The times., 1898-06-05
FILLING A GREAT MISSION
Sanitary Society Work in the
American Civil War.
SERVICES TO THE SOLDIERS
An Organization the History OF
Which May Guide the Red Cross
of Its Operations Obstacles Ia ITS
Early Days.

Inc Reu OrOSS Society Ol lOudN, iiiS
leading exponent in this country OF hu-
manity and charity and malice toward
none" is regarded by many as the legid-
mate successor of the Sanitary Commits
sion of the late civil war. The work of
that grand organization left an impress
upon the minds of men that will never be
forgotten.
The Sanitary Commission was the great
est institution of its kind ever recorded
in the history of the world. Its originator
and president from beginning TO end was
the late Rev Henry W. Bellows, D. D.,
who was among the pioneers of the Uni
tartan Church in this country. When the
civil war broke out he was pastor of All
Souls Unitarian Church in New York
city. The early meetings of the Sanitary
Commission, or, more properly speaking,
of the standing committee of that organi-
zation, were held in a little room of the
parsonage of All Souls Church. OF that
committee DR. Bellows was president,
Charles E. Strong was treasurer, and
Walcott Gibbs, NJ. D., William H Van
Buren, NJ. D., Cornelius r. Agnew NJ. D.,
and Charles ]. Stille. Ii. D.. were the
other members. DR.. Gibbs is the only
surviving member. He lives at Newport,
and is very old and feeble.
The sanitary commission grew out of a
woman's movement. In a written report
OF Dr.. Bellows ii is shown that ION April
Is, 1861, the day on which the Presidents
call appeared for 75,eU men, then deemed
sufficient to queII the rebellion, the wo-
men of Bridgeport, Conn, organized So
ciety with the somewhat vague idea of
anording relief and comfort to the volun-
teers. In Charlestown, Mass. on the
same day and at Lowell, a few days at
ter the women OF those cities formed
similar societies. On April l9 the ladies
of Cleveland, Ohio, organized an associa-
ton for the care of the families of voiun-
teers. On April % a public meeting, call
ed at Cooper Union. New York, by ninety
one of the best known ladies of New
York and attended by influential women
from the city and ifs neighborhood,
formed an association known as the Wo-
mems Central Relief Association of New
York in which the principles and ideas
| that afterward fowered into the United
| States Sanitary Commission were first
| promulgated. The objects of this assO-
| citation We're to systematic the impul-
] sive, disorderly and uninformed sympa-
| thies and efforts OF the women of the
| country, so as TO make effective with the
| least waste OF time, labor and money the
generous and restless desire TO help the
young army just gathering with such sup
| plies and protection as 1t was feared the
| Government could not afford il.
| While there was much aid offered TO
this new association there were also num-
erous obctacles TO its progress. The Gov
| ernment feared q collision between the
| organization and the medical and mill
tary authorities. The consent of the
Medical Bureau was necessary to be OBJ
tained before any official recognition of
the society could be obtained, and as DR..
Bellows shows in his report: Confer
ences fully proved that no such consent
could be gained. but that sanitary COM
mission of inquiry and advice. without au-
thority of any kind. might be endured,
though it would not be welcomed. as an
act of Difference toward a respectable
body of supposed fanatics and philanthro-
pists, backed by a large class of anxious
and sympathetic women. And in fact,
after great difficulties this was all the
committee gained-the appointment of a
doubtful seni-officiaI commission, with
the privilege of advising with the Medi-
cal Bureau, of visiting the Army in the
field and of recommending to the War
Department such sanitary regulations and
reforms as it might deem useful"
The officials and friends of the commits
sion were naturally greatly discouraged
by this circumstance. but" says DR.
Bellows there is a dependence in 8
country accustomed to self f-government
on public opinion and the better instincts
and sympathies of the nation which in
times of danger and war may be trusted
and which the United States Sanitary
4l,r,Y of
set to the loss of official encouragement
and official powers which they had reck
oned on. Without powers without pc
cuniary support without any immediate
sympathy even from the people in theil
main object which was scientific anC
preventive, they flung themselves upoT
the merits of their cause, and upon tn,
secondary purpose, which was intelligi
bic and popular the relief of suffering
) and want, and went to work in faith tha
( they should effect at least a moderate
. amount of good, if not what they coul'
: have hoped had they been armed witt
? powers to enforce sanitary laws
! The members of the commission ant
| its officers were Henry w. Bellows. Z
d. of New York. president; Alexande
/, Dallas Bache. LII. D., of Washington
vice-president; George T. Strong, OF NeI
2 | York, treasurer; w. II. Van Buren, N
t D., of New York. c. r. Agnew, NJ. D
2 of New York, Prof Wolcott Gibbs, M. D
a of New York. medical committee; Fred
erck Law Olmsted, of New York, ger
$ eral secretary; Prof. John s. Newberr!
e M D., of Louisville, Western secretary
4 Elisha Harris, NJ. D., of New Yorf
: Charles j. Stille, of Philadelphia, officis
}. historians; S. G. Howe M. D., of Bostol
S the Right Rev. r. NJ, Clark, of Prov
/ dence, R. l.; Horace Binney, jr., of Phi
e adelphia the Rev j. H HAYWARD
o Louisville R. W. Burnett, of Cincinnati
S Mark Skinner, of Chicago, H.. Josep
: Holt, of Washington J. Huntington Wa
# colt, of Boston, Ezra B. Mcagg, of Chico
go, Fairman Rogers, of Philadelphi;
e Robert C. Wood, M. D., U. S. A; G. v
g Cullom. U. S. A.; Alexander E. Shira
= U. S. A.
s The great object of the commissic
= was for the purpose Of developin
n Strengthening and supporting the reguli
n medical and military authorities. Tr,
d to it's designation as a sanitary commi
20 sion one of It's main objects was to do /
IT utmost for the prevention of pestilen
= and the spread of scuryy and the lie
3 sening of needless exposures of any XII
p and avoiding all red tape rulings to ST
= in between the Government and Il
l. Army and meet the daily and ordinal
Y, wants of the multitudes of men enlist,
, in the war for the nations honor and we
d fare. The health of the Army was Il
n key note of it's methods.
g The surgeons of the volunteers, d
k Bellows says, were not seldom amor
the best practical physicians of the cou