation." and "Washington Irving and His Friends," and presented them to the Gram- mar School, from which many of their Tableau performers had been taken. Total funds nisei ani expended, .f 3,1)32.93. The Club steadily refuses to disband, but contemplates holding re unions annually, the officers remaining the same. The first re union took place on the 33th of July. IS'iT; the second on the 231 of June, ISM. OAK GKOVE, IIoi.MES Co. PiiEs.. Mrs. Elizabeth Allen: Sec. Miss Nannie J. Martin; Tkeas., Miss Liza J. Armstrong. OAK RIDGE, CoLUMiUAN.v Co. Pres . Rev. J. .Arthur ; Sec, Jliss Nancy Smith; Tueas., Miss Lizzie Noble. OBEHLIN, Lorain Co. PiiEs.. Mrs. M. C. Allen, Mrs. C A. Bostwick, Mrs. J. M. Fitch; VifE PiiES., Mrs. A. Rutler. Mrs. J. M. Fitch, Mrs. Allen ; Sec. Mrs. R. B. Pearse. Mrs. M. E. Ellis ; Treas.. Mrs. R. B. Pearse, Mrs. C. C. Hudson ; Directors, Mrs. Haynes, Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Avery, Mrs. Clark, Miss S. Hall ; Committee. Mrs. Terrell. Mrs. Clark, Miss S. Hall, Mrs. Royce. The Oberlin Branch, organized at the oiiening of the war, for the ourlit of Co. C, 7th O. V. I., continued active and efficient until its good offices were lu) longer needed, sparing no effort to send comfort to tlu^ soldier on the tield or the sick in hospital. No estimate has been reported of its cash disbursements, or of the value of one hundred and fifty packages of choice stores shijiped through the Sanitai-y Commission. The sales from the Oberlin Society's contribution to the Lorain County Booth at the Sanitary Fair netted $700. OIL DKiOINCS, Tkumislll Co. Pres.. Mrs. A. Cobb. Mrs. R. Ilervey ; Sec. Miss L. A. Barker. Mrs. Corresla T. Kiiapp; Treas.. Mrs. C. A. Allen. ()M':XA, IIlTKON Co Pres.. Mrs. K. Magee. .Mrs. S. Biirrass ; Vicb; Pres.. Mrs. L. .Mauahau. .Mr-. J. Buffing- Ion; Sec. Mrs. W. H. Sykes, Miss Retta Magee ; Treas.. Mrs. B. W. (Jreen. Mrs. Wm. Levv. 490 APPENDIX F. OLIVESBURGH. Pres., Miss !Xettie Miller ; Sec, Miss Amelia Ozier ; Tkes.. Miss Millie Burgett. OLMSTED FALLS, Cuyahoga Co. OLMSTED FALLS.— Pres.. Mrs. W. S. Carpenter ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Elisha Pitch ; Sec. Miss Hattie Drydeu ; Treas., Mrs. D. H.Perry, Mrs. O. W. Kendall; Directors, Mrs. W. B. Wormly, Mrs. John Wright, Mrs. J. Williams, Miss Margaret Fitch. WEST OLMSTED.— Pres., Mrs. Phebe Adams, Mrs. Horace Tyler; Sec and Tueas.. Miss Lucia Briggs. ONEIDA MILLS, C.vrkoll Co. Pres.. Miss Carrie L. Hull; Sec. Miss M. C. Pettorf. ORANGE, Asiii.AXD Co. OKANGE.