American National Red Cross; Red Cross and Red Crescent
It is simply impossible within the limits of this report, and indeed
words are inadequate, to convey even a faint idea of the immensity of
the labor required in this department. Kind hearts all over our land had
been stirred by the appeals that had been made for those needy ones,
and boxes, barrels, bundles, all sorts and descriptions of these came
pouring in upon us. All of these must be unpacked and sorted and again
repacked before they could reach those for whom they were intended.
Think of this, careful housekeepers, as you sort over and pack away your
family wardrobe and household goods. Think what it would mean to sort
over and pack away clothing for the use of thirty thousand people.
* * * * *
As I think it will not be without interest to our readers, to give a
little closer view of the people among whom we worked; for this purpose
I shall make a few extracts from various letters received at Red Cross
headquarters. The first is a plea for help and is a fair sample of these
papers, I copy words and spelling with no attempt at correction:
MISS CLARA BARTON THE QUEEN OF THE RED CROSS SOCIETY.
we ar now, making a Plead before you mam. we are the suffers of the
Storm. we beg you mam to helph we to som clothing. mam we ar all
naked. mam, there is Som old People is there mam can not helph thom
Self Some motherlis children is there can not helph them Self
Waiting for Som clothing If you Please mam. Thanks you mam for the
Rashon (rations) we get it mam But no clothing we Get We is the
committee of the clothing.
This is signed by the three women of the committee.
As pleas for help came by mail, so also did letters of thanks and a few
of these will tell their own story much better than any description of
mine could possibly hope to do. Here is one:
we the people of this Plantation have sen much thank to you Dear
madam for the closing (clothing) what you have send for ous the very
children sen there thanks to you for the shoes an closing that you
have sent for them an we the people pray Day and night that the god
of heaven will keep you an gard you an when this short life is pass
heaven will be your home nothing more to say at present. Signed by
one member of the committee, a woman.
As an instance of the desire of many of the committees in charge of the
distribution of clothing, to be honest and fair, I copy another letter:
MISS BARTON:
DEAR MADAM: Mrs. Diana Williams president of Sewing Society No. 1
Say she coming over for Clothing on Monday I dont think eny clothing
need not right away I would like to see on my Section how many needy
person are not serve in Clothing yet and plese dont send over no
clothing before for it will take me some time. when clothing are
need to go over I will let you now (know) for further information I
can explain it something I like to say to you before eny more
clothing go over.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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