OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Ohio in the Civil War Pt 9a *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 November 3, 1999 *********************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio Diaries of S. J. Kelly Plains Dealer Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley *********************************************************************** Ohio in the Civil War -- part 9 --A. The following advertisement appeared in the Newspapers of New York City on April 29th, 1861. The presses of the Nation picked it up and reprinted it in newspapers of Ohio and in all the Union Newspapers. It planted the seed and the formation of the United States Sanitary Commission. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TO THE WOMEN OF NEW YORK AND THE NATION, and especially to those already engaged in preparing against the time of wounds and sickness in the Army. The importance of systematizing and concentrating the spontanious and earnest efforts now making by the women of New York and the rest of the Nation, for the supply of extra medical aid to our Army through its present campaign, must be obvious to all reflecting persons. Numerous societies, working without concert, organization, or head, without any direct understanding with the official authorities, without any positive instructions as to the immediate or future wants of the Army, are liable to waste their enthusiasm in disproportionate efforts, to overlook some claims and overdo others, while they give unnecessary trouble in official quarters, by the variety and irregularity of their proffers for help or their inquiries for guidance. As no existing organization has a right to claim precedence over any other, or could properly assume to lead in this noble cause, where all the desire to be first, it is proposed by the undersignd, members of various circles now actively engaged in this work, that the women of New York, should meet in the Cooper Institute, on Monday next, at eleven o'clock, A.M., to confer together, and to appoint a General Committee, with power to Organize the benevolent purposes of all into a common movement. To make the meeting practical and effective, it seems proper here to set forth briefly the objects that should be kept in view. The form which women's bevevolence has already taken, is likely to take, in the present crisis, is, first, the contrbution of labor, skill, and money in the preparation of lint bandages and other stores, in aid of the wants of the Medical Staff; second, the offer of personal services as nurses. In regard to the first, it is important to obtain and disseminate exact official information as o the nature and variety of the wants of the army; to give proper direction and proportion to te labor extended, so as to avoid superfluity in some things and deficiency in others; and to this end, to come to a careful and thorough understanding with the official head of the Medical Staff, through a committee having this department in hand. To this committee should be assigned the duty of conferring with other associations in other parts of the country, and especially through the press, to keep the women of the loyal States everywhere imformed how their efforts may be wisely and econimically employed, and their contributions of all kinds most directly concentrated at New York, and put at the service of the Medical Staff. A central depot would, of course, be the first thing to be desired. In the second form of benevolence-- the offer of personal services as nurses-- it is felt that the public mind needs much enlightenment, and the overflowing zeal and sympathy of the women of the nation, a careful channel,not only to prevent waste of time and effort, but to save embarrassment to the official staff, and to secure real efficiency in the srvice. Should our unhappy war be continued, the Army is certain to want the services of extra nurses, not merely on account of the casualties on the field, but of camp diseases originating in the exposure of the soldiery to a strange climate and to unaccustomed hardships. The result of all the experience of other war has been to prove the total uselessness of any but picked and skilled women in