The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-28


Brsneh u due. Nothing but tho sacredness Of
the caute could have enabled labors ofttimee be-
yond their strength. The regular aids have all
been untiring in the performance OF tseiT I duty,
and no labor, however disagreea0le, Dat All were
The other officers Of this Association we allude
to as follows -
SPECIAL RELIEF.
When the Depository in Philadelphia was tirst
opened, the work o. special Relief was conhheu
to such trihng aid in the way Of food, clothing
or transportation as the Committee In charge
could furnish but no systematic plan was
adopted. Aftor the appointment of General
Superintendent, the WOrK was done IN a rttuef
mtre satisfactory manner; the cases requiring
relief were examined into, aud person sent
with those leaving the city 10 the cars ana Ooats
70 procure transportation,
During the autumn Of 1863 the work Of Special
Rcliefwas perform d by The Relief Committee OF
the Womcn's Branch, assisted by the Snperin-
teDdtnt. This plan was so very unsatstactOry,
however, that the Executive Commute anthO-
rzed The appointment OF Special RELIEF Agent
and Hospital Visitor. Colonel Clement SoeSt was
appoiDted to the position on the lith Of Dece m
bCr latt, and the whole Special Keller Depart
ment Is now In his charge.
This work cOnsists In obtaining the descriptive
Its Of soldiers who have lost or misleid them,
and who, therefore, are not able 90 draw pay or
clothing; In furnishing those suffering trom dis-
eases (rbenmatism, &c) with entire WOODEN
clothing, which the Government does not sup
Ply supT.ylGg tne wants OF those ,cn'alnu,p 7
nUspitais on account of wounds after their term
of service has expired, and who, therefore, are
not entitled to draw anything from the Govern
ment, &c, &C. and in fact in attending to all
the various wants Of soldiers In distress
The Special Relief Agent visits the hospitals
daily, and visits discharged resident soldiers at
their homes. In all cases the fullest inyestiga-
ton Is made. The Womcns Pennsylvania
Branch has issued upon his request in these
cases, ESQ shirts, 200 pairs of drawers, l72 pairs
woolen socks, besides considerable number Of
conts, pantaloons, vCss, gloves, caps canes,
Crutches, and other articles, amounting in value
to about $500 during the past month.
THE PROTECTIVE WAR CLAIM AND PENSION
AGENCY,
Under the Superintendence Of Mr.. w. n. Ash
man, a member Of the Philadelphia bar, had its
origin in the desire to effect prompt settlement
of the claims Of soldiers and their relatives upon
the Government, and 10 afford protection against
the eXOrbtant demands too often made by Claim
Agents.
Two-thrds Of these claims are preferred by
soldiers coming from all parts of the loyal States,
| WHO had been honOraby discharged from the
| United States service, by reason of wounds or
| sickness incurred therein; and the remainder
| are made by the relatives Of deceased soldiers.
| In addition TO its regular work of prosecuting
| claims for pension and bounty, the Agency has
been instrumental in obtaining their descriptive
liss for soldiers who had lain months in hospitals
| without pay, by reason of the absence OF those
| correspondents at Washington, errors in the
final statements Of discharged soldiers, which
| would otherwise have occasioned them serious
| loss.
Taggart and the United States District Attorney,
| the back pay due prisoners of war at Richmond
is also procured for their wives or mothers, upon
sufficient proof being made of such captivity,
and Of the claimants identity. These matters
are oil adjusted and payments made without any
cost, except a trihing fee paid TO magistrate for
executing the necessary affidavit. Two thousand
aflldavits are now registered upon the books of
the Commission in Philadelphia, awaiting re-
sponses 10 them.
THE HOSPITAL DIRECTORY,
to which Mr.. John w. Wilson, Assistant Super
intendent OF the Commission, directs HE special
attention, was prepared TO answer inquiries on
the 10th of March, 1868. At this Office from fifty
to one hundred persons daily make application
for information in relation to the whereabouts of
their friends or relatives in the army, who are
reported SICK in hospitals wounded on the battle
field taken prisoners by the enemy, or even dead.
So extensive is the business of this office that
we can give our readers but little conception of
its workings. The following eXamplc-one out
OF thOusand-will afford a slight clue to the
nature of the business transacted here. Some
family relations of Private John Pteifier, OF Com
pany Is, 9Th Ohio Infantry, wish to know of his
whereabouts. All they can say Is that he was
with Rosecrans' army about the first of the pre-
sent year. Immediately Mr.. Wilson writes To
the Louisville office upon the subject and receives
in return the following reply
UNITED STATES SANITARY COMMISSIONS LOUISVILLE,
KY JsnuaIy 20, ls8t.-J. W. WnsoS, Philadelphia
Dear sir john Plener Of Company Is, Ninth ono In
the bate Of Ctokamauga, Ca, and is nov held as
letter from him from the prison in kichmond.
Yours truly, II. s. AeLBROoR.
GENERAL MATTERS.
Mr.. Robert M. Lewis is the General Superin.
tendent OF the Philadelphia Branch Of the Com
mission. This organization is supported entirely
through the contributions OF the citizens of this
and neghboring States. From the time Of It's
establishment TO the llth of this month, $l35,-
1920 has been contributed in cash to the Branch
Besides this, thousands upon thousands of dol
lars worth of articles intended for the of sick
| and needy soldiers have been received. Our
| readers have often noticed in THE TELEGRAPH
the Acknowledgements of the Commission, for
underclothing, jellies, liquors, canned fruit, &c q
denoted them, and therefore are thorol Oh Y
| posted as 10 the character of the supplies dis
| tributed by this noble Commission.
! The first floor Of the building is generally used
| for the reception of these goods, and from this
point the packages are distributed TO the various
| hospitals. While this portion of the building i,
| under the general supervision of the Ladies'
| Branch, yet Dir. W. ]. Carver is the storekeeper
The Philadelphia office is self supporting, as VT
have before SAID, and does not receive the slight
| est assistance from any other branch of the Com
! mission. The Philadelphia branch has always
been regarded by its officers as an agency of til,
! Central Commission, in the strctest sense of that
| torn.
| With the exception of certain comparatively
small sums expended for local relief, they hav,
/ considered ali the funds collected by them a,
| subject to the Oider and control of the Centra
J Office, for the general purposes OF the Commls
sion. Ii has been found more convenient tOT
several reasons, principally because Philadephia
was the nearest point to the Army of the Pot j.
| mac where a large fund was collected, that Ger,
tain articie' needed for that army should be pur-