U.S. SANITARY COMMISSION. NO. 78. AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, "WHY DOES THE SANITARY COMMISSION NEED SO MUCH MONEY?" A RECORD AND AN APPEAL.

Washington, D.C.: Central Office U.S. Sanitary Commission, Jan. 1, 1864., 1864. Fair. - Octavo, 9 inches high by 5-5/8 inches wide. Softcover, bound in printed self-wraps. 7 & [1] pages, including the covers. Folded in half vertically, the front cover page is soiled & darkened with ink stains to the bottom front corner. The top corners of several pages are chipped and there is a tiny tear to the front edges of the pages. Good. When wounded men, those temporarily displaced from their units or honorably discharged during the Civil War were left to find their way home, they frequently choked up Union supply bases. Many were starving, neglected and destitute, without the means to return to their unit or get home. The United States Sanitary Commission led by Frederick Newman Knapp, depended on donors to finance their effort to help thousands of displaced, wounded or sick Union soldiers. Knapp's heroic behind-the-scenes efforts included setting up supply chains, soldiers' relief stations, transportation and the distribution of food and goods. The pamphlet outlines an account of the commission's expenditures, details of its efficiency including rigorous inspections, camp protocols and the distribution of supplies, and concludes with an appeal for funds from donors, highlighting the conditions and urgent need on the battlefield. …