Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-21
SOLDIERS AID SOCIETY.


for further supplies was SO nObly met that
in one weeks time full carload of stores
was dispatched to make up the cargo of the
U. s. Sanitary Commission steamer Dun
leith, which left Cincinnati on Thursday,
March 18th, upon her third trip to the hos
pitals near Vicksburg. 1t would perhaps
be invidious to particularize where all
have been SO generous, yet we cannot but
make special note Of the aid rendered to
this last shipmentb by the Newburgh Branch
Society, three wagOn-lOads Of goods having
been promptly sent in to add to the outfit
of the Dunleith. This donation consisted
mainly of fresh apples, vegetables, dried
fruits, wine and other edibles, but also
embraced fine supply of warm clothing,
and large quantity of miscellaneous ar
ticles.
A great part of these stores were pre-
pared by the ladies of Newburgh expressly
for their friends and relatives in the And
Ohio volunteers, but on learning the wide
spread destitution among the troops near
Vicksburg, the donors Immediately waived
their preferences, and devoted all the
goods to general distribution, readily ae-
knoWledging the claims of the soldiers of
the Union, over those Of any State or sec
ton, personally dear as these might be to
them. This sacrifice of feeling to Princi-
pie should be recorded to the lasting credit
of the Newburgh Society.
The stores sent from our rooms to the
Dunleith went down by passenger train
on the C. C. & c. R. R. on Monday last,
March 16, and consisted of $50 quilts and
blankets, 400 pillows and cases, 300 sheets,
800 shirts, $50 prs. of drawers, $50 prs. Of
woOlen socks, 100 prs. slippers, 300 cans
fruit, 1,4OO pounds dried fruit 40 bushels
vegetables, Is bushels green apples, 2eO
pounds groceries, besides q prOportionate
supply Of wine, books and papers, sur
geon's supplies, and articles of minor i'm
portance.
The Dunleith was further supplied by
verv liberal donations from the Branch
Commission at Cincinnati, and from the
newly organized Sanitary Committee Oi
Pittsburg-the latter having sent on board
1872 barrels vegetables. These cOntribu.
tions, added to the purchases made by the
Sanitary Commission, form supply Of
hospital aid and comfort which will be in
valuable to the sick and wounded of Grants
army.
whether there be battle near Vicks.
burg or not, these stores viii be more than
needed, and in the event of the struggle
which we cannot but anticipate, they will
fall far short Of the demands made by the
suffering soldiers of the Mississippi feet
wHArTHE U. s. SANITARY COMMISSION IS DO
ING IN THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI
LETTER FROM DIR. J. s. EEwBERRY TO HON
W. P. sPRAGUE.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Feb. 16. 1858.
Hon. W: P. SPRAGUE, Chairman Mill
tary Committee, Ohio State Senate =
DEAR SIR:-I received your letter Of the
18th yesterday, and improve the first
leisure moment to send you the informa'
ton you have requested in regard to the
operations Of the Sanitary Commission
If you will have the kindness to read the
accompanying documents, 1 think you vii
get good general idea Of what the Com
mission is doing in the Valley Of the Mis-
sissippi, and how its business is done
If you care to 90 outside Of this depart
ment and learn what it is accomplishing
in the East, must refer you to the series
of the Commission publications, which
send you by express.
In addition to other matters with which
II thus burden you-or perhaps more prop
erly in explanation of them-permit me tC
call your attention to the following briei
synopsis Of the aims, methods aud results
Of the Sanitary Commission:
Ist. The United States Sanitary Com,
mission was authorized and ordered by the
President, Secretary of War, and Surgeon
General, and by them it was granted Ger.
tain powers and privileges, and assigned
special duties, set forth in documents Nos
2, and %, Of its series Of publications.
I'd. It was, however, designedly made
dependent for its support on the voluntary
contributions Of the people. This support
has been more and more liberal as the val
ue and magnitude of the work it is doing
has been more generally recognized. Since
its organization it has expended over three
hundred thousand dollars in cash, and has
distributed hospital stores Of the value ot
several millions At the present time
more than three-fourths Of all the contri.
buttons made by the people for the benefit Of
the sick and wounded in the army, pass
through this channel; in the aggregate
amounting 10 something over one thousand
dollars in cash and ten thousand articles
of clothing and diet, expended and issued
each day. OF this aggregate, about one
third of the money and more than One-hali
Of the stores are being expended and dis
tributed in the Western Department; the
remaining two-thirds being expended in
the work Of the Central Office, and in the
armies of the East. Since the battles Of
Murfreesboro' and Vicksburg over 400C
packages of hospital stores have been for
warded to these points by the Sanitary
/ Commission.
3D. Among the agencies by which the
/ Commission does its work, may be emu
merated, first, its system of Inspections
general and spectator the prevention
Of disease, and the investigation Of wants.
/ Second, its system Of General Relief; for
the production, transmission and distribu-
ton Of needed supplies not furnished by
Government. Third, its system of Special
Relief; for procuring papers, pay, trans
portation and pensions for discharged sol
diers and all those requiring this sort Of
assistance. Fourth, its system Of Publi-
cation for the dissemination of sanitary
knowledge, technical or general, through
the medium Of the press. Fifth, its Sol
diers' Homes. Sixth, its Hospital Direoto-
ry. Seventh, its system of transporta-
l tinn Of sick and snnnlies hu SaniLarv Com