— Pres., Mrs. S. A. Donley; Sec, Mrs. M. A. White. NORTH ORANGE. -Pres,, Mrs. Rachel Phillips; Sec. Mrs. Rachel Nunemaker ; Treas.. Mrs. Amelia P. Feree. ORANGE, CiYAUOGA Co. I'RES., Mrs. J. H. Abell ; ^■ICE Pres.. Mrs. H. Henry; Sec. Mrs. IL B. Boynton. Mrs. E. Lauder; Treas., Mrs. J. Whitlam, Mrs. R. Barber ; Committee, Mrs. Alvin Abell. Mrs. J. Cole. Mrs. C. Eddy. Mrs. P. Beach, Mrs. A. Jerome, Miss S. Smith. ORANGEVILLE, Trumbull Co. Pres., Mrs. Charles Hull, Mrs. Sheldon Paluier; A'ice Pres.. Mrs. Edward Jones. Mrs. Jesse Halm ; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. Augustus Moftit. :Mrs. Henry Reed. Estimate of supplies, $1.,500. ORRVILLE. Wav.nk Co. Pres.. Mrs. II. Su.rrs: Sec. :Mrs. S.J. Meek, Mrs. A. Gasser; Tkeas.. Mr-. It. M. Storrs. ORWELL, AsiiTAiu J.A Co. Pres.. Mrs. Geo. A. Howard; Sec, Mrs. I'hebe |Morgan ; Trkas.. Mrs. Sophronia Blair; Directors, Mrs. Hiram Goddard, Sirs. ;Maria Wolcott. .Mrs. C. A. B. Pratt, Mrs. Isaac Tuckermaii, Mrs. Melinda Blachley. Estimate of contributions. §1.,")18.00. Cash expended. saVl.Vii. PAINESVILLE, ].aki: Co. I'ues., Mrs. Eliza M. Chesney ; Sec, Mifs Aiiiun M. Tracy. Mi>s Fli;'a 1!. Wiki x ; Treas., Miss Henrietta D. Sunford. The Paiuesville Branch, one of the moi-t valued tributaries of the Cleveland Sanitary Commission, has furnished no estimate of its large contributions. Its members were APPENDIX F. 497 unwearied in their work throiii^li tlie wluile cuiu>e of tlie war, and in addition to tlieir usual suiiplies wore notably active iu prcparin;,' canned fruits and vegetables and black- berry cordial through the Summer months. They responded with great promptness to any special call for hospital stores, and constantly followed with their gifts those regi- ments that had enlisted from Lake county. PAINT VALLEY, Holmes Co. Pres., Mrs. Susan Buchanan ; Sec, Mrs. Julia A. Bigham; Treas., Miss M. J. Gorsueh. Sent to Sanitary Fair, $60. No estimate of hospital stores. Cash to difl'erent Associa- tions, $69. PARKMAN, Geauga Co. Phes., Mrs. A. C. Waters, Mrs. S. A. D. Harris, Mrs. David Bundy; Sec, Miss II. A. Converse. Miss Mary M. Williams, Mrs. S. A. D. Harris ; Treas., Miss M. L. Burt. Contributed to the Sanitary Fair, |G0. No estimate of hospital supplies. PARIS, Stahk Co. Pres., Mrs. H. C. Hudson ; Sec, Miss Libbie Philips ; Tkeas., Miss Celia Chapman. PARISVILLE, Portage Co. Pres., Mrs. C. Selby, Mrs. H. Shaw; Vice Pres., Mrs. Sallie Black; Sec. and Treas.. Mrs. E. C. Holeomb, Mrs. Anna S. Cutts ; Committee, Mrs. Sarah Williams, Miss Mary Chapman. Cash expended, $93.12. Supplies valued at .$128.05. PARMA, CaYAiiocjA Co. Pres., Mrs. Oliver Emerson, Mrs. L. B. Meacham, Mrs. John A. Ackley, Miss Mary G. Cogswell ; Vice Pees., Miss M. Emerson, Miss J. Hodginan ; Sec, Miss L. P. Emerson, Miss A. M. Hutchinson, Miss Lydia Tyler ; Treas., Miss H. L. Pebbes, Miss H. Hodgman. Cash expended, $82.(17. Sent to Sanitary Fair, $23. No estimate of hospital supplies. PENFIELD, LoKAixN Co. PENFIELD.