SANITARY OPERATIONS.

The American Sanitary measures were undoubtedly the most extensive and liberal ever undertaken by a people in any war and accomplished much in ameliorating the sufferings incident to a great and prolonged war.

SOLDIERS' RELIEF ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, D. C.

The beneficent effort of the American masses was very early entered into by Michigan people. The "Michigan Soldiers' Relief Association" of Washington, D. C., is claimed to have been the first of the kind put in operation in the field on the Atlantic slope and the last to leave it. In the autumn of 1861, it commenced its humane work, continuing in successful labor until September, 1866. It proved a source of great relief to Michigan soldiers serving in the army of the Potomac, scattering liberally among them kindly friendship, fraternal care, affording them many comforts and necessaries of life when sorely needed.

A few of the warm hearted citizens of Michigan, friends of the soldier, then. residents in and around Washington, composed the association, including the delegation in Congress. The Hon. James M. Edmunds was president, Dr. H. J. Alvord Secretary, who was succeeded by Mr. C. Clark, and Z. Moses, treasurer, all giving their time and services gratuitously, with unsurpassed devotion, energy and efficiency.

Assessments upon the membership constituted at first the means to sustain the measure, not a small burden on the few who so generously made the voluntary contribution. They were however in a short time relieved by contributions made by the people of the State, amounting to $24,902.24 in the aggregate.

Immediately following General Grant's great battles, when the the sufferings of the sick and wounded of the army were at the maximum, the association established, at City Point, the "Michigan Soup House, " which afforded so much relief and comfort to the soldiers, not only of their own State but to all, as to make the place famous throughout the army.

In the report of Judge Edmunds are kindly and deservedly mentioned the faithful and patriotic ladies connected with the association during the several

years of its great usefulness. Having noble and generous natures, they were led to devote themselves so entirely to the welfare of Michigan men in the field, as to have made their names household words at almost every hearth-stone in the State, while the thousands of brave men who were the recipients of their kindness and motherly care have written on their hearts names to be remembered with reverence and gratitude while life lasts.

The record of Michigan in the war would be imcomplete were the part taken by the association in the great sanitary measure, not fully detailed, and with this in view is inserted the report of Judge Edmunds, covering its entire operations.

"The Michigan Soldiers' Relief Association of the District of Columbia was organized in the autumn of 1861. It was the product of necessity, and was composed of the few Michigan men then resident at the National Capital. Soon after the first arrival of troops under the call for 75,000 volunteers, the first Michigan regiment (three months' men) appeared here. It contained many who were personally known to the citizens of Michigan then residents of Washington, and this, with the noble cause in which they were enlisted, soon aroused a deep feeling of friendship between the members of the regiment and all those hailing from the same State. This friendship was manifested by various and numerous acts of kindness and appreciation among them-special solicitude for all in the service whose failing health made demands upon this feeling for those attentions which were impossible in the then inexperienced and unprepared state of the hospital service.

"For the first few months the efforts made to relieve and comfort those of our friends in the service were unorganized, and though throwing great labor upon the few engaged, hardly kept pace with the growing demands incident to the rapid increase of the army. The battle of Bull Run, in which our friends suffered severely, aroused afresh the sympathy of all whose hearts beat honestl for the country, and demonstrated the utter inadequacy of the Government preparation for any such sudden emergency. It seemed impossible for the public authorities at this time to appreciate the necessity of ample preparations for the wounded and sick. Their attentions seemed constantly directed to the increase of the army by new enlistments. The importance of providing for its health was but slowly admitted, and hardly admitted at all until it became evident that the ranks could only be kept up by such provisions. To reach this point and this degree of preparation, required the experience of an entire campaign. The consequence was, that there was all the time an urgent call, we might almost say an imperative demand, for volunteer aid. Such aid was cordially given, but yet fell short of what was absolutely essential. It became apparent that we could no longer meet the demand upon us by individual and unorganized effort. We must have system, and assignment of duties. We must have contributions far beyond the means of the small number of Michigan citizens then here. These urgent demands so pressed upon us, that the citizens of Michigan then in the District assembled for consultation, and the result was the organization of the Michigan Soldiers' Relief Association, then composed of a set of officers and an executive committee. It claimed as its members all citizens of the State, residents of the District, and the Michigan delegation in Congress. The association commenced by levying a tax upon its members, which was frequently repeated during the first few months of its ex

istence, and has been resorted to for emergencies from that time to the present. "This organization was the first of the kind in the field upon the Atlantic slope, and the last to leave it. Its history, so far as it has not been written, will be briefly alluded to in the following pages.

