Mary-Ella Holst, President of the All Souls Historical Society

  

As the Civil War began the military was unprepared to deal with the profound number of wounded men resulting from the intense hostilities, and many casualties died in the field before they could be transported to the few military hospitals available. 

Supplies such as blankets, bandages and medications were in short supply or simply not available. As the situation became evident, the "Women's Central Association of Relief" was formed. Louise Lee Schuyler (1837-1926), a member of All Souls, became head of the New York City branch and was named its national chair.

The goal of the "Women's Central" was to collect needed items from women across the country, and also to organize distribution of the supplies. When the group could not get the necessary permission from military authorities, Schuyler turned to her minister at All Souls, Rev. Henry Whitney Bellows (1814-1882), and asked him to go to Washington to meet with President Abraham Lincoln to see what could be done.  

Bellows formed a committee that would later become the United States Sanitary Commission and, ultimately, was given the authority to act for the government in these relief efforts.  Bellows was the only President of the USSC, and other prominent members included Frederick Law Olmstead, the designer of New York's Central and Prospect Parks; and diarist George Templeton Strong.

Humanitarians in Europe with similar concerns for wounded soldiers on that continent met in Geneva in 1864. Basing their new organization on the model of the US Sanitary Commission and its relationship with volunteers, the International Red Cross was formed. 

The United States did not join the Red Cross until 1881, but Bellows never gave up in his efforts to see the nation formally join the humanitarian efforts we recognize today as the American Red Cross.