— Pres., Mrs. II. S. Smith, Mrs. F. Eichmond; Vice Pres., Mrs. L. P. Starr ; Sec, Miss Mary E. Hayes, Mrs. T. Penfleld, Jr.; Treas., Mrs. A. Crane ; Directors, Mrs. Dalgleish. Mrs. A. Lindsley, Mrs. E. Sheldon. Mrs. McGraugh, Mrs. L. Houghton, Mrs. George Norton. PENFIELD AND WELLINGTON.-Pres., Mrs. Albina Allen ; Sec, Mrs. L. Finch: Treas., Miss Jane Long, Mrs. L. Kockwood. PENINSULA, Summit Co. PuKS.. Mrs. L. Watterman, Miss Sylvia L. Edgerley, Mrs. R. Cole; \ke Pres., Mrs. 11. Johnson; Sec, Mrs. F. C. Wetmore, Mrs. E. S. Haskell, IMrs. V\ illiam McNeil; Tkeas. Mrs. Frederick M'ood, Miss Lydia Johnson. Cash expended, $473 4.S. Hospital stores not estinuited. 3G 4U8 APPENDIX F. PENN LINE, Crawford Co., Pa. Pres., Mrs. Mary E. Dewey ; Vice Pres., Miss Myra Barber; Sec, Miss Leouore Piatt ; Treas., Miss AuiTUSta Barber. PEKKY, Lake Co. Pres., Mrs. Susan Harper, ^Mrs. Wm. A. Davis; Vice Pkes., Mrs. Ealpli Tyler; Sec, Miss Sarah F. Wynian, Mrs. W. A. Wheeler; Teeas., Mrs. Milton Shepard, Mrs. M. A. Wire. Cash expended, $752.S5. Sent to Sanitary Fair, $220. No estimate of hospital supplies furnished. PERU, HuRO^- Co. Pkes., Mrs. Charles Haskius, Mrs. A. Manley; Vice Pres., Mrs. Dr. Eaton ; Sec, Miss Libbie C. Sanders, Mrs. S. F. Deyo, Miss Ruth Atherton ; Treas., Mrs. B. Wyman. Cash expended, $1,131.85. Value of shipments. ,$988.1.5. PINE HILL, BATH AND COPLEY, Summit Co. Pkes., Mrs. Hartwell Parker; Sec, Miss Alfe Capron ; Treas., Mrs. Eliza Sweet, Mrs. J. Brown. Cash expended, $200. Vahie of supplies contributed, §l,-)0. PIERREPONT, Ashtabula Co. Pres., Mrs. Sally Norton, Mrs. S. Woodruff; Sec, Mrs. Martha Beckwith, Mrs. N. B. Hawkins; Treas , Mrs. Lydia Goodrich, Mrs. H. L. Leonard. PIONEER, WiLT.IAMS Co. Pres., Mrs. James Morris ; Vice Pre.*., Mrs. S. M. Boyd; Sec, Mrs. L. P. Gaudern ; Treas., Mrs. Lyman Shepard. PITTSFIELD, Lorain Co. I'REs., Mrs. Polly West, Mrs. C. C. Spooner, Mrs. D. Davies : Sec and Treas., :Mrs. O. J. Bradley ; Directors, Mrs. J. Blackwell, Mrs. A. Bacon, Mrs. J. Powell, ^Mrs. G. Sherburn, Mrs. J. Round, Mrs. A. Whitney, Mrs. J. Gifford. Mrs. S. A. Clark, Mrs. R. Worcester, Mrs. J. R. Ward. Mrs. J. Barnard, Mrs. P. Hall, Mrs. D. Lwcas, Mrs. J. Tuttle. Mrs. M. Kellogg, Miss J. Wilder, Mrs. J. Miles. Value of supplies contributed, $020. Sent to Sanitary Fair, $8!t.T8. PLYMOUTH, Ashtabula Co. Pres., Miss B. Burnett ; Sec. Miss N. A. Morgan; Treas., Mrs. L Hotlmau. Value of supplies, $300. Cash expended, $100. POLAND, Maiionixg Co. POLAND.— Pres., Mrs. Win. Logan; Vice Pres.. Mrs. A. S. McMasters; Sec. >Irs. E. Hawkins, Mrs. C. M. Hawn, Mrs. L. Mansfleld ; Treas., Mrs. Wm. Courtney. Value of stores shipped through the Sanitary Commission, $3,031.71 Supplies sent directly to the field estimated at $250. APPENDIX r, 499 POLAND CENTER.