Sanitary and Christian Coramissions. C9 



discussed frequently. We shall see later how it worked in the. 

 French war, and have to speak of its advantages and disadvan- 

 tages, and say now only a few words in reference to the man- 

 ner in which some of the latter were lessened by the practical 

 Americans. It cannot be denied that the attendance of fine 

 ladies is often more embarrassing than comforting to the 

 wounded soldiers, who mostly belong to the lower classes of 

 society, however much they may appreciate the gentle ways 

 and the soft hands of female nurses. In an elaborately and 

 •fashionably dressed lady a wounded soldier will rarely have 

 confidence ; the appearance of such a nurse makes him always 

 uncomfortable. This feeling was much lessened by a rule in 

 force in America. All female nurses in hospitals, paid or vol- 

 untary, servant girls or ladies, had to wear the same simple 

 dress, resembling very much that of the Sisters of Charity. 

 This was very important. The soldiers saw in them only female 

 nurses, whose duty it was to provide for their wants, and not 

 ladies above them in station who condescended to interest 

 themselves in their behalf. 



The two great societies which did ftiost in supporting the 

 sick and wounded soldiers were the 'Sanitary Commission' 

 and the ' Christian Commission,' whose activity extended over 

 the whole vast theatre of war, and whose efficacy can never be 

 praised sufficiently. At every station and military port were 

 to be found agents and depots of these two benevolent associ- 

 ations, each of which had many millions of dollars at their dis- 

 posal. No railway train, no transport steamer was to be found, 

 on which were not to be seen immense piles of boxes, ad- 

 dressed 'Frederick Law Olmstedt,' or 'Christian Commission.' 

 Mr. Olmstedt stood for a long time at the head of the Sanitary 

 Commission, and he had the merit of setUng the immense ma- 

 chine going. He was still a young man, but his exertion in 

 behalf of humanity exhausted his strength, and when he retired 

 he had grown old in these few years. He added this fresh 

 merit to that by which -he distinguished himself in New York, 

 for that city is mostly indebted to him for its world-renowned 

 Central Park. 



These commissions provided the soldiers, especially the sick 

 and wounded, not only with medicines and what was required 

 for their necessiues or comfort, but even with superfluides and 

 luxuries. It is true they had immense means, and could afford 



