Existing comment:
The U.S. Sanitary Commission:
This quilt was made by two ladies for a fund-raising auction at the 1864 Sanitary Fair in Philadelphia.
With the start of the war, many who couldn't fight on the front lines -- women, older men, religious leaders -- wanted to volunteer and contribute to the Union war effort. In 1861 the government formed the United States Sanitary Commission to coordinate these efforts.
The Sanitary Commission was a precursor to today's Red Cross.
Nursing the Sick, Feeding the Hungry:
Volunteers for the Sanitary Commission cooked for the soldiers, ran hospitals, sewed uniforms, nursed the sick, and organized Sanitary Fairs. The Commission helped cut the disease rate of the Union Army in half.
Fairs were popular -- and socially acceptable -- ways for women to assist the Union. Fair visitors received a full meal and could browse and buy donated goods.
The tireless men and women of the Sanitary Commission raised nearly 25 million dollars for the Union Army. |