— Pbes., Mm. N. Henderson, Mrs. Mary Slaven, Mrs. Kaclir! Anderson; Sec, Miss Mary E. Hcudersou, Mrs. R. A. Stewart, Mrs. Mary A. Smith; Treas., Mrs. R. A. Smitli, Mrs. Mary Slaven, Mrs. Annie Guthrie. Cash expended, $67. No estimate of supplies. POLAND, JUVENILE.— Pkes., Miss Lottie E. Trnesdale : Sec , Miss Mary K. Mans- field ; Treas., Miss Lizzie T. Woodruti'. POLK, Ashland Co. Pres., Miss Maria Kilgore, Mrs. W. S. Spencer; Sec, Mrs. Eliza Kuhn, Mrs. W. E. Byers ; Treas., Miss Mary McFadden, Mrs. W. S. Spencer. Value of shipments, .f 1,400. PORT CLINTON, Ottawa Co. Pres., Mrs. Wm. Johnson ; Sec, Mrs. Mary A. Dutcher; Treas., Mrs. James Kinn;ham ; Directors, Mrs. C. Pollock, Mrs. Emily Baldwin, Miss Mary Lewis. PUT-IN-BAY, Ottawa Co. Pees., Mrs. John Stone ; Sec and Treas., Mrs. F. C. Clark. RANDOLPH, POKTAGE Co. Pres., Mrs. Maria Dickinson, Mrs. Harriet D. Brainard; Vice Pres., Mrs. Wm. Sted- man; Sec, Miss Helen Stedman ; Treas., Mrs. Hattie Carlton, Mrs. Franklin Sanford ; Directors, Mrs. Orsamus Stanford, Mrs. Myron Collins, Mrs. Hiram Fenton, Mrs. Hiram Austin, Mrs. Joseph Brainard. Estimate of shipments, .$2,641.34. Coutribntions to Sanitary Fair valued at $148,28. RAVENNA, Portage Co. Pres., Mrs. M. B. Skinner, Mrs. D. D. Pickett, Mrs. James E. Wilson ; Vice Pres., Mrs. R. A. Gillette; Sec, Mrs. Helen B. Raouey ; Treas., Mrs. S. J. Parmelee. RAWSONVILLE, Loeain Co. Pees., Mrs. T. H. Hand ; Vice Pres., Mrs. C. W. Boughton ; Sec, Mrs. F. W. Preston, Mrs. J. T. Gardner ; Treas., Mrs. H. B. Kelsey. No estimate of shipments. Contriljuted to the Sanitary Fair, $8.3 in money and fancy articles. REEDTOWN, Seneca Co. Pres., Miss Sophia Silcos, Mrs. E. A. Owen; Sec, Mrs. R. R. Wilkinson, Jlrs. Mary R. Raymond, Mrs. J. D. Coleman; Treas., Miss Clara H. Bernard. REMSEN CORNERS, Medina Co. Pees., Mrs. Wm. P. Ingraham, Mrs. Julia Wiard ; Vic3 Pres., Mrs. S. J. Wiiitmau ; Sec, Mrs. S. H. Albertson ; Treas., Miss Olive Hatch, Mrs. Nancy FrcMu-h. oOU APPENDIX F. PtICHFIELD, Summit Co. Pkes.. Mrs. E. C. Faniham. Mrs. Mary F. 0\ iatt ; Vice Pees.. Mrs. P. A. Carr; Sep.. Mrs. Charlotte W. Oviatt. .Airs. E. A. Pi.xlcy: Tueas.. Miss Colia Payiio. Mrs. CeliaWood. Miss Emily Ilainmond. Estimato orsii])iilies (■(Hiti-ibuted, $3,000. RICHMOND, AsnTABUi.A Co RICHMOND CENTER.— Pres.. Mrs. M. Gaskill, Mrs. Elizabeth A. Ross : Sec. Mrs. E. Rider, Miss A. Morse; Treas., Mrs. E. B. Linn, Miss H. Morse. SOUTH RICHMOND.— Pres. and Treas., Mrs. Geo. Summers: Vke Pres,. Mrs. M. E. nimu'htoii : Sec, ]\Irs. Lueiuda Prosser, Miss A. Smitli. Estiiiintcd CDiilribulioiis. !};8.'ifi.."II. KIPLEY UNION, Holmes Co. Pres.. Mrs. K. .Mn.wv.ll : Sec. and Treas., Miss M. A. Hill. rJVEH STYX, Medina Co. Pres.. Miss Lizzie A. Ileaion; A'ice Pres., :\Iiss Antoinette Schlabaeh: Sec. Miss Caroline A. Dean; Treas., Miss Mettle Wilson. Estimate of contributions to the Cleveland Sanitary Rooms, .f. SCO. .50. Sent to Sanitary Fair sundries and cash amountiu!;- to .fin."). 