this department of duty. The ardor and zeal of all other women should therefore be concentrated upon finding, preparing, and sending bands of women, of suitable age, constitution, training, and temperment, to the Army at such points and at such time as they asked for by Medical Staff. A central organization is wanted, therefore, to which all those desiring to go as nurses may be referred, where a committee of examiners, partly medical and partly otherwise, may at once decide upon the fittness of the canidate. Those accepted should then at once be put under competent instruction and discipline--( for which is understood, a thorough school will be opened at once by the Medical Faculty of the city.), and as occasion offers, the best prepared, in sucessive order, be sent, under proper escort, to the scene of the war, as they are wanted. It is felt that all who want to go, and are fitted to go, should have the chance to do so, and are not unlikely to be wanted sooner or later. Of these, may be rich and many poor. Some may wish to go at their own charges, and others may require to be aided as to their expenses, and still others, for the loss of their time. But the best nurses should be sent, irrespective of these distinctions-- as only the best are economical on any terms. It will appear that without a central organization, with proper authority, there can be no efficiency, system, or discipline in this important matter of nurses--and there can be no organization. to which a cheerful submission will be paid, except to originate in the common will, and be genuine representative of all the women of New York, and of all exsisting associations having this kind of aid in view. It is obvious that such an organization will require generous contributions, and that all women of New York and of the country, not otherwise lending aid, will have a direct opportunity of giving support to the object so near their hearts, through the treasury of this common organization. To consider this matter deliberately, and to take such common action as may then appear wise, we earnestly invite the women of New York, and the pastors of the churches, with such medical advisors as may be specially invited, to assemble for council and action, at Cooper Institute, on Monday Morning next, at eleven o'clock. Mrs. Gen. Dix. -- Mrs. Hamilton Fish -- Mrs. Lewis C. Jones -- Mrs. E. Robinson -- Mrs. William Kirkland -- Mrs. Wm H. Aspinwall -- Mrs. R.B. Minturn -- Mrs. Jas. B. Johnson -- Mrs. Judge Roosevelt -- Mrs. A. M. Bininger -- Mrs. W.C. Bryant -- Mrs. R.L. Stuart -- Mrs. D.D. Field -- Mrs. W.B. Astor, Jr. -- Mrs. M. Grinnell -- Mrs. G.L. Schuyler -- Mrs. H.K. Bogart -- Mrs. Charles Bultler -- Mrs. E.C. Lane -- Mrs M.D. Swett -- Mrs R. M. Blatchford -- Mrs. S.F. Birdham -- Mrs. A.W. Bradford -- Mrs.W. H. Lee -- Mrs. Parke Goodwin -- Mrs. H.J. Raymond -- Mrs. S.L.M. Barlow -- Mrs. J. Auchincloss -- Mrs. Walker -- Mrs. Elisha Fish -- Mrs. C.A. Seward -- Mrs. S. Osgood -- Mrs. Peter Cooper -- Mrs. Thomas Tileston -- Mrs. F.S. Wiley -- Mrs. R. Gracie -- Mrs. M. Catlin -- Mrs. Chandler -- Mrs. R.B. Winthrop -- Mrs. G. Stuyvesant -- Mrs George Curtis -- Mrs. A.R. Eno -- Mrs. W.F. Carey-- Mrs. A.S. Hewitt -- Mrs. Dr. Peaslee -- Mrs. H. B. Smith-- Mrs R. Hitchcock -- Mrs F.F. Marbury -- Mrs. F.F. B. Morse -- Mrs. Judge Daly -- Mrs. Charles R. Swords -- Mrs. Marquand -- Mrs. G. Holbrooke -- Mrs. D. Adams-- Mrs. H. Webster -- Mrs. Moffat -- Mrs. H.W. Bellows --Mrs. Stuart Brown -- Mrs. Ellis -- Mrs. J. D. Wolfe -- Mrs. Alonzo Potter -- Mrs. R. Campbell --Mrs. Griffin -- Mrs. L.M. Rutherford -- Mrs. S.J. Baker -- Mrs. H. Baylis -- Mrs. John Sherwood -- Mrs. S,H, Tying -- Mrs Capt. Shumway -- Mrs. Edward Bayard -- Mrs. James I. Jones -- Mrs Judge Betts -- Mrs. William G. Ward -- Mrs. H.E. Eaton -- Mrs. W.C. Evarts -- Mrs. Judge Bonney -- Mrs. Minturn -- Mrs. M. Trimble -- Mrs. S.B. Collins -- Mrs. R.H. Browne -- Mrs B.R. Mclivaine -- Mrs. John Reid -- Mrs. N. Lawrence -- Mrs C. Newbold -- Mrs-- J.B. Collins -- Mrs. J.C. Smith -- Mrs. Paul Spotford -- Mrs. C.W. Field -- Mrs. P. Townsend -- Mrs L. Baker -- Mrs. Charles King. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To be continued in part 9 B.