William Schouler, A history of Massachusetts in the Civil War: Volume 1

The New-England Women's Auxiliary Association, of which many good and noble ladies were active and distinguished ornaments, was the name given to the North-eastern branch of the United-States Sanitary Commission. It was organized in December, 1861, with headquarters in Boston, and continued its work until July 12, 1865. At that time, finding $6,462.14 in its treasury after its debts were paid, it resolved itself into a small committee to expend the residue of the money for the benefit of disabled soldiers, or women and children left by the war without their natural protectors. Its first officers were, John Ware, M. D., president; S. G. Howe, M. D., vice-president: Rev. Rufus Ellis, secretary; and George Higginson, Esq., treasurer. It had an executive committee of seven ladies, the chairman of which was the acting head of the work; an industrial committee of six ladies, whose duty consisted in purchasing material, and getting it converted into garments. The cutting was done by volunteers, and the sewing by poor women, fairly paid for their work by persons of wealth, ready to do the twofold good of employing the poor, and furnishing garments for the soldiers. No money was ever taken from the general fund to pay these seamstresses. There was also a finance committee of seven gentlemen and five ladies, whose functions are sufficiently indicated by the name. In addition to these officers working in Boston, there was a large number, varying from fifty in the beginning of the work to one hundred and twenty-six at the end, of associate managers, ladies living in various cities and towns of New England, who undertook the work of a rousing interest, each in her own locality; and of giving requisite information in regard to the needs, and the best method of meeting them.

Thus organized, the association began its work; bearing in mind that its duty was to act as medium of communication between the officers of the Sanitary Commission and the people of New England; the former being free to make requisitions for any supplies needed for the soldiers, which requisitions the association was promptly to make known, trusting to the people to supply the need. It never trusted in vain; for, though the demand, enormous almost beyond power of computation or expression, was seldom fully met, yet the response to