84. KOL'HESTER, Lorain Co. ROCHESTER CENTER.— Pres., Mrs. F. C. Elliott. Mrs. N. C. Boiee: Sec Miss E. A. Ilixmiston, Mrs. 8. C. Boiee; Treas.. Mrs. S. E. Ogden. Estimate of stores forwarded. $1,000.34. Cash expended, .f 44(i.40. ROCHESTER DEPOT.— Pres.. Mrs. A. Wel.dier : Sec. Miss D. Vauzile; Treas.. Mrs. E. Knapp. ROCK CREEK, Ashtabula Co. Pres., Mrs. J. R. Stark; Sec, Mrs. A. M. Schafcr; Treas.. Mrs. L. Champion; Com- mittee, Mrs. D. Chapman. Mrs. E. Pinnoy. Mrs. Knowlton. Mrs. Wilcox, Mrs. Baldwin, Mrs. Dorsej'. Estimate of coutriliutions. $~-£i. ROCKPORT, Cuyahoga Co. EAST ROCKPORT.— Pres., Mrs. C. French, Mrs. Aurelia Munn ; Vice Pres., Mrs. John Johnson ; Sec, Miss McCrea, Miss Alice Colahan, Miss Melissa Munn ; Treas., Mrs. P. Hall. Mrs. Wagar. SOUTH ROCKPORT.— Pres., Miss Abby N. Mastick ; Sec and Treas., Miss Bessie E. Andrews. WEST ROCKPORT.— Pres., Mrs. Reuben Wood ; Vice Pres., Mrs. M. Sprague. Mrs. Sarah Barnum ; Sec, Miss Lucy Jordan, Mrs. Lucy Murray ; Treas., Mrs. J. H. Silverthorn. Cash expended, .$400.77. No estimate of supplies. APPENDIX F. 501 ROME, AsnTAHiTLA Co. ROME.— Pres., Mrs. J. Tinan : Sec. and Treap., Miss M. J. Crosby, Mrs. M. J. Doiiu'lass. JIOME. DISTRICT No. 1.— Pres., Mrs. J. Hallklay ; Sec, Mis« B. Cvowcll. ROOTSTOWN, Portage Co. Pres., Mrs. Olive A. Mtniroc. Mrs. Jolin 0"Nt-nl ; Sec. and Treas.. Miss Loniso Reed, Mrs. Nelson R. Collins. RUUGLES, Ashland Co. PuEs., Mrs. S. Bowman, Mrs. Electa Weston, Mrs. J. G. Sturtevant ; Vice Pres., Mrs. S. L. Gaiilt; Sec. Mrs. S. L. Gault. Mrs. D. G. HufTman. Miss Mary A. Crist: Treas., Miss Mary Paine. RUSSELL, Ge.vuga Co. Pres., Mrs. J. H. Cooper, Mrs. David Rolrinson ; Sec. Mrs. A. C. Sonle, Miss Rose M. Robinson: Treas., MissNabby C. Burnett. SALEM, Columbiana Co. Sx\.LEM.— Pres., Mrs. E. M. Williams, Mrs. E. P. Ileaton, Mrs. L. Tolerton ; Sec, Miss Rose A. Prunty, Mrs. H. H. Bentley ; Treas., Mrs. M. T. Harris. SALEM JtrV'ENILE.— Pres., Miss Ella Webb; Sec, Miss Mary D. Sharp; Treas., Miss Alary Boyle. SAVANNAH, Ashland Co. Pres., Mrs. A. C. Scott; Vice Pres., Miss A. M. Stern, Mrs. Harriet Slonaker; Sec, Miss L. M. Wherry, Miss S. E. Gault, Mrs. H. Siouaker; Treas., Mrs. D. A. Hayes. Cash expended, $700. Thirty-three packages shipped, of wliieh no estimate was made. SAYBROOK, Ashtabula Co. S.WBROOK:— Pres., Mrs. L. Munson, Mrs. C. Webster; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. R. Harris ; Directors, Mrs. W. T. Simonds, Mrs. D. Webster, Mrs. A. Brockett, Mrs. J. Sutherland, Mrs. L. Anderson, Mrs. D. D. Turck, Mrs. H. Whipple. Estimate of shipments, $834.75. Cash expended, $11.5. SAYBROOK, JUVENILE.