Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-21


originated nor circulated among those
who knew me.
WOODEN Earnenls for Discharged sol
The Aid Societies of Northern Ohio are
desired 10 consider the following letter as
an esDecial appeal to their beneyolszes. It
is from the Sanitary Commission ct Mem
phis, Tennessee:
hEEPBIs, TENN, Nov. 2s, 1852.
did Societies. of Northern Ohio
There is one want here. to meet which I
think some direct steps should be taken ct
oncs, and am constrained to make special
mention of i, not only because it is one Of
special urgency, but because it seems also
that call for mere stores simply does not
b-ing the articles to fill this want. The
cal must needs bo a Especial call" Wool
en- unterelothing, especially undershirts
and socks for individuaI cases of destitu-
ton, mainly among furloughed snd dis
charged men going North, are lust now
more needed than any other articles that
could be named The excessive dampnesB
o. the climate at this season Of the year, as
well as through the winter and cary
spring, puts fearful emphasis upon the
want for woolen Undertaking during this
cool weather. l do not hesitate to say that
this kind of clothing is more indispen-
sible to health here, than in the cooler eli
mate of the North. call for undershirts
and not shirts, because we have an abund-
ant store of cotton shirts. Give US UNDER
shirts, and we can supply each man with
both, and thus make him comfortable, with
less expense than if we attempt to supply
full-length wooden shirts. At present We
have neither undershirts, nor socks, nor
drawers. For the two first the call is great,
| often piteous. An the fall we have beea
turning away the needy unsupplisd, still
hoping for stores of this kind. During the
week Just closed, we had at the Lodge q
party Of eighteen exchanged Federal pfis-
oners of war, some Of the unfortunate men
Of the Inflated Red river expedition, and
who were just from the rebel prison ss
Tyler, Texas. They were en- roEte North.
At the time they were here people were
wearing full winter dress, including over
coats, mittens and furs. But these man
were without underelothing, oVereoats, and
vests, of course, and fear few of US who
have never soldiered it, have thought how
much warmth there is in q vest The only
shirt each had, showed age and condition
such as no class Of men have ever seen,
besides soldiers, ever yet accustomed to.
| Most of them had only the thin blouse and
ragged pants. All Of them, since they
could not get new army clothing, were
greatly in need Of warm underelothiDg.
robbed our store. rooms Of slmOst the last
undershirt and Woolen shirt of any kind,
and thus bore away six, but could not get
| a single pair of socks. Afterwards, how
ever, Eve pairs were found as the rooms of
the Christian Commission. The matron Of
the Lodge transformed the cotton flannel
hospital shirts into flannel undershirts,
and after seising the undershirts Of some
who were not soldiers, we got together q
fsJr outfit of underelothing for the men.
And this is not an isolated case Of need.
Besides the large number Of cases met
daily among furloughed and discharged
men, this wass the third party Of Paroled
and exchanged Federal prisoners Of war
that had thus appealed this fall to the
charitable resources Of the Commissions at
this point Nor was this case any more
needy than those daily met with in the
field Of the Commissions lsbors. But I
give it by way of enforcing my plea for
Woolen under-clothing- Cannot 3 ehesp
article Of an undershirt be furnished, one
that shall not cost more than cotton shirts 2
Even if one should represent the money
value of two, yea three, cotton shirts, the
outlay would be wise, for that one, Just now
would do more good than ten cotton shirts.
viii not the Aid Societies as readily fur
nish wOollen as cotton underclothlng, to q
limited extent, if once told that it is need
| ed Cannot we have, here at the Lodge,
500 undsrshirts, 500 Woollen drsWersJ and
| 500 pairs of soeks for the RsSds Of the win
ter, Tor men not in the hospitals nor with
their commands, but who are furloughed
and discharged, northward bound, aud
have been unable to supply themselves
with suitable eundsrelothing It should be
l remembared that We bave tn isa71a yroollan
Undertaking, many 3 time, when an
OVercost, warm undereoat or q new pzir
Of pantaloons would more fully meet the
want. The work Of fitting the Lodge for
winter has not vet been begun. The city
authorities still hold Us in suspense.
am gratifed in being able to say that
in my Department. everything goes on
smoothly. - a-"
Very respectfully yours,
Z. ", CHRBTY,
Sup't and Relief Agent.