"The association having been thus organized, it was called into full activity in May, 1862, after the Army of the Potomac had made a commencement of its peninsula campaign.

"The battle of Williamsburg, in which several of our regiments participated, filled the hospitals of Baltimore and Fortress Monroe with wounded men; and from this time forward to the close of the war, the whole energies of the association have been taxed to their utmost limits.

"By referring to the reports of our operations for 1862, '63 and '64, it will be seen that our means were limited; but as the services of the individual members of the association have in all cases been gratuitous, and always cheerfully rendered, the money we had was used in such a way as secured the greatest amount of relief.

“In the year 1862, the first in fact of our activity, the whole amount of money received from all sources was.

Expended..

In 1863.. Expended.. In 1864... Expended

$2,166 13

1,945 84

2,350 39

2,037 61

6,779 71

5,488 48

"This is, of course, exclusive of specific contributions of clothing and hospital stores always liberally furnished by the soldiers' aid societies through the State, and which we endeavored to apply faithfully to the purposes intended. "In the summer and fall of 1862, after the dreadful closing battles of the peninsula and the disastrous campaign of General Pope, the whole city of Washington became a vast hospital.

"The public buildings, the churches, and many private residences were made receptacles of wounded and sick soldiers.

"Scattered all through these our own brave men lay and languished, and many died. But we are assured that the kind offices of the members of this association assuaged their pains and carried relief to all within their reach; and doubtless may owe their recovery to those special attentions impossible to be secured from the assistants detailed for the care of sick and wounded men in hospital. During the fall of 1862 something like system was inaugurated by the Medical Department of the government commensurate with the magnitude of the exigency. Columbia College was made a permanent hospital. Carver, Finley, Mount Pleasant, Emery, and subsequently Douglas, Stanton, Campbell, Harewood, and Lincoln were provided with ample accommodations for 20,000 patients; and in 1863, with the hospitals in Alexandria, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Annapolis, Frederick, and other places north, the whole operations of the Medical Department assumed something like order, efficiency and permanency, and it became necessary for us to employ agents who could give their whole time to the work.

"Mrs. Brainard was early engaged, and perhaps the first among our regular workers-she certainly was the last to leave. Her services were invaluable, and have never been fully appreciated and acknowledged. The services of Miss Wheelock, Miss Bateman, Mrs. Mahan, Mrs. Gridley, Mrs. Plum, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Hall, the Misses Bull, and others, who have labored in the field and hospitals under the auspices of this association, have all richly earned the

thanks of the people of Michigan, and especially of the thousands of soldiers who received their kind ministrations. Their reports are necessarily excluded for want of space. In the summer of 1863 the battles around Fredericksburg, and those of the campaign of Gen. Meade's army in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and the crowning carnage at Gettysburg absorbed our entire energies. "Our agents were early at their work, and remained as long as there was suffering to be relieved.

"In 1864, the bloody struggles of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, and the daily conflicts during those forty days of Grant's persistent advance to Richmond, again filled the hospitals around Washington, and gave ample employment to our agents and the members of the association, and drew upon our means so that we were well nigh exhausted.

"It is due to ourselves to acknowledge the generous coöperation of the Christian and Sanitary Commissions during this summer. To the former we

have ever been indebted for the most generous consideration and liberality; and to the latter for extraordinary kindness in furnishing our agents, Mrs. Brainard and Mrs. Mahan, with valuable and much-needed supplies, to the amount of more than two thousand dollars in three months, and at a time when our own were exhausted.

"On the 1st of January, 1865, the report of the treasurer shows $1,291.30 available funds on hand. This amount was soon after increased by the most liberal contributions from several associations and individuals in Michigan, and especially from the noble hearted people of the Lake Superior region, till our whole receipts for the year 1865, including the sum on hand, amounted to $14,914.24.

