or the Immediate Relief of our Sick and Wounded Soldiers. CINCINNATI BRANCH OF THE U.S. SANITARY COMMISSION. OFFICE AND DEPOT, MECHANICS' INSTITUTE, S. W. CORNER OF SIXTH AND VINE STREETS. Cincinnati, February 1, 1862. To the Women of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky : There is a service you owe your country, which she now calls upon you to perform. It is to make full provision for the relief and comfort of our sick and wounded soldiers. From every city, and town, and neighborhood these brave men have gone to defend our National honor, and we feel assured that you—their wives, mothers, sisters, daughters—will need no other appeal to awaken all your interest and activity than the simple statement that many of them are now lying sick and wounded in the military hospitals, enduring sufferings and privations which it is in your power to relieve. Our Government, although earnestly desiring to make ample pro- vision for all her soldiers, both in health and in sickness, has thus far failed to accomplish fully this result. The United States Sanitary Commission at Washington, a volunteer and unpaid Bureau of the War Department, has been for months engaged in earnest efforts to supply these deficiencies, and with a success most encouraging for the future. Such a Commission has been organized in Cincinnati as a Branch of the United States Sanitary Commission. We have subjected the various camps and hospitals in and near our city to frequent inspection; several of us have visited the armies in Western Vir- ginia and Kentucky; we are constantly in communication with Inspectors, who, under the direction of the Commission at Wash- ington, and by authority of the War Department, are employed in ascertaining the wants of the soldiers by personal inspection, and whose requisitions for supplies we endeavor to meet; and one of our number, Dr. W. H. Mussey, who is now serving as a Brigade Surgeon with the army in Kentucky, keeps us constantly advised of the needs of the soldiers within his range of observation, and it is, therefore, from a knowledge of the urgent necessities of our soldiers that we earnestly beg you to co-operate with us in affording them relief. For the purpose of receiving and promptly distributing all arti- cles sent to us from this city and from abroad, we have obtained, free of rent, a convenient and centrally located room in the Me- chanics' Institute, corner of Sixth and Vine streets, which will be used as our office and depot. The room will be open all day, and a clerk will always be there to receive and register contributions, which will be carefully acknowledged each week in the city papers of Friday. Our supplies are especially intended for the soldiers wTho are now in the West, and from their distant and widely- separated camps we are constantly in receipt of reliable informa- tion of the supplies needed; and, therefore, while we will comply with the requests of those who desire their packages to be sent to any particular Eegiment, we would still respectfully suggest that it would ordinarily be better to leave their distribution to our judg- ment, assuring our friends that we will hold ourselves individually responsible for all contributions made, and will guarantee their prompt and judicious appropriation. We append a list of articles needed for the hospitals, carefully drawn up, with plain directions for preparing them, and explicit directions for packing, marking and shipping ; also, a few simple suggestions to aid in organizing and conducting Societies for ac- complishing this object. Very Respectfully, R. W. Burnet, President, Geo. Hoadly, V. P., B. P. Baker, Pec. Sec, Chas. R. Fosdick, Cor. Sec, 0. M. Mitchell, B. Storer, J. B. Stallo, E. T. Collins, Wm. A. Snively, M. L. P. Thompson, Larz Anderson, G. K. Shoenberger, J. H. Bates, M. E. Reeves, M. Bailey, Finance Com. A. Aub, Thomas C. Shipley, Robert Hosea, W. W. Scarborough, Henry Pearce, Treas. W. H. Mussey, M. D., John Davis, M. D., D. Judkins, M. D., Edward Mead, M. D., E. Y. Robbins, E. S. Brooks, A. G. Burt, Geo. Mendenhall, M. D Eli C. Baldwin, C. F. Wilstach. 3 LIST OF SUPPLIES WANTED FOR THE HOSPITALS. BEDDING. 1.—Bed Sacking—7\ feet long and 4 feet wide; leave one end open, and sew on four tape strings. 2.—Sheets—8 feet long and 4£ feet wide. 3.—Comfortables—same size as sheets, of cheap dark material. 4.—Quilts—second-hand. 5.—Blankets—for single beds. 6.