— Pres , Miss Belle E. Kelley ; Sec, Miss Hattie Walker; Treas., Miss Lottie Shernn.n. SCOTTSVILLE, Monroe Co., N. Y. SCOTTSVILLE.— Pres., Mrs. R. Miller; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. T. Shadbolt. WHEATLAND SOCIETY OF SC0TTS\T:LLE.— Pres., Miss M. E. Mann; Sec. and Treas., Miss Jane Mann. Estimate of contributions, .$402. 502 - APPENDIX P'. SEVILLE, Medina Co. Pees., Rav. L. Whitney, A. R. Whiteside, Mrs. Wm. E. Lyon ; Vice Pres., Mrs. L. W. Strong ; Sec, L. W. Strong, E. P. Noyes, Win. Porter, Miss Mattie Noyes, Miss Eliza Boll, Miss Emma Tnruar, Mrs. E. P. Whitney, Mrs. J. K. Caugliey ; Treas., J. K. Caughoy. Cash expanded, ^liO.^I. Contributed to Sanitary Fair, ifltJ.Oj. Shipments not csti- m.itod. SJALERSVILLE, Portage Co. Pres.. Mrs. A. Ilarr; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. S. Kueeland, Miss M. J. PJiodes. SHANESVILLE, Tuscarawas Co. Pres., Mrs. Mary J. Raid ; Sec, Miss Angle M. Shultz ; Treas., Miss Jennie dimming. SHARON CENTER, Medina Co. Pres., Mrs. Phebe Phinney, Mrs. Palmer; Vice Pres., Mrs. Amerman, Mrs. Bissell, Mrs. Hayden, Mrs. Mills ; Sec and Treas., Mrs. M. A. Chatfleld, Mrs. Carr; Com.iiittee, Mrs. E. Curtis, Mrs. Foltz, Mrs. Browii, Mrs. Schonover. Cash expended, $360. Sent to Sanitary Fair, $75. No estimate of supplies. SHEFFIELD, Lorain Co. SHEFFIELD.— Pres., Miss M. L. Root; Sec, Mrs. E. P. Barrell ; Treas., Mrs. Mary C. Day, Miss Kate Randall. SHEFFIELD AND ELYRIA PLANK ROAD.— Pres., Miss S. A. Buck; Sec. and Treas , Miss Hannah E. Hecock, Miss C. L. Buck. SHEFFIELD LAKE.— Pres., Mrs. Theron Moore; Sec, Mrs. S. C. Woodruff; Treas., Miss Angeliue Irish. NORTH SHEFFIELD.— Pres., Mrs. E. Atwater; Vice Pres., Mrs. J.Hardy; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. C. E. Gage. SHENANDOAH, Richland Co. Pres., Mrs. Catharine Sanker ; Vice Pres., Mrs. Elizabeth Burgoyne; Sec, Mrs. Cath- erine Fickes ; Treas., Mrs. Elizabeth Valentine. SHENANGO, Crawford Co., Pa. Pres., Mrs. Kate Wilson; Sec, Mrs. J. C. French; Tre.\s., Miss Emily Fonner. SHERMAN, Huron Co. Pres., Mrs. Geo. Bloomer; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. J. E. Le Barre. SMITHFIELD STATION, Mahoning Co. Pres., Miss H. E. Coppock, Mrs. S. Hartley; Sec. Miss L. A. L. Thompson. APPENDIX F. 503 SOLON, CUYAIIOGV Co. SOLON.— Pres., Mrs. Win. Richards, Mrs^. Jason Robbing; Vick Pres., Mr^;. O. B. Smith, Mrs. C. Gilbert; Sec, Mrs.E. T. Robbius, Miss Anna Webster; Treas., Mrs. M. J. Hiclvox, Mrs. E. C. Parmalce. Cash expended. $581.70. Stores not estimated. KORTH SOLON.— Pres., Mrs. S. H. Bishop; Sec., Mrs. J. Cannon; Tre.vs., Mrs. Francis Pilce. SOUTHINGTOX, Trumbull Co. Mrs. Sarah M. Gofl". SPARTA, Stark Co. Agent, William L. Griffin. SPENCER, Medina Co. SPENCER.