butions of money and
supplies were sent, by which their activity and labors were directed,
and which generally forwarded to some central source of supply, their
donations and its own. The United States Sanitary Commission had its
branches, known under various names, as Branch Commissions, General
Soldiers' Aid Societies, Associates, Local Sanitary Commissions, etc.,
at Boston, Albany, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Cleveland,
Cincinnati, and Chicago, and three central organizations, the Women's
Central Association of Relief, in New York, the Sanitary Commission, at
Washington, and the Western Depot of Supplies, at Louisville, Kentucky.
Affiliated to these were over twelve thousand local Soldiers' Aid
Societies. The Western Sanitary Commission had but one central
organization, besides its own depot, viz.: The Ladies' Union Aid
Society, of St. Louis, which had a very considerable number of
auxiliaries in Missouri and Iowa. The Christian Commission had its
branches in Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati,
Chicago, and St. Louis, and several thousand local organizations
reported to these. Aside from these larger bodies, there were the
Ladies' Aid Association of Philadelphia, with numerous auxiliaries in
Pennsylvania, the Baltimore Ladies' Relief Association, the New England
Soldiers' Relief Association of New York; and during the first two years
of the war, Sanitary Commissions in Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois, and
State Relief Societies in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, New York, and some
of the other States with their representative organizations in
Washington. Several Central Aid Societies having large numbers of
auxiliaries, acted independently for the first two years, but were
eventually merged in the Sanitary Commission. Prominent among these were
the Hartford Ladies' Aid Society, having numerous auxiliaries throughout
Connecticut, the Pittsburg Relief Committee, drawing its supplies from
the circumjacent country, and we believe, also, the Penn Relief Society,
an organization among the Friends of Philadelphia and vicinity. The
supplies for the Volunteer and Cooper Shop Refreshment Saloons of
Philadelphia, were contributed by the citizens of that city and
vicinity.

When it is remembered, that by these various organizations, a sum
exceeding fifty millions of dollars was raised, during a little more
than four years, for the comfort and welfare of the soldiers, their
families, their widows, and their