Touch the Elbow - Blogging the Civil War

From Sanitary Commission fairs held in major cities throughout the North, to the Christian Commission providing hot coffee, religious tracts, and writing paper, to circles of women and children picking lint, rolling bandages, knitting socks and mittens, and through care packages and letters, private citizens did their best to ensure the wellbeing and morale of soldiers at the front. Gettysburg, in particular, tugged at the heartstrings of those at home and they responded with compassion and generosity both in large and small ways to meet the needs of the more than 20,000 who had been wounded and were lying in hospital beds.

Today, more striking passages from Gregory Coco’s “A Strange and Blighted Land; Getysburg: The Aftermath of a Battle:”

Some of the marks which are fastened on the blankets, shirts, &c., sent to the Sanitary Commission for the soldiers show the thought and feeling at home. Thus on a homespun blanket, worn, but washed as clean snow, was pinned a bit of paper, which said:

“This blanket was carried by Milly Aldrich (who is ninety-three years old) down hill and up hill one and half miles, to be given to some soldier.”


On a bed quilt was pinned a card saying: “My son is in the army. Whoever is made warm by this quilt, which I have worked on for six days and most of six night, let him remember his own mother’s love.”


On another blanket was this: “This blanket was used by a soldier in the war of 1812 – may it keep some soldier warm in this war against traitors.”


On a pillow was written: “This pillow belonged to my little boy, who died resting on it; it is a precious treasure to me, but I give it for the soldiers.”


On a pair of woolen socks was written: “These stockings were knit[ted] by a little girl five years old and she is going to knit some more, for mother says it will help some poor soldier.”


On a box of beautiful lint was this mark: “Made in a sick room, where the sunlight has not entered for nine years, but where God has entered, and where two sons have bid their mother good-bye as they have gone out to war.”


On a bundle containing bandages was written: “This is a poor gift, but it is all I had; I have given my husband and my boy, and only wish I have more to give, but I haven’t.”

On some eye shades were marked: “Made by one who is blind. Oh, how I long to see the dear Old Flags that you are all fighting under.”