5th New York Volunteer Infantry
Company C
Duryee's Zouaves
WCAR at Huntingon Beach, 2004.
Cooling off at Ft. Tejon, 2004
Women's Central Association of Relief
New York
The American Civil War impacted the lives of all citizens regardless of allegiance to the Union or Confederate States. In the North, while the soldiers were responding to President Lincoln's call for a volunteer Army to preserve the Union, the desire to support the soldiers fell on families at the home front. Men, who never traveled more than twenty miles from their home prior to war, found themselves amidst the ranks of thousands in far away destinations. Citizen soldiers fell victim to disease, the army camp life harsh living conditions, homesickness, battlefield wounds both physical and mental.
Early in the war, before the first significant battle was fought at Bull Run, there was an identifiable need to assist the Army in managing the health and well being of its soldiers. Citizens at home moved into action to raise funds and collect donations for the various soldier relief efforts. Organizations were formed to unite the relief efforts of many into a more efficient distribution system to benefit the soldiers who were the intended recipients of the aid. Among these organizations were The Women's Central Association of Relief in New York (WCAR), The U.S. Sanitary Commission (USSC) and the Christian Commission. Major cities conducted base operations gathering badly needed medicines, bandages, clothing, blankets, food items, soap, candles, writing materials, and books to supplement what the Army could not provide. The workforce behind this effort was orchestrated by many women at the home front. Women's roles in society were changing during this time, and various occupations such as nursing, school teaching, and management positions in the business world, which were a males realm, became available to women out of necessity while the soldiers were serving in the army.
Schuyler was the daughter of a distinguished New York family and became a pioneer in social reform and a policy maker on comprehensive improvement to health, education and human services. Miss Schuyler developed and maintained a network of chapters in Northern cities which did the indispensable work of rolling bandages and gathering materials for the comfort of the soldiers throughout the conflict. She was instrumental in organizing the independent system of transportation to insure the receipt of supplies and prepared simple health pamphlets to train inexperienced officers about field nutrition and campsite selection. The WCAR helped the USSC on the national level to see that $5,000,000 in cash and over $15,000,000 in supplies benefited the soldiers. Under Louisa's leadership, 25,000 packages in the form of bundles were successfully classified and forwarded to Northern troops, with only one package lost. This was a phenomenal accomplishment and a credit to her organizational skills. While remaining in charge of the WCAR, Louisa also became chairman of the Committee on Correspondence and Publicity of the USSC. She wrote letters and reports and lectured other aid societies in the United States about the WCAR and USSC in order to gather additional support.
The civilian sacrifices made during the American Civil War are worthy of our recognition today. We are all the benefactors of their efforts and contributions which has enriched our American history. There is much to learn and you can learn more by further research and study about the contributions by such women as Louisa Lee Schuyler and organizations like the WCAR and US Sanitary Commission.
If you are interested in joining the WCAR, please see the Join Us page!
WCAR and 5th NY at Huntington Beach, 2005
Original US Sanitary Commission quilt on display at the Lincoln Shrine, Redlands, CA.
Lincoln Monument GAR Rededication, Long Beach, CA, 2006
WCAR and Sanitary Commission Inspector, Huntington Beach, 2005
Educating the public, Huntington Beach, 2005
In April 1861, the WCAR developed and initiated resolutions that focused on the aid and comfort needs of the soldiers. They pursued the action necessary to work with the government to see these needs were met. The WCAR was the core of the US Sanitary Commission. Throughout the war, the WCAR worked in concert with the USSC addressing the issue of providing relief were the Army could not.
Once of the organizers of the WCAR was Louisa Lee Schuyler. Miss
Louisa Lee Schuyler, WCAR Founder
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WCAR at "Last Soldier" Ceremony in Anaheim
WCAR at Lincoln Shrine, 2007
WCAR at St. Catherine's, 2008
WCAR Nurses at El Dorado Park, 2009
