What they gathered for the boys

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On November 29th, 1861 the Nashville Union and American newspaper had a report from the Smyrna Soldiers' Aid Society. Their efforts were akin to the care packages from home we send our soldiers in the Middle East and the assistance many volunteers give local care groups and veterans hospitals.

Report of the Smyrna Soldiers’ Aid Society. 
Organized September 2d, at Smyrna Depot, Rutherford county Tenn., with eighty seven-members. 

CONTRIBUTIONS.
261 shirts, 26 overcoats, 10 linen coats, 38 pair winter pants, 11 pair summer pants, 26 pair drawers, 225 pair socks, 11 vests, 12 pairs boots, 8 pairs shoes, 14 pairs gloves, 23 comforters, 1 pair suspenders, 2 soldiers knives, 1 soldiers belt, 15 cotton kerchiefs, 2 silk kerchiefs, 5 hats, 1 blouse, 46 towels, 183 pillows, 109 pillow cases, 5 mattresses, 1 feather bed, 3 curtains, 19 quilts, 16 comforts, 194 blankets, 106 sheets, 12 coverlets, 2 winter bed spreads, 4 table cloths, 3 bed ticks, 180 mouth mops, 66 poultice bags.

Now when I was looking at the list most of the items were easily understandable.  It was when I got to the item listed as “mouth mops” that I will admit total confusion. I first thought of a very small mop used to brush your teeth with, but I could find no reference online to anything of the sort. I reached out to the Tennessee State Library and Archive (TSLA) and asked them for some assistance on reading this article. They were also at a loss, but they figure that the item is the humble napkin.  Sounds obvious at this point, but by itself it was a little odd.

Another item was the wording. If you look closer at the image you will see that I have put some of it into the more modern way of writing.
Example

“15 cotton kerchiefs, 2 silk do.,”

I also asked the TSLA about this and if I was reading it right. It seems ‘do.’ Is shorthand for ‘ditto’.

“15 cotton kerchiefs, 2 silk kerchiefs,”

It was used to allow more to be printed and removed repetitive words in article and documents.

Back to the list as now we are getting into the food items.

4 bottles chow chow, 7 gallons jelly, 3 gallons jam, 4 gallons cordial, 1 gallon cherry bounce, 41 gallons wine, (grape, blackberry and raspberry,) 18 jars of pickles, 4 barrels of pickles, 4 jars preserves, 6 barrels bran, 16 barrels catsup, 2 bags okra, 1 bag corn starch, 1 bag Irish moss,  bags crackers, 7 bushels dried apples, 1 bushel fresh apples, 28 bags dried peaches, 10 ½ bushels potatoes, 2 barrels potatoes, 106 bushels peas, 6 gallons popcorn,

I've linked to a few other pages if you’re interested in what a bounce, cordial, or bran is according to their time. Some of the reading is rather interesting.

10 gallons whisky, 4 pounds bees wax, 100 pounds white soup, 100 pounds flour, 5 pounds rice, 28 pounds butter, 2 bags of dried fruit, 1 bag dried damsons, 1 bag dried raspberries, 1 bottle brandy, 25 dozen eggs, 7 chickens, 5 turkeys, 2 boiled hams, 1 jug of milk, rags, bandages, lint, cotton, sage, red pepper, mutton tallow, ad infinitum.

I was surprised how much dried fruits were sent in general and how little rice and meats, the boiled ham are a dried salty ham that you boil to tenderize it. I will admit that the whisky was interesting when added to all the wine, bounces and cordials. I would recommend following the link on 'lint' as it is interesting. As is proper they packaged them up according to their rules from the constitution and sent them off.

DESTINATION OF BOXES SENT OFF .
Box to Western Virginia, Sept 7th.
Box to a Kentucky company, encamped at Nashville Fair Grounds, Sept 28th.
Box first to Nashville Hospital, