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Collections United States Sanitary Commission records. California Branch archives
 

United States Sanitary Commission records. California Branch archives

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Collection Data

Description
The California Branch of the United States Sanitary Commission was founded in San Francisco in September, 1862 as the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee, an independent fundraising organization. It officially became a branch of the USSC in August of 1864. The California Branch Archives contain the correspondence of Branch Secretary O.C. Wheeler, meeting minutes of its Executive Committee, and reports submitted by local aid societies and organizing agents documenting the extensive fundraising network developed throughout California and into neighboring areas. Other records include a draft of a history of the Branch and a scrapbook.
Names
United States Sanitary Commission (Creator)
Dates / Origin
Date Created: 1862 - 1866
Library locations
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Shelf locator: MssCol 18580
Genres
Documents
Scrapbooks
Notes
Biographical/historical: The California Branch of the United States Sanitary Commission was founded in San Francisco in September, 1862 as the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee,* an independent fundraising organization. It officially became a branch of the USSC in August, 1864. The California Branch was the single largest financial contributor to the Commission, with over $1.2 million donated. Although scattered funds were raised in San Francisco to benefit the USSC during the first year of the war, it was not until September 1862 that an organized fundraising operation was established, begun by the city’s Board of Supervisors. In an effort to develop a “Patriotic Fund” to benefit wounded and sick soldiers, local politicians and prominent businessmen established the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee, with a Committee of Thirteen (later expanded) as its steering committee. San Francisco Mayor H.F. Teschemacher was chosen chairman; James Otis, treasurer; and Alfred L. Tubbs, secretary. A mass meeting on September 14, followed by energetic city-wide canvassing efforts, led to the raising of over $100,000 by subscription in a few days. The Unitarian minister Thomas Starr King presented the USSC as the best beneficiary of these funds to the Committee, and a telegram was sent to its president Henry W. Bellows and treasurer George Templeton Strong on September 20 informing them of the pending donation. By the end of the month, the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee (SRFC) had raised an additional $100,000. Due to the involvement of numerous settlers from St. Louis and the mid-west in San Francisco’s fundraising effort, the Committee expressed a desire that a portion of its original donation be distributed to the independent Western Sanitary Commission in St. Louis, as well as to other branches in the USSC’s Western Department, if “independent in their organization as regards money.” This request was made public in the news coverage of the California donation, causing dilemmas within the USSC. The branches of the Commission were financially independent, raising their own funds, and (with some exceptions) were not fiscally supported by the central administration; the autonomous Western Sanitary Commission was considered a rival by the USSC. However, in their correspondence with Bellows, Californians made it clear that failure to allot a portion of the original donation to the St. Louis-based organization could affect future fundraising efforts. The USSC eventually donated $50,000 to the Western Sanitary Commission, and also distributed funds to five of its Western branches, especially Cincinnati, with whom relations had become strained. After this initial donation, the USSC became the primary beneficiary of the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee’s coffers, to use as they desired. Despite these difficulties, the primary effect of California’s donation on the USSC was a positive one, with Bellows called it “the making and saving” of the Commission. (See Charles J. Stillé. History of the United States Sanitary Commission, being the general report of Its work during the War of the Rebellion. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1866; p. 201.) Prior to the windfall, the USSC was often struggling to stay afloat. An increase in donated supplies had created the need for more storage facilities, personnel, and vehicles. The Commission’s tasks multiplied, and its treasury was in danger of running out throughout much of 1862. The California contribution not only provided the USSC with a financial cushion, but also allowed it to expand its efforts and advertising, and establish publications such as the Sanitary Bulletin. Positive publicity brought by the donation increased public awareness of the USSC, leading to further contributions. Fundraising continued in the last few months of 1862, bringing the year’s total for California to over $400,000 (see Stillé Appendix 5—total includes small amount of pre-SRFC donations). Efforts were extended statewide, and smaller towns from the interior began to contribute larger sums to the Committee. In addition, promotion of the fund soon expanded beyond state borders, to the Nevada and Idaho territories, Oregon, and Washington. The Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee employed a variety of fundraising methods. Canvassing for subscriptions among the city’s various trades and professions was undertaken by occupation-specific subcommittees. Circulars were distributed throughout the state. Polling stations and public gatherings such as picnics and fairs were utilized for appeals. Items were sold and resold at auction, sometimes bringing in large sums; mass meetings, exhibitions, tours, and fundraising social events produced contributions. After an appeal for more funds was sent to California by Bellows in October 1863, the Committee responded that it would remit $25,000 per month to the USSC in 1864. The Unitarian minister Thomas Starr King (1824-1864) was an important figure in the continuing success of the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee. A