—Pillow Ticks—24 inches long and 16 inches wide. 7.—Hair Pillows. 8.—Feather Pillows. 9.—Pillow Cases—30 inches long and 18 inches wide. CLOTHING. 10.—Shirts—of bleached or unbleached muslin, or cotton flan- nel, 1 yard long, §■ of a yard wide, open 10 inches at the bottom; length of sleeve f of a yard; wrist-bands 10 inches long; depth of arm-hole 12 inches ; neck-band 18 inches long and 2 inches wide ; length of slit in front \ yard, a piece 2 inches wide, lapping under, to fasten with buttons. A few shirts should be left open all the way down, and the sleeves open on the outside to the shoulder, with strings. Second-hand shirts, with the first bosom removed, and plain cotton inserted, with firm buttons and buttonholes, will be acceptable. 11.—Flannel Undershirts—red, white or gray ; 1 yard long, f yard wide ; open all the way down in front, to fasten with strings ; sleeves 10 inches wide, and f yard long, sloped and hemmed at the wrist; gussets at the neck and narrow band. 12.__Drawers—loose, cotton flannel or woolen. Second-hand flannel shirts, or drawers, or wrappers, will be very acceptable. 13.—Knit Woolen Socks — the yarn should be as heavy as No. 20, and the needles of size No. 15, with 24 stitches on each needle ; the leg should be 13 inches long, and the feet in the pro- portion of one-half 11 and one-half 12 inches long. 14.__Dressing Gowns or Wrappers—of flannel or double calico. 15.__Slippers—of drugget or heavy cloth, lined with drilling and soled with stout canvas or felt. 16.—Handkerchiefs and Towels. 4 17.—Mittens—one finger and thumb, knit or made of cloth. N. B.—It is very important that the sewing be strong; that the buttons be firmly sewed on, and the buttonholes well stayed. Patterns of above can be seen at our room. SURGEONS' SUPPLIES. 18.—Compresses, or pieces of old soft linen and cotton, without seams, selvedges, or starch ; wash the pieces thoroughly, iron them, and roll them into smooth bundles. 19.—Cases of muslin or calico 20 in. long by 8 in. wide, for cushions for wounded limbs. EDIBLES. 20.—Dried Apples, Dried Peaches, Dried Plums. Dried Berries, in bags or barrels. 21.—Fruit, Jellies, Tomatoes. Over every vessel containing Jelly, strew white sugar to the depth of half an inch, and paste stout paper (not brandied) over the mouth. 22.—Farina, Sago, Oat Meal, Tapioca, Arrow Root, Cocoa, Pearl Barley, Yeast Cakes, Yeast Powders. Every package should be distinctly labelled, with the weight or quantity of each marked upon it; and for convenience of hospital use, it will be well to put small quantities of farinaceous articles in small cotton bags. SUNDRIES. Castile Soap, Sponges, of any size, old pieces of soft Cotton or Linen, Cotton Batting, old Silk, low Tables or Desks, to be placed on the beds of convalescing patients, on which food, books, or writing materials may be laid ; Chess-men, Draughts, Backgam- mon Boards, back numbers of Magazines, and recent secular and religious Papers and Books that are entertaining and useful; Picto- rial Papers, Pin-cushions, well filled, Needle-cases, each containing a few coarse needles, say assorted sizes, Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 7, coarse thread, and buttons ; Fine-tooth Combs, Lead Pencils, Pens and Pen-holders, Writing Paper and Envelopes. 0 DIRECTIONS FOR PACKING, MARKING AND FORWARDING. All articles should be closely packed in wooden boxes, or very strongly wrapped bales. On the top of the center of each box, under the cover, a full list of what it contains should be placed, and a copy of this list should be sent by mail, with the railroad receipt. If possible, put on the cover with screws. On one corner of the cover of the box state from where it comes, and direct clearly as follows : Cincinnati Sanitary Commission, S. W. Corner Sixth and Vine Sts., CINCINNATI, 0. From The following Railroads, centering in Cincinnati, have kindly con- sented to bring, free of expense, all packages marked and receipted for according to the above directions: COVINGTON AND LEXINGTON R. R. LITTLE MIAMI R. R. MARIETTA AND CINCINNATI R. R. CINCINNATI, HAMILTON AND DAYTON R. R. OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI R. R. INDIANAPOLIS AND CINCINNATI R. R. LOUISVILLE AND CINCINNATI MAIL LINE. All letters should be addressed, "CINCINNATI SANITARY COMMISSION," Cincinnati, 0. DIRECTIONS FOR FORMING "SOLDIERS' RELIEF CIRCLES." In order to make it perfectly easy in towns and villages where no Association exists, to form a society to work for the benefit of the soldiers, in connection with the "Cincinnati Sanitary Com- mission," we here furnish some plain directions : 1.