United States Sanitary Commission

Formed in response to the rapid growth of the U. S. Army during 1861, the United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) consisted of Northerners on the HOMEFRONT

Men posing in front of the USSC lodge in Washington, D. C. (Library of Congress)

Mobilized to provide medical care, supplies, and other necessities for the soldiers in the Union army. Inspired by the British Sanitary Commission that was active during the Crimean War (1853-56), this group hoped to improve the poor hygiene of the camps and the health of the soldiers while assisting the wounded and coordinating the distribution of food and supplies to the men in blue.

The commission’s network consisted of tens of thousands of mostly female volunteers in numerous soldiers aid and ladies aid societies. Many of the societies were affiliated with the Woman’s Central Association for Relief, which provided the majority of the hands-on work at the local level. At the national level, the USSC was led by Henry W. Bellows, the president, along with George Templeton Strong, the treasurer, and Frederick Law Olmsted, the secretary. These men were dedicated to creating an organization that not only assisted the Northern soldiers but also educated people about the importance of discipline and sacrifice in society. While the hierarchy of the organization was male, the “foot soldiers” of the USSC’s campaign were generally women. The women of the commission used grassroots, locally organized female activism to promote the USSC’s goals. During the four years of the Civil War the commission’s men and women raised at least $7 million in cash and were responsible for distributing $15 million worth in supplies.

One of the commission’s most reliable sources of income came from the numerous community fairs they held in the years during and after the war. These “sanitary fairs” were held in small and large cities throughout the North and usually lasted for 10 to 14 days. During this time schools and businesses would close to allow the entire community to participate in the exhibits, shops, and entertainment presented at the fairs. The fairs raised money by charging admission, collecting donations, and selling toys, crafts, Civil War memorabilia, and food. The first large-scale sanitary fair, put on by the Northwestern Sanitary Commission in Chicago, raised more than $100,000 in October 1863. In April 1864 New York’s “Metropolitan Fair” netted $1 million for the USSC. When all was said and done, the fairs raised approximately $4 million, a significant portion of the U. S. Sanitary Commission’s total budget.

The USSC served as an on-call support group for areas that suffered the most during the war. Following large battles where the military’s medical staffs and the local citizens could not adequately provide for the sick and dying soldiers, the U. S. Sanitary Commission would be called upon to give them assistance.

Upon arrival at the scene, the U. S. Sanitary Commission helped set up temporary hospitals and provide medical assistance to the wounded. The commission’s volunteers also wrote letters for the soldiers to their loved ones at home, read the Bible to the soldiers, and provided moral support to the wounded. The volunteer work and assistance provided by the USSC enabled many of the wounded soldiers to recover and continue fighting with their regiments.

Despite the philanthropic nature of the U. S. Sanitary Commission, there were many who disagreed with the management philosophies of the commission’s administrators. Most of the complaints focused on excessive control by the administrators, who were accused of spending the organization’s dollars frivolously.

It is important to note, however, that the vast majority of the men, women, and even children who volunteered for the commission did so out of the goodness of their hearts and for the benefit of their fellow compatriots. A number of smaller women’s organizations and aid societies created to assist the soldiers were eager to help the USSC in every way possible.

The U. S. Sanitary Commission was the most recognizable philanthropic organization during the Civil War. Dedicated to improving the well-being of the Union soldiers, the commission provided invaluable medical assistance and moral support that enabled the soldiers to continue their fight to save the Union. The USSC also helped develop a nationally active women’s community, elements of which went on after the Civil War to promote other agendas such as women’s suffrage and temperance.

See also women’s status and rights.

Further reading: Jeanie Attie, Patriotic Toil: Northern Women and the American Civil War (Ithaca, N. Y.: Cornell University Press, 1998); Robert H. Bremner, The Public Good: Philanthropy and Welfare in the Civil War Era (New York: Knopf, 1980); Judith Ann Giesberg, Civil War Sisterhood: The U. S. Sanitary Commission and Women's Politics in Transition (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2000); William Quentin Maxwell, Lincoln’s Fifth Wheel: The Political History of the United States Sanitary Commission (New York: Longmans, Green, 1956).

—Megan Quinn