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Ladies Union Association 1863 Annual Report


Ladies Union Association 1863 Annual Report

First Annual Report

Of

THE LADIES’ UNION ASSOCIATION.

                The Ladies’ Union Association was formed July 20th, 1863, for the purpose of holding a Fair in aid of Sick and Wounded Soliders, intending immediately after the fair to disband. But finding so large a field of labor among Colored Soldiers, and receiving great encouragement, they concluded to permanently organize and continue the Association. Consisting of but fourteen members, nearly all of whom are young and inexperienced, we feel that the result of our labors for less than a year though not brilliant are satisfactory. Without one cent July 20th, 1863, we met to form a Committee, and in less than two months were prepared to have a Fair; but after engaging Assembly Buildings we were informed that our Committee were taken for white, and the mistake being made known the rooms could not be had. After a great deal of labor and trouble we succeeded in renting Sansom Street Hall for three days, January 5th, 6th and 7th, where we opened our first Fair. The Printing and most of the Goods were paid for with money collected from different persons who were willing to assist us.

Money Report of Sansom Street Hall Fair.

BILLS.

Rent of Hall, - - - $150 00

Ice Cream, - - - 29 40

Bread and Cakes, - - - 24 80

Commission Goods, - - - 156 32

                                                $860 52

Receipt of Money Cleared at Sansom St. Hall Fair.

RECEIPTS.

China Table, Mrs. Reddon, - - - $16 50

Tin Table, Mrs. Adger, - - -13 95

Book Table, Miss Mills, - - - 17 00

Basket Table, Miss S. Cole, - - - 10 55

Refreshment Table, Mrs. V. E. Dorsey, - - - 18 34

First Fancy Table, Miss Iredell, - - - 65 60

Second Fancy Table, Mrs. Jackson, - - -58 10

Meat Table, Mrs. Miss, - - - 11 00

Sale of Tickets and Door, - - -                                      50 00

                                                                                                $261 04

Presented to Sanitary Commission, Chestnut St.  $200 00

                                                                                                $61 04

Amount on hand, - - -                                                    35 30

Total amount in Fund, - - -                                            $96 34

                The Money now in Fund was used in purchasing Goods and Printing for the Second Fair, at Concert Hall, of which the subjoined is a report. There may be slight difference in this report from one published some time since, which arises from some money having been paid in since the report, and some small bills for breakage having been presented.

Amount Received at Fair, April, 1864.

Tickets, - - - $188 20

Door, - - - 45 23

First Fancy Table, S. L. Iredell, - - - 105 32

Second Fancy Table, E. L. Jackson, - - - 133 74

Cake Table, V. E. Dorsey, - - - 75 06

Ice Cream, V. E. Dorsey, - - - 136 12

Book and Variety Table, A. E. Mills, - - - 112 87

Perfumery Table, E. Adger, - - - 75 75

China Table, E. S. Iredell, - - - 46 87

Tin Table, L. A. Adger, - - - 72 23

Meat Table, Mrs. Mills, - - - 35 85

Presented by Col. Wagner and Officers at Camp William Penn,  25 00

                                                                                                                                $1053 24

BILLS.

Rent of Hall, - - - $ 250 00

Dressing the Hall, - - - 49 75

Commission of Goods, - - - 284 76

Ice Cream, - - - 62 30

Confectionery, - - - 34 25

Expense, - - - $681 06

Amount Cleared, - - - 372 18

1864.

April 21. Presented to Penn Relief, - - - $ 200 00

“         27/May 10, Sick at Summit House, - - - 20 00

June 6, Sick at Camp Wm. Penn, - - - 16 00

July 21, Sick at Portsmouth, - - - 50 00

Sundry small bills, - - - 21 57

                                                $307 57

Balance in Treasury, - - - $ 64 61

                The result of the Fair we are confident would have been much better, but we were blessed with only one day perfectly clear. We thank our friends for their kind patronage, and now that we are organized we would be thankful for any donation that may be sent, of which there will be suitable acknowledgment made. We also hope that tour friends will make some efforts to gain us admission to the city cars, as we find great difficulty in reaching the Hospitals. We had on hand at the close of the fair about three hundred dollars worth of goods, of which we forwarded about 25 dollars worth to the Orphans fair New York, the remainder we will keep our next fair.

                                                                                                                                S. L. Iredell, Secretary.

                                                                                                                                A. E. Mills, Treasurer.

Philadelphia, July 22d, 1864.

 

CONSTITUTION.

                Article I. This Association shall be known by the name and style of “The Ladies’ Union Association.”

