This collection consists of three volumes of minutes and correspondence from the Soldiers’ Aid Society of Hartsville from 1861 through 1865 and a single volume “Minute Book” from the Wrightstown Soldiers’ Aid Society. During the Civil War, numerous communities throughout the Union established soldiers’ aid societies to raise money to help provision Union soldiers from their communities while those soldiers were in the field. Many of these organizations, such as the Hartsville and Wrightstown societies, were founded and led by women. Their common objective, eloquently expressed by the women of Hartsville, was “to afford aid and comfort to the sick and wounded of our Army and Navy, and to provide for those in active service such necessary clothing as is not furnished by the Government.” These societies collected dues and raised money through “social entertainments” for the purchase of such items as clothing, blankets, washcloths, bandages, pillow cases, and other items to provide material comfort for wounded soldiers in hospital and active duty soldiers in the field. Courtesy of the Bucks County Historical Society.
University Libraries online content only.
- Soldiers' Aid Society of Hartsville and Vicinity
- Wrightstown Soldiers’ Aid Society
- Reproduction of a manuscript book held by Bucks County Historical Society
Doylestown, PA. and digitized by Penn State University Libraries