rds their final triumph. And so
in the cities, in the villages, in the quiet country homes, in the
luxurious parlor, in the rustic kitchen, everywhere, always, the women
of the country too pursued their patriotic, loving work, content if the
toil of their busy fingers might carry comfort to even a few of our
bleeding, heroic soldiers. And as they labored in their various spheres,
the results of their work poured into the great centres where supplies
were collected for the Sanitary Commission. Our Department came to
number over three hundred and fifty contributing Societies, besides a
large number of individuals contributing with almost the regularity of
our auxiliaries. Associate Managers, whose business it was to supervise
the work in their own neighborhoods, had been appointed in nearly every
county of the entire Department, fifty-six Associate Managers in all.
The time came when the work of corresponding with these was too vast to
be attended to by only one Corresponding Secretary. The lady who had
filled that office with great ability, and to whose energetic zeal our
organization owed its first impulse, was compelled by ill health to
resign. Her place was filled by a Committee of nine, among whom the duty
of correspondence was systematically divided. The work of our Associate
Managers deserves more than the passing tribute which this report can
give. They were nearly all of them women whose home duties gave them
little leisure, and yet the existence of most of our Aid Societies is
due to their efforts. In one of the least wealthy and populous counties
of Pennsylvania, one faithful, earnest woman succeeded in establishing
thirty Aid Societies. When the Great Central Fair was projected their
services were found most valuable in the counties under their several
superintendence, and they deserve a share of the credit for the
magnificent success of that splendid undertaking.

"The total cash value of supplies received is three hundred and six
thousand and eighty-eight dollars and one cent. Of this amount,
twenty-six thousand three hundred and fifty-nine dollars were
contributed to the Philadelphia Agency before the formation of the
Women's Branch. The whole number of boxes, barrels, etc., received since
the 1st of April, 1863, is fifty-three hundred and twenty-nine. Of these
packages, twenty-one hundred and three were received, from April 1st,
1863, until the close of the year; twenty-one hundred and ninety-nine
were rec