                Article II. The object of this Association shall be to hold Fairs and raise money, to be spent in assisting Sick and Wounded Colored Soldiers.

                Article III. The Officers of this Association shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Corresponding and Recording Secretaries, who shall be chosen Annually, July 20th.

                Article IV. It shall be the duty of the President, and in her absence the Vice-President, to preside at all meetings of the Association, preserve order, and to state all questions that may be oved and seconded.

                Article V. The President, or in her absence the Vice-President may at any time when the interests of the Association demand, or on the requisition of four members, order a meeting thereof to be called.

                Article VI. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to make and preserve a correct report of all the proceedings of the Association, and at each meeting to lay the same before it, to sign all notices and furnish a correct roll or list of the members.

                Article VII. The Treasurer shall receive all monies belonging to the Association from whatever source, and shall keep a correct account of the same, and at a meeting every six months shall submit an accurate list of all receipts and disbursements for the inspection of the members.

                Article VIII. Any person wishing to become a member of this Association must be send in her name atone of the meetings when the members present shall vote by ballot, and on the consent of two-thirds of the Association she shall be declared a member.

                Article IX. It shall be competent at any meeting to from By-Laws for this Association, provided they do not interfere with the articles of the Constitution.

                Article X. All members of the Association on being received shall sign their names to this Constitution and pay to the Treasurer the sum of Twenty-five cents, and ten cents each succeeding month.

                Article XI. Any person or persons becoming personal or insulting in their remarks at the meetings, or found guilty of exposing the proceedings of the Association to persons not connected with it, are liable to be fined, and, on refusing to pay said fine, to have their name taken from the roll of members.

                The amount of Fines to be determined by a Committee for the purpose.

BY-LAWS.

                Article 1. No conversation not connected with the affairs of the Association will be allowed while a meeting is in session on pain of reprimand or fine of five cents.

MEMBERS’ NAMES.

Mrs. V. E. Dorsey, Pres’t.

Mrs. E. S. Iredell, Vice-Pres.

Miss A. E. Mills, Treasurer,

Miss S. L. Iredell, Sec’y.

Miss S.E. Cole, Cor. Sec.

Mrs. M. Davis,

Mrs. E. L. Jackson,

Miss L. L. Cole,

Mrs. L. A. Adger,

Miss E. Adger,

Miss C. Bruce,

Miss C. Jennings,

Miss E. N. Brown.

                To the President and Members of The Ladies’ Union Association.

                At a Meeting of the Penn Relief Association, held April 26th, 1864, on motion it was unanimously decided, that a vote of thanks be tendered The Ladies’ Union Association, for the very liberal Donation of Two Hundred Dollars, a part of the proceeds of their Fair recently held at Concert Hall.

                                                                                                Respectfully,

                                                                                                                Anna P. Little, Sec’y.

New York, May 4th, 1864.

To the President and Members of the Ladies’ Union Association.

                Dear Friends,

It is with the greatest pleasure that we received your very acceptable and unexpected Donation; we feel that we are laboring in a righteous cause as well as yourselves, and are very thankful for every favor that is extended to us; we feel under many obligations for the interest you have taken in our behalf, and trust you will not be unrewarded.

                I have the honor to be, in behalf of the Ladies’ Union Bazaar Association.

                                                                                                Emeline Bastien, Direct’ss,

                                                                                                E. J. Graham, Sec’y. 541 Broadway

                Miss S. L. Iredell, Sec. Ladies’ Union Association.

                Your box reached me safely this morning, and I assure you it was thankfully received by us, and I know it will be received ten fold by the dear Sick and Wounded Colored Soldiers now in our midst. I have the pleasure of visiting them often myself, and a great pleasure it is to me to be able to do something for our Soldiers who are giving their lives for the liberties that have always been withheld from us and that we may now enjoy.

                The contents will be inestimable value to them, and it would do you good to see how enthusiastic they become when I tell them how their friends at the north remember them. A great many of them are from the State of Pennsylvania; a large number of wounded came in yesterday from the front; we expect to have our hands full for the present . Hoping you will let us hear from you again, I have the pleasure of subscribing myself a true friend to the cause.                 Yours, in haste,

Mrs. M. A. Maynos,

President L. S. Aid Association.

Address: - No. 15 East Wolf Street, Norfolk, Va.

 



Background Information

This document details financial success of the Ladies Union Association in 1863. Among the ladies activities was a fair (see Ladies Union Association Poster) which raised money for wounded African American soldiers . The document also includes a membership list, a list of rules governing the organization, and letters commending the women's work.

Image: "First annual report of the Ladies' Union Association," Leon Gardiner Collection [0008B], Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Link: http://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/536



 

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