friend and colleague of Bellows, King was a fervent supporter of the Sanitary Commission’s efforts and of the Union cause in general. His impassioned speeches on behalf of the USSC purportedly roused many donors from apathy. King traveled throughout the state in his fundraising efforts, offering to do so at his own expense. The USSC lost a powerful ally when King died in March, 1864 from pneumonia and diphtheria. Following King’s death, the Unitarian community of San Francisco appealed to Bellows to come to California and assist them during their difficult transition. Bellows departed with his family in early April, planning to also use his time in California in the service of the USSC. During his stay from late April to September, Bellows traveled throughout the state, lecturing frequently on the Commission. Feeling that statewide canvassing efforts would be more successful with a USSC system in place, Bellows organized the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee into an official branch of the Commission on August 11, 1864, with headquarters at 240 Montgomery Street in San Francisco. The California Branch elected Governor F.F. Low its president; D.C. McRuer, chairman; R.G. Sneath, treasurer; and O. C. Wheeler, secretary. George Merrill continued to serve as assistant secretary, until December. O.C. (Osgood Church) Wheeler (1816-1891), a prominent Baptist minister and founder of numerous churches in California, conducted the bulk of the Branch’s office activities and correspondence. The Branch sought to fundraise widely throughout California, with smaller efforts in the neighboring states and territories of Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and Washington. It assigned 15 organizing agents (including Bellows’ son Richard) to canvass various counties in California (as well as Idaho) and establish Aid Societies in numerous, and often remote, small towns and mining communities, eventually resulting in over 300 societies donating by subscription. California raised over half a million dollars for the Sanitary Commission in 1864, much of it in gold. Official orders from Bellows to wind up the California Branch’s affairs and prepare final reports were sent in July, 1865. The Branch was also directed to prepare a history of its efforts. It closed its San Francisco office in September, though committees continued to meet to address issues with ceasing operations. In addition, the Branch continued some activities in an unofficial capacity into 1866, including assisting soldiers with pension claims. California Branch records were submitted to the USSC in August, 1866. Various totals exist for the amount contributed to the Commission by the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee/California Branch and the state of California. Totals for the state are listed by Stillé as $1,234,257.31 (See Appendix 5). This figure also includes contributions from some smaller fundraising efforts of organizations such as the Sacramento Valley Soldiers’ Aid Society, which was independent of the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee/California Branch; the bulk of California’s contributions, however, was donated through the Relief Fund/California Branch. This figure does not include money donated to the USSC from other Western states or territories through the California Branch. The California Branch’s Final Report (published 1866) gives a remittance total of $1,288,395.71 in currency and coin, and includes donations made from Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands that came through the Branch. In Stillé’s History, the chapter “Contributions from California and the Pacific Coast" (written by Bellows) gives a total of $1,473,407.07 from the entire “Pacific Coast,” also including parts of Canada, and Central and South Americas. Presumably some of this amount was donated to the USSC independently of the California Branch. *The group first called itself the San Francisco Committee of the Soldiers’ Fund; it was also referred to as the San Francisco Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Relief Fund Central Committee, Soldiers’ Relief Fund, Patriotic Fund, Citizens’ Committee, Central Relief Committee, or Sanitary Fund.
Content: The California Branch Archives consist primarily of correspondence, reports, minutes, a draft history, and a scrapbook documenting the work of the Branch and its predecessor organization the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee. The correspondence, chiefly that of Branch Secretary O.C. Wheeler, pertains to financial contributions solicited and received from individuals and aid societies. Letters and reports from organizing agents who canvassed various counties throughout California (and in Idaho) to organize aid societies contain details of their travels and the difficulties they encountered raising subscriptions, meetings attended, and expenses incurred. The agents’ reports and those submitted by local aid societies provide evidence of the extensive fundraising network developed in the state and beyond, reaching into numerous frontier and mining towns. Branch records also contain Wheeler’s monthly reports to the Branch’s Executive Committee, indexes of aid societies by location and names of officers, and miscellaneous financial items. See also USSC. Accounts and Vouchers record group (MssCol 18820) for additional financial records of the California Branch. While material in this record group chiefly pertains to California, a small amount relates to neighboring states and territories where fundraising occurred. Although Rev. Thomas Starr King was active with the Soldiers’ Relief Fund Committee, there are no items written by him, and only few references to him in the minutes of the Executive Committee.
The conservation, arrangement, and description of the collection was made possible by generous funding from the Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust.
Physical Description
Extent: 4.87 linear feet (12 boxes, 1 volume)
Type of Resource
Text
Identifiers
MSS Unit ID: 18580
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b11660964
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): a491e920-6463-013c-a051-0242ac110003
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