— Pres., Mrs. Mary Willey; Vice Pres., Mrs. Warner, Mrs. Electa Luce; Sec, Miss M. L. Hodge, Mrs. C. M. Stedman ; Tkkas., Mrs. Ann Sweet, Mrs. E. A. Kilboru. Estimate of shipments, $1,500. SPENCER, DISTRICT No. 7.— Pres., Miss Alma Eldred; Sec, Miss Arvilla Frank; Treas.. Miss Anna Kitchen, Miss Martha Frank, Miss Augusta Mj-ers. SPRINGFIELD, Erie Co., Pa. SPRINGFIELD X ROADS. -Pres., Mrs. H. Dickenson; Sec. Mrs. Sarah J. Mcintosh, Mrs. M. J. Cowles, Mrs. L. A. Bond; Treas., Mrs. H. Johnson. UNION GARDEN AID SOCIETY, SPRINGFIELD.— Sec. Florence D. Miller; Agent, Kate R. Dotj-. WEST SPRINGFIELD.— Pres Mrs. Mary Fonts, Mrs. Esther Gould; Vice Pres., Mrs. Louisa Thomas; Sec, Miss Sarah M. Gould; Treas., Mrs. F. C. Powell, Miss Emily Thomas. STATE LINE, Trumbull Co. . Prk.s.. Mrs. William Clieney; Sec, Miss L. E. Thomas. STOW, Summit Co.^ Pres., Mrs. Josiah Wetmorn ; Vice Pres., ISIrs. Albert Stow, Mrs. Silas Wetmore; Sec A.VD Treas , Miss Velonia Lemoine. Cash expended, .$301.17. No estimate of supplies. STREETSBOaO, PoRXAr.E Co. Pres., Mrs. Elliott Osgood, Mrs. Horace Peck, Mrs. Eli Peck; Vice Pres., Mrs. Bar- tholomew; Sec, Miss Nancy Russell, Miss Amanda Judd; Treas.. Mrs. P.Brewster, Miss Julia A. Peck. Casli expended, $334.28. No estimate of suppliers forwarded. 504 APPENDIX F. STROXaSVILLE, Cuyahogia Co. STRONGSVILLE.— PuES., Mr^. Hiirvoy Lyon, Mi-.-;. Gaivliier, Mi>. WooJ; Vice 1'kks., Mrs. Orphio Pope, Mrs. K. Pomeroy, Mrs. E. H. Reed; Sec, Mrs. A. C. B. Lyman, Mrs. A. H. PonK'roy, Miss Zelia A. Gardner, Mrs. C. F. Haynes ; Treas., Sirs. Gardner, Miss V. Pomeroy; Diuectous, Mrs. Gardner, Mrs. S.J.Whitney, Mrs. M. W. Haynes, Mrs. Merrick, Mrs. Wing, Mrs. Tapper, Miss Adams, Mrs. Hoyt, Mrs. lieed, Mrs. Wilkinson, Mrs. Welch, Mrs. Schley. STROXGSVILLE, DISTKICT No. 2.-Pres., Mrs. S. A. Ilnmiston; Sec, Mrs. Electa Ilumiston. STLLIVAN, AsuLAND Co. Pkes., Mrs. IL M. Thurston, Mrs. 0. Goodyear, Mrs. Barrett, Mrs. Dr Shaw, Mrs. Miria Johnson ; Vice Pres., Mrs. De Mass, Mrs. James Campbell ; Sec. and Treas., Mrs. Dr. Campbell, Miss A. J. Millis, Mrs. A. M. Parmely, Miss L. Tliouias, .^Irs. Celia Mann, Mrs. Ellen Gould. Estimate of contributions, $-.J,()50. SULPHUR SPRINGS, Cu.wvFOitD Co. Pres., Mrs. A. M. Fairehild : Sec, Mi^s Julia Musgrave : Treas.. Miss Charlotte Uix. SU.MMELl LIH.L, Ckawkdkl) Co, I' v. Pres., Miss Addie J. MeDowell; Sec. W. A. Walk-r; Tke.^s.. Miss Sarah MeL'lure. Miss Lottie L. Proctor. SUM.MITVILLE, Coi.umuiana Co. AuENT. ?tlrs. G. M. Stewart. 'IWLLMADUE, SruMiT Co. TALLM.VDGE.— Pres.. Mrs. J. P. Sackett. Mrs. M. W. Ashuiu: S.-;c.. .Mrs. A. K. Snider; Treas., Mrs. C. C. Wright. WELSH ASSISTANT AID SOCIETY, TALLMADGE.-Pkks.. David Lewis ; Sec, W,n. T Owen ; Treas., Rees J. Thomas. Cash disbursed, $->oS.:i:). Supplies forwarded. $U).). TflO.MPSOX. Ck\\::\ Co. THOMPSON.— Pres., Mrs. L. C. Ma hews. Mis. J. B