United States Sanitary Commission records. Maryland archives

1862-1865

The USSC established offices and storehouses, and homes for soldiers and their relatives, throughout Maryland during the war, in Annapolis, Baltimore, Frederick, and Sharpsburg. The main purpose of these USSC stations was to collect and provide supplies for use by army hospitals and regiments in the field, and to support relief of the wounded following major battles. They also assisted discharged and disabled soldiers and their families with additional aid such as lodging, meals, and discounted transportation fares.

Annapolis became an important military hospital center and transit point during the Civil War, due to its easy access to Washington and Baltimore by rail, and to other points north and south by ship via the Chesapeake Bay. Hospitals were established at the United States Naval Academy, St. John’s College, and other locations to receive wounded and sick soldiers. Nearby Camp Parole also had a hospital. This was a large parole and convalescent camp for exchanged or paroled Union prisoners released from Confederate custody, newly relocated from a smaller site in May, 1863.

The USSC provided general and special relief services at Annapolis. Rev. H.C. Henries was in charge of issuing supplementary supplies to hospitals in the area and at Camp Parole. The USSC had agents at Division Hospital No. 1 and No. 2, and at Camp Parole. In addition to distributing supplies to hospital staff, agents also visited and worked with soldiers to make sure any special needs were met.

In July, 1863, Frederick N. Knapp, head of the Special Relief Department in Washington, instructed Henries to open a Home to provide temporary shelter and food for the visiting wives, mothers and children of soldiers. Many of the women had traveled great distances on urgent notice and could not easily find or afford public accommodations in town. The Home, under the care of a matron, was located on Conduit Street; it opened in July, 1863 and ceased operations in 1865.

On May 25, 1864, Henries was relieved of his duties and J. Addison Whitaker was appointed superintendent of relief operations in Annapolis. Whitaker served until December 7, 1864, when he was succeeded by C.F. Howes who served until May, 1865. William H. Holstein was in charge when operations ceased in the fall of 1865.

Baltimore’s proximity to the two opposing capitals of Washington and Richmond with its easy access to shipping ports and railways made it an excellent location for a major USSC supply depot and office. The Baltimore office and storehouse opened on May 1, 1862 at 46 South Sharp Street with Joseph T. Pancoast as its agent in charge. Pancoast, with the support of a storekeeper and an office clerk, made large purchases of hospital supplies, provisions, and other articles for use by army hospitals and for battlefield relief in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. Pancoast also assisted other USSC officers in chartering shipping vessels to receive and transport supplies. During the end of 1864 a second storehouse was maintained at 50 Howard Street. In May 1865, the Baltimore office and storehouse moved to 288 West Baltimore Street where it remained until the office closed in the fall of 1865.

The Baltimore office also provided special relief services to soldiers and their relatives including the collection of back pay and bounties due to them from the government, gathering information on soldiers for their relations, and procuring transportation to hospitals and military departments and for soldiers’ furloughs and transfers. They also kept food and clothing supplies on hand for soldiers and their families, former prisoners of war, and southern refugees in Baltimore. From April to October 1863, these special relief services were in the charge of O. C. Bullard.

On April 27, 1864, a Home for invalid soldiers was established in Baltimore on 62 Conway Street, conveniently located near the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The Home served as a lodging for soldiers in transit as well as for relatives of soldiers who were in need. Meals and reduced fares for transportation were also provided. Mr. Hammond served as the superintendent of the Home until May 1864. Arthur E. Hastings was appointed superintendent on May 23, 1864 and remained in that position until the closure of the Home on September 30, 1865.

The USSC storehouses at Frederick and Sharpsburg opened in the aftermath of the Battles of South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam in mid-September 1862 to furnish hospital supplies and food for the relief of sick and wounded soldiers. The Sharpsburg storehouse closed on November 5, 1862 while Frederick’s storehouse closed around the fall of 1863. Later in July 1864, the storehouse in Frederick was reopened following the Battle of Monocacy (July 9, 1864). Frederick J. Williams was the agent in charge at Frederick until it closed in October 1864. A soldiers’ rest was established here under Richard Mansfield and was in operation from August 1-12, 1864.