Civil War Letter - February 1864

Oxford Times, March 2, 1864 

Buffalo, Feb. 15th, 1864

My Dear Friends:  Your letter in reference to work for the soldiers was received here, and I hasten to answer that in the prospect of an early opening of the work to which our soldiers are called, there is no time to lose in getting up supplies in every neighborhood, which however small in themselves, may flow into the reservoirs provided at different centres, and together meet the need and supply them fully.

"Little drops of water-- / Little grains of sand--"

You all know the rest

I learn from the central office at Washington, to which accurate and prompt information from every section of our army comes by telegraph, that the supply of dried fruits is exhausted, and the demand for them urgent.  I do not know that your region furnishes any considerable amount of these, but I do know how very grateful they are to the poor fellows in whom disease has created a fastidious appetite, and a longing for what tastes of home, love and kindness, and this applies to all the smaller fruits, especially berries and dried cherries, jellies put up in small parcels are very grateful and useful, but the risk of breakage is very great and the percentage of loss on them proportioned.  they should be packed in sawdust and in small and very solid boxes. Dried fruits should be put up in small strong bags, and the remark applies to almost all such delicacies. There is always great waste after opening large packages in dividing and distributing in the field and at depots.  Eau de cologne, bay water, and wines, in small bottles go twice and three times as far as when given out in quart bottles.  I have gone about the stores in villages where we had numbers of wounded and gathered up empty "essence vials" procured corks at the Druggists, and divided up in them the stores of cologne, camphor and alcoholic stimulants, and so distributed to the individual patients.

You will perceive at once both the saving in amount and the gratification to patients secured in this way.  By the time the supplies which the friends of the soldiers are now preparing for him shall reach him, the demand for flannels will be greatly reduced, or cease and cotton garments will be chiefly in requisition.

Thick cotton shirts and thick cotton drawers, small pillow cases, bandages wide rather than narrow, night caps made of almost any  material or color.  Dressing gowns, sheets and quilts are among the most essential articles.

There will be a great saving in expense, and risk and in the intelligent distribution to points where supplies may be most needed, if local societies forward their packages with full invoices of contents to some central depot acting with the great recognized and most economical charm of distribution, the U.S. Sanitary Commission.

P.S. I wonder if Chenango County is going to send anything or anybody to the Fair at Albany, or to the Metropolitan Fair at New York.

I think something of this kind might well be done; and articles of several kinds made or found which could and would be spared and be welcome swelling both the harmony and the results.

The Hoe Factory and the Cheese Factory might have somehting.

It is an occasion not to come again I hope in 100 years.

Of course canned fruits and butter in sealed tin cans are very acceptable offerings.  J.Y.V.I.