"The work in New England has been conducted with so much simplicity, and universal co-operation, that there have been no persons especially prominent in it. Rich and poor, wise and simple, cultivated and ignorant, all—people of all descriptions, all orders of taste, every variety of habit, condition, and circumstances, joined hands heartily in the beginning, and have worked together as equals in every respect. There has been no chance for individual prominence. Each one had some power or quality desirable in the great work; and she gave what she could. In one instance, it was talent, in another, money,—in another, judgment,—in another, time,—and so on. Where all gifts were needed, it would be impossible to say what would make any person prominent, with this one exception. It was necessary that some one should be at the head of the work: and this place it was my blessed privilege to fill. But it was only an accidental prominence; and I should regret more than I can express to you, to have this accident of position single me out in any such manner as you propose; from the able, devoted, glorious women all about me, whose sacrifices, and faithfulness, and nobleness, I can hardly conceive of, much less speak of and never approach to.
"As far as I personally am concerned, I would rather your notice of our part of the work should be of 'New England women.' We shared the privileges of the work,—not always equally, that would be impossible. But we stood side by side—through it all, as New England women; and if we are to be remembered hereafter, it ought to be under that same good old title, and in one goodly company.
"When I begin to think of individual cases, I grow full of admiration, and wish I could tell you of many a special woman; but the number soon becomes appalling,—your book would be overrun, and all, or most of those who would have been omitted, might well have been there too."
In the same tone of generous appreciation of the labors of others, and desire that due honor should be bestowed upon all, Miss May, in her final Report of the New England Women's Auxiliary Association, gives utterance to the thanks of the Executive Committee to its fellow-workers:
"We wish we could speak of all the elements that have conspired to our success in New England; but they are too numerous. From the representatives of the United States Government here, who remitted the duties upon soldiers' garments sent to us from Nova Scotia, down to the little child, diligently sewing with tiny fingers upon the soldier's comfort-bag, the co-operation has been almost universal. Churches, of all denominations, have exerted their influence for us; many schools have made special efforts in our behalf; the directors of railroads, express companies, telegraphs, and newspapers, and gentlemen of the business firms with whom we have dealt, have befriended us most liberally; and private individuals, of all ages, sexes, colors, and conditions, have aided us in ways that we cannot enumerate, that no one really knows but themselves. They do not seek our thanks, but we would like to offer them. Their service has been for the soldiers' sake; but the way in which they have rendered it has made us personally their debtors, beyond the power of words to express."
One of the most efficient auxiliaries of the New England Women's Auxiliary Association, from the thoroughly loyal spirit it manifested, and the persistent and patient labor which characterized its course was the Boston Sewing Circle, an organization started in November, 1862, and which numbered thenceforward to the end of the war from one hundred and fifty to two hundred workers. This Sewing Circle raised twenty-one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight dollars in money, (about four thousand dollars of it for the Refugees in Western Tennessee), and made up twenty-one thousand five hundred and ninety-two articles of clothing, a large part of them of flannel, but including also shirts, drawers, etc., of cotton.
Its officers from first to last were Mrs. George Ticknor, President; Miss Ira E. Loring, Vice-President; Mrs. G. H. Shaw, Secretary; Mrs. Martin Brimmer, Treasurer. A part of these ladies, together with some others had for more than a year previous been engaged in similar labors, at first in behalf of the Second Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry, and afterward for other soldiers. This organization of which Mrs. George Ticknor was President, Miss Ticknor, Secretary, and Mrs. W. B. Rogers, Treasurer, raised three thousand five hundred and forty-four dollars in money, and sent to the army four thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine articles of clothing of which one-third were of flannel.
Another "Boston notion," and a very excellent notion it was, was the organization of the Ladies' Industrial Aid Association, which we believe, but are not certain, was in some sort an auxiliary of the New England Women's Auxiliary Association. This society was formed in the beginning of the war and proposed first to furnish well made clothing to the soldiers, and second to give employment to their families, though it was not confined to these, but furnished work also to some extent to poor widows with young children, who had no near relatives in the army. In this enterprise were enlisted a large number of ladies of education, refinement, and high social position. During four successive winters, they carried on their philanthropic work, from fifteen to twenty of them being employed during most of the forenoons of each week, in preparing the garments for the sewing women, or in the thorough and careful inspection of those which were finished. From nine hundred to one thousand women were constantly supplied with work, and received in addition to the contract prices, (the ladies performing their labor without compensation) additional payment, derived from donations for increasing their remuneration. The number of garments (mostly shirts and drawers) made by the employés of this association in the four years, was three hundred and forty-six thousand seven hundred and fifteen, and the sum, of twenty thousand thirty-three dollars and seventy-eight cents raised by donation, was paid as additional wages to the workwomen. The association of these poor women for so long a period with ladies of cultivation and refinement, under circumstances in which they could return a fair equivalent for the money received, and hence were not in the position of applicants for charity, could not fail to be elevating and improving, while the ladies themselves learned the lesson that as pure and holy a patriotism inspired the hearts of the humble and lowly, as was to be found among the gifted and cultivated. We regret that we cannot give the names of the ladies who initiated and sustained this movement. Many of them were conspicuous in other works of patriotism and benevolence during the war, and some found scope for their earnest devotion to the cause in camp and hospital, and some gave vent to their patriotic emotion in battle hymns which will live through all coming time. Of these as of thousands of others in all the departments of philanthropy connected with the great struggle, it shall be said, "They have done what they could."