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From: "Maggie Stewart" <>
Subject: Fw: Bio History -- Know You Ohio -- Ohio in the Civil War Pt 9 - C
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 23:42:21 -0500


----- Original Message -----
From: kathi kelley <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 4:54 PM
Subject: Bio History -- Know You Ohio -- Ohio in the Civil War Pt 9 - C


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb
Archives
by Darlene E. Kelley
Nov 4, 1999
***********************************************
Historical Collections of Ohio
>From the diaries of S.L. Kelley
Know Your Ohio
By Darlene E. Kelley
***********************************************
Ohio Women in the Civil War --part 9-C

Quilts--

In times of National emergency, Ohio quiltmakers mobilized to make
quilts for relief.During the Civil War they transformed their church
sewing circles into Soldiers' Aid Societies to collect and make
clothing, quilts and bandages for Union soldiers. Thes groups affiliates
of regional branches of the U.S. Sanitary Commission ( forerunner of the
American Red Cross and an organization of Northern women who contributed
needed articles of food and clothing to the Union Troops), were
admirally effective. They organized immediately and efficiently, since
their goals and structure as charitable sewing societies had existed for
years. The Strongsville society, for instance, simply changed a few
words in its consitution, retained its membership, and instantly became
a soldiers' aid Society, fifty eight members strong. The need for
bedcoverings in military camps and hospitals was so great that Soldiers
Aid societies began by collecting existing quilts from their
communities. A week after the war began and two months before the
Soldiers Aid Societies officially organized, Cleveland women collected
729 quilts, comforters, and blankets in a single day to answer an
emergency at nearby Camp Taylor. In the first fifteen months of its
existence the Cleveland Soldiers Aid Society, to which Strongville and
other nearby communities sent their work for disbursal, received 6,830
comfortables and blankets, the category that included quilts. Northern
women contrbuted more than 250,000 quilts to the Union cause. The
figures for Cleveland and Cincinnati alone totaled 27,369. As is true of
other quilts contributed directly for benevolent causes, we found none
of those thousands given by ohio women to the Sanitary Commission and
know about them only by written records. " I particularly noticed a
large invoice of quilts from your society, received here just when
fly-blown blankets could not be endured another day, and one of the most
timely of your favors." Surgeon A.G. Hart to U.S. Sanitary Commission,
Cleveland Branch ( Cuyahoga County, Ohio ) 1862"
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Secretary's Report of Ladies Aid Society.
Arnsville, Ohio
>From Sept 16th 1862, to June 15th 1863.

In the fall of 1862 some of the ladies of Arnsville, and vicinity,
feeling desirous to cast their might for our country's defense in the
hour of her peril, began to cast about in their minds to find what would
do the most good, and finding that the lows of the land, and their own
feelings pre-vented their entering into a struggle now going on, but
knowing that to comfort and cheer was their legitimate sphere, they
concluded that they could render the most efficient service by working
for those who are so nobly standing as a living wall between " their
loved homes. and war's desolation." and seeing that it would be unwise
to rely on the spasmodic efforts of a community as put forth in times of
excitement as that would soon become wearisome, and not be a steady
good. So they determined to form an association to be called the Ladies
Soldier's Aid Society of Arnsville, Ohio and to send their contributions
to the Cincinnati Branch U.S. Sanitary Commission. The Society was
formed a Mrs Mary Henry's Sept. 1862. Mrs Mary Henry was elected
President, Miss M. A. Rice, Secretary, Annie L. Dean, Treasurer. There
was also a committee of three appointed whose special business it was to
solicit funds for the Society. Mrs Ida Boyd, Misses E.C. Rice and S.E.
McCollom. The members paid an admittance fee of .05 each for a time, but
was discontinued Dec 23rd,1863.
The committee, and society generally worked with a will and with
determination that now, they had embarked in an enterprise to carry it
forward. Some looked with distrust upon our efforts, who would ( we
think ) have helped us had they fully understood our objects and aims,
but still the society has movd forward although some of its best friends
and helpers have all been called away are providentialy detained from
meeting with us so that through the winter the attendance was very
small, still we have suceeded in sending two valuable boxes to the
Sanitary Commission, an account of which will be found in the Treasurers
report. We constantly receive from the Society Commission their Monthly
Bulletin, a report of their receipts and expedtures. We constantly read
of the great good they are enabled to do by means of the contributions
of the Soldier's Aid Societies in different parts of the country,we take
courage and strive to do all we can. We would call upon everyone to aid
in this great work, all have a personal interest in this as there are
but few who have not friends away in a enemies country an ( Happen ) to
fall a victim to the missiles of their foes or the ravages of disease.
Come then and help us. There is a great call upon everyone to aid in
this great work. There is a great call for vegetables. Will you give
them? Let every family form themselves into companies and pick and dry
fruits. They call for dried fruits rather then canned. See to it that
there are pickles prepared to send in abundance and you who have friends
or sons in te Army, will you not pick out your longest row of potatoes
and cultivate them nicely and when ripe, dig them and send to the
Sanitary Commission. Or any other vegetables, you may have, will be
acceptable. Bring them on, we will send them for you. Any contributions
can be left at Mr. A.B. Glazer's store so they will go safely and you
will have no expense. Will you help us and prove that it is more blessed
to give then to receive.!!! Annie L. Dean Sec. Pro Temp.

Many Ohio Societies and covered needs--

Societies sprung up all over Ohio, all working for one goal; to ease the
burden on their husbands and sons and relatives.
Bandages were made by specific instructions. Splints and canes carved by
those who could. Children learned to knit so they could help knit socks.
All collected yarns. Woolen or cotton flannal for bed gowns, wrappers,
undershirts and drawers; small, hair and feather pillows and cushions
for wounded limbs and slippers.
Delicacies for the sick-- such as farina, corn starch, cocoa, condensed
milk, and nicely dried fruit, jellies strewn with white sugars half an
inch thick and stout paper ( not brandied) pasted on top. Checkers and
backgammon boards for the amusement of the wounded men, books,
magazines, and illustrated papers, served to while away many a weary and
idle hour.
Poppies grown for the medicinal effect for easing pain, Letters, long
and newsy to fill the need of home. Quilts and blankets to warm the body
and ease the cold. Dried Cheese and beans, and potatoes helped fill the
hunger of hungry men. Money for needed supplies and to help in some of
the costs. Candies to fill the need of sweetness. Jerkies for the much
needed protein. Homemade lotions to protect from the weather. Tea's for
warming the stomach. The women all came together and helped as much as
they could, knowing full well their loved ones could come home maimed or
crippled, or not at all.
Then there were the ones who volunteered their time to help organize all
the effort and pack the boxes and transported them to where they were
needed to be sent. The women who visited the local hospitals to help to
wash the clothes and give aid where needed. Time was all they could give
and the women of Ohio did give.
As President Lincoln once stated " He knew he could count on Ohio to
give their all."
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To be continued in part 10.

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