564

1864 Sanitary Commission F-MA-530A-1a R5 Civil War Token 1c Graded au58 By SEGS

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:4.00 USD Estimated At:150.00 - 300.00 USD
1864 Sanitary Commission F-MA-530A-1a R5 Civil War Token 1c Graded au58 By SEGS
DEMO LOT
1864 Sanitary Commission F-MA-530A-1a R5 Civil War Token 1c Graded au58 By SEGS. This lustrous token features a bust of Washington facing right. The Sanitary Commissions were the forerunner of the Red Cross. At the outbreak of the Civil War certain individuals foresaw the need for an organization to relieve the suffering of the soldiers in the field. One of these persons was Dr. Henry Bellows of New York City. Dr. Bellows and a number of prominent citizens formed the U.S. Sanitary Commission. The Commission, officially recognized by the Secretary of War in June 1861, was a predecessor to our modern Salvation Army and Red Cross. Many of the larger Northern cities had a headquarters for the Sanitary Commission. Officers were selected by the Secretary of War and served without pay, as did the various committees serving under them. The humane practices carried out by the Commission were numerous. They included distribution of relief supplies, equipping and staffing hospital ships and railroad cars, provision of food and the establishment of rest homes for the convalescing soldiers. Food, medicine and clothing were supplied to prisoners of war held by the South whenever possible. It might be of interest to mention that during the Civil war almost 2 1/2 times as many soldiers died of disease as from shot and shell. The Commission's sanitary inspections of camps and hospitals helped to reduce the spread of diseases. Obtaining the necessary funds to keep the Commission in operation was achieved by the holding of large fairs. Sanitary Fairs, as they were called, were held in many of the major cities. During the 4 years of war the U.S. Sanitary Commission distributed over $15,000,000 in donated supplies to hospitals, prisons, camps, etc., and handled over $5,000,000 in money. The Sanitary Fairs served a very useful purpose, inasmuch as they acquired the necessary funds for maintaining the Commission. Needless to say, without the Commission, suffering and deaths would have been more extensive during the Civil War. A Corey's Pick