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{
    "localId": "24325435",
    "label": "\"Before the Red Cross\" Leaflet",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24325435"
}

{
    "id": "24325435",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24325435",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "\"Before the Red Cross\" Leaflet",
    "description": "This item is a leaflet that contains the personal reminiscences of Mrs. Richard Aldrich (formerly Louisa Lee Schuyler) and Mrs. William B. Rice (formerly Gertrude Stevens) regarding their experiences and service with the U.S. Sanitary Commission.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24325435",
    "collections": [
        "Records of the American National Red Cross",
        "Reports, Essays, and Other Issuances"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/35/3254/24325435/content/dc-metro/anrc/6014936/box-1/hd1-105501467-001-ac.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/35/3254/24325435/content/dc-metro/anrc/6014936/box-1/hd1-105501467-001-ac.jpg",
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    "imageCount": 18,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24325435",
    "naId": 24325435,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "logicalDate": "1918-01-01",
            "year": 1918
        }
    ],
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 6,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/35/3254/24325435/content/dc-metro/anrc/6014936/box-1/hd1-105501467-006-ac.jpg",
    "mediaId": "e58cb96972b80337",
    "ocrText": "in relaying the tracks which the rebels had torn up.\nsigned a stirring call* to the women of New York\nHe outdistanced the soldiers and delivered his message\nand its vicinity, asking them to meet at Cooper\nto President Lincoln, then little known in the East,\nUnion on April twenty-ninth to organize a cen-\nby whose directness, simplicity and deep sense of re-\ntral agency for sending hospital supplies and nurses\nsponsibility he was profoundly impressed.\nto the soldiers and sailors. About two thou-\nIf the men offered themselves willingly, the\nsand women answered the call. In those days\nwomen were no less eager for service. The first duty\nit occurred to no one to intrust to any of these\nof every household was to provide for its own sol-\nwomen the responsibility of addressing their own\ndiers, for the husbands, the sons and the brothers\nmeeting. It was a matter of congratulation \"among\nfor whom the government could as yet do so little.\nthe ladies\" that Mr. David Dudley Field consented\nWomen gave all they had, even stripping the\nto preside; that the vice-president of the United\nblankets from their own beds, and in addition began\nStates unexpectedly attended and spoke for their\nat once to plan for relief work on a larger scale.\ncause, and that Dr. Bellows, later the head of the\nMeetings of women for organization on behalf of the\nSanitary Commission, was present and made \"an\nsoldiers were held at Bridgeport, Connecticut, on the\neloquent appeal.\" A much beloved physician, Dr.\nvery day that President Lincoln called for volunteers,\nValentine Mott, was chosen president. Dr. Mott\nat Lowell, Massachusetts, a few days later, at Cleve-\ndied during the war and as a token of respect his\nland, Ohio, on April nineteenth. The Women's Cen-\nplace was never filled. Dr. Bellows became vice-\ntral Association of Relief was formed in New York on\npresident, Mr. Howard Potter, of the banking firm\nApril twenty-ninth.\nof Brown Brothers and Company, was appointed\ntreasurer, Mr. Peter Cooper immediately offered\n\"Quickly we saw,\" says Miss Schuyler, \"what\nrooms on the second floor of Cooper Union to serve\nthe Council of Defense has discovered in the first\nas a depot for the proposed work. A Board of Man-\nweeks of this war, that individual and desultory\nagers was created, of whom twelve were men and\nlabors accomplish little and that 'doing one's bit' is\ntwelve were women. Women were appointed chair-\nvaluable if the various 'bits' that are done are or-\nmen of all committees.\nganized and centralized, if there is not a criss-cross\nMrs. Hamilton Fish, whose home had become a\nof plans, purposes and expenditures.\"\nrendezvous for men and women of Union sym-\nTwo very able and distinguished New York\npathies, did splendid work as chairman of the\nwomen, Drs. Emily and Elizabeth Blackwell, were\nFinance Committee, bringing five thousand dollars\nat that time conducting an Infirmary for Women\ninto the treasury by her financial wizardry before\nin Second Avenue, and it was there, most appropri-\nately, that a preliminary meeting took place \"to\nAmong those who signed the call to this great meeting\nconsider methods of systematizing and concentrat-\nwere Mrs. John A. Dix, Mrs. Hamilton Fish, Mrs. William\nPreston Griffin, Mrs. David Lane, Mrs. George L. Schuy-\ning the popular efforts about to be made for the\nler, Mrs. Samuel Bridgham, Mrs. William B. Astor, Jr.,\nsupport of the government in caring for the health,\nMrs. Robert Minturn, Mrs. Moses Grinnell, Mrs. Charles\ncomfort and efficiency of the army.\" This first\nKing, Mrs. D. Adams, Mrs. Alonzo Potter, Mrs. Lewis M.\nsmall group of women solicited other names and\nRutherford, Mrs. G. Stuyvesant, Mrs. Abram Hewitt, Mrs.\nPeter Cooper, Mrs. Thomas Tileston, Mrs. John Sherwood,\nMrs. William M. Evarts, and many others equally well\n\"Numerous societies working without organization or\nknown. These ladies were among the most influential of\nhead, or without a common understanding with official au-\nNew York. They were especially generous and prominent\nthorities, without positive instructions as to immediate or\nin patriotic work.\nfuture wants, are liable to waste their enthusiasm, to over-\nlook some claims and to overdo others, while they give\n** \"This,\" Miss Schuyler comments, \"is as it should be. Or-\nunnecessary trouble in official quarters by the variety and\nganizations for the common welfare should be composed of\nirregularity of their proffers of help or of their inquiries\nmen and women. They supplement each other.\"\nfor guidance.\" -- -Miss Schuyler in 1861.\nBoard of Managers of the Women's Central Association of\n8\n9"
}