II. New York Hospital Directory

Description data TOP

unitid

{"value"=>"337938", "type"=>"local_mss"}

unitdate

{"value"=>"1863-1864", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1863/1864"}

unittitle

{"value"=>"II. New York Hospital Directory"}

physdesc

{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"1 box, 8 volumes"}

bioghist

{"value"=>"<p>The New York Hospital Directory office opened to the public in March, 1863 at Cooper Union in Manhattan. Its first Superintendent was Joseph P. Holbrook (1822-1888), a composer of sacred choral music, author, and brother of Henry S. Holbrook of Louisville. His duties were assumed by William H. Day in August, 1863. At the turn of the year, the USSC decided to close the New York office, apparently for reasons of cost and efficiency. Its records were shipped to Washington in February, 1864. The New York office collected hospital reports for New York, New Jersey, and New England. These were later collected by the Washington office. However, the USSC found it necessary to keep an open office where inquiries concerning soldiers could be made in person. The City's soldiers had many friends and relatives who could not read or write, who were not native speakers, or who did not have the money or capability to correspond with officials by letter or telegram.</p> <p>The USSC's New York Office arranged for inquiries to be handled at the offices of the Woman's Central Association of Relief, also located at Cooper Union, transferring one of its clerks, Caroline A. Howard to WCAR as Hospital Directory Clerk, a position she held until the closing of the Hospital Directory. Incoming Hospital Directory correspondence received by Caroline A. Howard and other Woman's Central colleagues from January, 1864 onward is found throughout the numbered correspondence of the Woman's Central Association of Relief record group (MssCol 22266. Howard's holograph reminiscences are contained in \"Papers relating to the Final Report\" in the Washington Hospital Directory records.</p>"}

scopecontent

{"value"=>"<p>New York Hospital Directory records consist of letters received (general correspondence); application materials, comprising letters of inquiry concerning soldiers, and journals and registers used to record such inquiries and their status; a record of daily hospital reports received; and the office's hospital directory and index volumes.</p> <p>Letters Received and Letters of Inquiry were incorporated into this record group from previously unsorted materials. Letters of inquiry found here are not represented in the USSC Civil War Soldiers Inquiry Database. Letters of inquiry are filed alphabetically by soldier surname. Additional New York Hospital Directory letter of inquiry materials are found in the records of the Washington Hospital Directory as originally arranged by the United States Sanitary Commission, as discussed in that series.</p>"}

date_start

1863

keydate

1863

date_end

1864

date_inclusive_start

1863

date_inclusive_end

1864

Child components TOP

1. Letters received
2. Applications [3/2]
3. Daily reports from hospitals
4. Hospital directories [6/1]
5. Hospital directory indexes [2/1]