"With the prospect of a campaign of unexampled activity on the south side of Richmond by the combined armies of Generals Grant and Butler, and the reasonable anticipation of a stout and protracted resistance on the part of the rebels, we early made preparations for meeting promptly the demands that would most likely be made upon our association. We established a magazine of supplies at City Point, and sent thither an effective force to receive and provide for such as should, in the coming struggle, be sent back disabled. We also established in Washington a 'Home,' where our men in passing could find shelter for a night without being thrown into the bad associations of the city.

"It had long been felt that such an asylum was needed, and we had been prevented from establishing one chiefly from scarcity of means. This objection no longer existed, and the association rented and furnished a house, with comfortable and cheap furniture, engaged a competent matron, and from April 1st to September 1st, 1865, were able to provide for the wounded and sick a comfortable resting place. The whole expenditure in this enterprise, as shown by the treasurer's report, was $2,675.38, diminished by the sum of $507.30 received for furniture, etc., on breaking up the house-making the whole expense $2,168.08.

"The sudden and unexpected collapse of the rebellion, and the recall of the Army of the Potomac, and the arrival of Sherman's grand columns in Washington, worn and fatigued by the longest and most remarkable march yet recorded, imposed new work upon us.

"Our returned regiments were visited by our agents, and supplied with much-needed vegetables, pickles, tobacco, bread, etc., to the amount of $4,000. Our force was withdrawn from City Point, and furnished ample employment here till the armies were disbanded and sent home.

"At the 'Home,' during the month of June, all were received who came. Colonel Pritchard's detail for Jeff. Davis' body-guard was lodged and feasted. The records, imperfect though they are, have the names of about 8,000 who took one or more meals under the roof and at the tables of the 'Home,' faithfully and ably conducted by the matron, Mrs. Van Boskerck, whose executive ability, industry, and fidelity cannot be too highly commended.

"The accounts of the Home' show that as many as 725 meals were served in a day, and the bread consumed averaged from 300 to 425 loaves a day for many days. Above all the labor and care bestowed upon this house, the matron had especial care of ten or fifteen patients at Douglas and Stanton hospitals, near the house, for two months, visiting them daily, and furnishing them with delicacies.

"The Executive Committee desire here to acknowledge their obligation to all the agents who have been employed, for devotion to their duties, and to all members of the association for cheerful co-operation in the work in which we have been engaged during the bloody struggle now passed.

"All the services rendered by the association have been entirely gratuitous, and the agents have labored for little more than actual expenses. The motives of all, it is believed, were patriotic and humane; and the only reward sought or desired was the consciousness of having discharged well the duties imposed by the exigency. We have at least endeavored well.

"To the individuals and associations at home who have so nobly supported us with contributions of money and material, and surely not least, with their encouraging words of commendation and counsel, we desire to say, that your noble efforts in behalf of the brave and self-sacrificing young men who have given their services, suffered toils, hunger, and thirst, encountered dangers, disease, and death, for the perpetuation of the Government, in defense of liberty, and in the cause of humanity, have no parallel in the annals of the world.

"If there can be any compensation in such a war as we have just emerged from, the chief must be sought in the grand outpouring of generous humanities all over the entire loyal portion of the country, in endeavoring to ameliorate the condition of the soldier, and assuage his sufferings.

"Happily, the war is ended. The grand armies that fought its battles have returned to their families and to peaceful pursuits. Too many, alas, have found their last resting place far from kindred and from home. They found bloody graves in a hostile land. Their memories live in the hearts of a grateful people, saved by their devotion and valor.

"All honor to the dead hero; his wife and children demand our care, and must not be forgotten or neglected."

In September, 1866, the association discontinued its operations, and among its last acts of kind consideration for the soldier, transmitted to the trustees of Harper Hospital, at Detroit, $1,000, to be by them used in the care and maintenance of such disabled Michigan soldiers as should, from time to time, become its inmates.

MICHIGAN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY.

There was organized in Detroit on November 6, 1861, what was designated as the "Michigan Soldiers' Aid Society," being a branch of the "United States