__Let the first woman whose heart is stirred with yearnings to do something in her own town, or for the relief of the sufferings of the sick and wounded among our soldiers, go to two or three of her neighbors and take counsel. 6 2.—Let them agree upon some convenient day and hour for a meeting of ladies in the lecture room of some place of worship, or in the town-house or school-house. 3.—Let notices of this be written and carried to the pastors of all the churches in town, with a request that they be read, with comments by the pastor, in each society. 4.—Let the ladies meet, select a President and Secretary; then let such portions of this Circular be read by the President as will explain the nature and workings of this society, and the immediate wants of our soldiers. 5.—Let then the ladies present form themselves into a " Soldiers' Relief Circle," to meet once a week, from 1 to 4 p. m., the time to be spent in sewing or knitting for the soldier. 6.—Let them, in addition to the President and Secretary already elected, choose a Treasurer and two committees, of three ladies each, one on supplies and work, and one on general business, as correspondence, forwarding, &c. 7.—The duties of the Officers shall be as follows: 1.—The President to call and preside at all meetings, and have a general charge of the interests of the Circle. 2.—The Secretary to enroll the names of the members (each lady simply pledging herself to give three hours per week, either in the meeting or at home, to the relief of the soldier,) to keep a record of the meetings, the amount of work done weekly, the num- ber and names of those present, and to make a monthly report, to be read at the first meeting in each month. 3.—The Treasurer to keep all donations of money, collections in churches, or funds raised by other means, and disburse them at the order of the President, or vote of the Circle, and to make a monthly report of receipts and expenditures. 4.—The Committee on Supplies—to solicit donations from stores, farmers, and citizens generally, in yarn, flannel, cotton cloth, cali- coes, and other articles, to be made up by the industry of the Circle ; also, to determine the kind of work to be engaged in by the Circle, and to distribute it properly ; to put out work to those willing to receive it at home, but unable to attend, and to see to its collection ; to form, with the President's advice, plans of work, and endeavor to get the largest possible stock of goods against the monthly reck- oning. This committee, on the first meeting in each month, shall 7 report a plan of work for that month, and report in full the result. of the work of the last month. 5.—The Committee on General Business, as correspondence, forwarding, storage, &c, shall have for their duties, first, the cus- tody, care and storage, then the packing and forwarding of the goods, and, finally, all the correspondence with the " Cincinnati Sanitary Commission," either for instructions, counsel, sympathy, or business. Will not these simple hints aid every town and neighborhood in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky in forming an association through which relief can be brought to our brave troops ? Will not the individuals to whom this Circular comes, immediately endeavor to interest their friends and neighbors in this cause ? Let none con- sider their efforts too feeble, or their contributions too small to aid in this noble work. By the small donations of the many, rather than the large gifts of the few, is this work to be achieved. We leave this subject with the benevolence and patriotism of the ladies of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. "The Sanitary Commission is doing a work of great humanity, and of direct practical value to the nation, in this time of its trial. It is entitled to the gratitude and the confidence of the people, and we trust it will he generously supported. There is no agency through which voluntary offerings of patriotism can be more effect- ively made." ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WINFIELD SCOTT. Washington, September 30, 1861. 8 Copy of a Letter from Gen. Washington to Mrs. Bache, {Daughter of Franklin.) Head Qr's in Bergen, N. J., 14