-all
for the purpose of officially announcing to the commanding general (for
the place was under martial law) that the Red Cross had arrived on the
field. I could not have puzzled General Hastings more if I had addressed
him in Chinese; and if ours had been truly an Oriental mission, the
gallant soldier could not have been more courteous and kind. He
immediately set about devising means for making as comfortable as
possible a "poor, lone woman," helpless, of course, upon such a field!
It was with considerable difficulty that he could be convinced that the
Red Cross had a way of taking care of itself at least, and was not
likely to suffer from neglect. I don't believe he quite got over his
mistrust until a week later, when carloads of lumber from Iowa and
Illinois began to come in consigned to the president of the Red Cross.
As this was the only lumber that had come, the military were constrained
to "borrow" from us in order to erect quarters in which to entertain the
Governor of the State on the occasion of his first visit.

Our first duty was to study the situation and take up the line of relief
as necessities developed and opportunities presented. Western
Pennsylvania and Ohio had been "instant in season." Pittsburg had mainly
provided for the survivors who were injured. Ohio had sent its troops
under its efficient Adjutant-General Axline; and food, the first
necessity, was literally pouring in from every available source.

But the wherewithal to put and keep clothes upon this denuded city full
of people, and something to sleep on at night was a problem; and shelter
for them, a present impossibility. The _possible_ must be attempted.

The first days brought in dispatches and letters to the amount of about
a hundred a day, tendering sympathy, offering help, and giving notice of
material and money sent. We were then living in tents and working
literally night and day, some of us at work _all_ the time.

From one mammoth tent, which served as a warehouse, food and clothing
were given out to the waiting people thro