Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 1.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Doc. 108.--address to the women of New York, April 27, 1861.

The importance of systematizing and concentrating the spontaneous and earnest efforts now making by the women of New York for the supply of extra medical aid to our army through its present campaign, must be obvious to all reflecting persons. Numerous societies, working without concert, organization, or head — without any direct understanding with the official authorities-without any positive instructions as to the immediate or future wants of the army — are liable to waste their enthusiasm in disproportionate efforts, to overlook some claims and overdo others, while they give unnecessary trouble in official quarters, by the variety and irregularity of their proffers of help or their inquiries for guidance.

As no existing organization has a right to claim precedence over any other, or could properly assume to lead in this noble cause, where all desire to be first, it is proposed by the undersigned, members of the various circles now actively engaged in this work, that the women of New York should meet in the Cooper Institute, on Monday next, at 11 o'clock, A. M., to confer together, and to appoint a General Committee, with power to organize the benevolent purposes of all into a common movement.

To make the meeting practical and effective, it seems proper here to set forth briefly the objects that should be kept in view. The form which woman's benevolence has already taken, and is likely to take, in the present crisis, is, first, the contribution of labor, skill, and money in the preparation of lint, bandages, and other stores, in aid of the wants of the Medical Staff; second, the offer of personal service as nurses.

In regard to the first, it is important to obtain and disseminate exact official information as to the nature and variety of the wants of the army; to give proper direction and proportion to the labor expended, so as to avoid superfluity in some things and deficiency in others; and to this end, to come to a careful and thorough understanding with the official head of the Medical Staff, through a Committee having this department in hand. To this Committee should be assigned the duty of conferring with other associations in other parts of the country, and, especially, through the press, to keep the women of the loyal States everywhere informed how their efforts may be most wisely and economically employed, and their contributions of all kinds most directly concentrated at New York, and put at the service of the Medical Staff. A central depot would, of course, be the first thing to be desired.

In regard to the second form of benevolence — the offer of personal service as nurses — it is felt that the public mind needs much enlightenment, and the overflowing zeal and sympathy of the women of the nation a careful channel, not only to prevent waste of time and effort, but to save embarrassment to the official staff, and to secure real efficiency in the service. Should our unhappy war be continued, the army is certain to want the services of extra nurses, not merely on account of the casualties of the field, but of the camp diseases originating in the exposure of the soldiery to a strange climate and to unaccustomed hardships. The result of all the experience of the Crimean war has been to prove the total uselessness of any but picked and skilled women in this department of duty. The ardor and zeal of all other women should therefore be concentrated on [159] finding, preparing, and sending bands of women, of suitable age, constitution, training, and temperament, to the army* at such points and at such times as they may be asked for by the Medical Staff.

A central organization is wanted, therefore, to which all those desiring to go as nurses may be referred, where a Committee of Examiners, partly medical and partly otherwise, may at once decide upon the fitness of the candidate. Those accepted should then at once be put under competent instruction and discipline, (for which it is understood a thorough school will be opened at once by the Medical Faculty of the city,) and, as occasion offers, the best prepared, in successive order, be sent, under proper escort, to the scene of war, as they are wanted.

It is felt that all who want to go, and are fitted to go, should have in their turn a fair chance to do so, and are not unlikely to be wanted, sooner or later. Of these many may be rich and many poor. Some may wish to go at their own charges, and others will require to be aided as to their expenses, and still others for the loss of their time. But the best nurses should be sent irrespective of these distinctions, as only the best are economical on any terms.

It will at once appear that, without a central organization, with proper authority, there can be no efficiency, system, or discipline in this important matter of nurses; and there can be no organization, to which a cheerful submission will be paid, except it originates in the common will, and becomes the genuine representative of all the women of New York, and of all the existing associations having this kind of aid in view. It is obvious that such an organization will require generous contributions, and that all the women of New York, and of the country, not otherwise lending aid, will have a direct opportunity of giving support to the object so near their hearts through the treasury of this common organization.

To consider this matter deliberately, and to take such common action as may then appear wise, we earnestly invite the women of New York, and the Pastors of the Churches, with such medical advisers as may be specially invited, to assemble for counsel and action, at the Cooper Institute, on Monday morning next, at 11 o'clock.

Mrs. Gen. Dix,

Mrs. H. Fish,

Mrs. L. C. Jones,

Mrs. E. Robinson,

Mrs. W. Kirkland,

Mrs. Wm. H. Aspinwall,

Mrs. R. Minturn,

Mrs. J. B. Johnson,

Mrs. Judge Roosevelt,

Mrs. A. Bininger,

Mrs. W. C. Bryant,

Mrs. R. L. Stuart,

Mrs. D. D. Field,

Mrs. W. Astor, jr.,

Mrs. M. Grinnell,

Mrs H. B. Smith,

Mrs. R. Hitchcock,

Mrs. F. Marberry,

Mrs. S. F. B. Morse,

Mrs. Judge Daly,

Mrs. C. Swords,

Miss Marquand,

Mrs. G. Holbrooke,

Mrs. D. Adams,

Mrs. H. Baylis,

Mrs. H. W. Bellows,

Mrs. Stuart Brown,

Mrs. Ellis,

Mrs. J. D. Wolfe,

Mrs. A. Potter,

Mrs. Walker,

Mrs. Elisha Fish

Mrs. C. A. Seward,

Mrs. Dr. Osgood,

Mrs. Griffin,

Mrs. J. Sherwood,

Mrs. S. H. Tyng,

Mrs. Capt. Shumway,

Mrs. Edw. Bayard,

Mrs. James Jones,

Mrs. Judge Betts,

Mrs. Wm. Ward,

Mrs. H. E. Eaton,

Mrs. W. C. Evarts,

Mrs. Judge Bonney,

Mrs. G. L. Schuyler,

Mrs. Peter Cooper,

Mrs. T. Tileston,

Mrs. F. S. Wiley,

Mrs. H. Webster,

Mrs. Moffat,

Mrs. S. J. Baker,

Mrs. R. Gracie,

Mrs. M. Catlin,

Mrs. Chandler,

Mrs. B. R. Winthrop,

Mrs. G. Stuyvesant,

Mrs. Geo. Curtis,

Mrs. A. R. Eno,

Mrs. W. F. Carey,

Mrs. A. Hewitt,

Mrs. Dr. Peaslee,

Mrs. R. Campbell,

Mrs. H. K. Bogart,

Mrs. Chas. Butler,

Mrs. C. E. Lane,

Mrs. M. D. Swett,

Mrs. R. M. Blatchford,

Mrs. L. W. Prudgham,

Mrs. A. W. Bradford,

Mrs. W. H. Lee,

Mrs. Parke Godwin,

Mrs. H. J. Raymond,

Mrs. S. L. M. Barlow,

Mrs. J. Auchincloss,

Miss Minturn,

Mrs. M. Trimble,

Mrs. S. B. Collins,

Mrs. R. H. Bowne,

Mrs. B. R. McHvaine,

Mrs. N. Lawrence,

Mrs. John Reid,

Mrs. C. Newbold,

Mrs. J. B. Collins,

Mrs. J. C. Smith,

Mrs. P. Spofford

Mrs. C. W. Field,

Mrs. P. Townsend,

Mrs. L. Baker,

Mrs. L. M. Rutherford,

Mrs. Charles King.

--N. Y. Tribune, April 27th.