Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-11-15
Appeal to the Women of Iowa.

You are called upon to help to relieve and
take care of our Sick and Wounded Soldiers
Shall the appeal be in vainy Your answer
must be practical a' ...-
. 1t would be no more than reasonable to
anticipate, that, as Christian civilization adj
vances, wheE war is forced upon Christian
nation, there should arise extraordinary
efforts to mitigate it's great evils. ........
The military history of the world fully cs-
tablishcs the rule, that in every army, there
is more suffering and mortality IN Camp,
FROM DISEASE ALONE, than on the feld Add
to this The woll-known fact that from erery
cainasoncd plain, there are tmice as many
rounded carried to the Hospital, as dead left
on the field, and you will have some concep-
ton Of the magnitude and importance Of the
work in which you are called to engage.
You have aheady been appraised of the or
ganization of" The United States Army San
ita1y Commission" From facts published
by them you have learned, what yon had no
doubt previously feared, that the history Of
our army, so far. furnished no exception to
the general rule. There is. in our Hospitals
and Camps, much su fering and loss Of prec-
ious ires, for the want of such nursing, and
articles essential thereto, as the sufferers
have left behind them. AS you read their
appeal-nay, before you saw it-you earn
estly desire to contribute. as you could, to
relieve our sick and wounded, to make COM
Portable and home-like, as far as possible, our
Hospitals and Camps, and thereby to render
contented and efficient our noble army. You
have sought for channels through which your
contributions might be conveyed in safe
ty to those most in need But while YOU
have been happy to recognize in the :" Uni
ted States Army Sanitary Commission" an
excellent agency to give combined, system
attic, and efficient activity to the Patriotic
Charity Of your countyywomen Of the East
ern and Middle States, and to convey their
contributions with safety and dispatch to the
Suffering of the Army OF the East, and have
been panied to see that it is not adapted, and
does not seem to have been intended to
bring your charities to the relief of the suff-
ering of the army Of the West Whatever
may have occasioned this oversight-for such
it surely is--it certainly is not because the
women Of the West are unable or unwilling
to do their par, in this noble work. Neither
is it because the army of the West does not
as much as any other need such relief. 1t is
well known that the character of the service
of our Western soldiers have been called up
on to perform, has subjected them to great
and continuous exposure, and created es-
pecal claims in their behalf Already some
of our Iowa regiments have suffered to such
an extent that they are reported unfit for SER
rice. The cold winter is rapidly coming up
on them, and their exposure and suffering
will thereby be, Of necessity, greatly in.
creased Something must be done, prompt
ly, theoretically. and perseveringly! and
while the Government is cxerting every en-
ergy, the citizens must not be behind Our
soldiers have complementary have right
to have contidence-th the women of our
country, their wives and mothers, and coun-
trywomen, who use to bend ever them 50
telderly in sickness at home, will not forget
to minister to them in their great necessities.
now that they are in the field '5.4.s J"
You will be gratfied to learn that the lack
of service, above referred to. on the part of
" The United States Army Sanitary Com
mission" has been supplied by the appoint
ment Of The Army Sanitary Commission
Of the State Of Iotea." This is composed OF
the following named gentlemen:
Prof j. D. Hughes, NJ. d., of Keokuk
President. gsaI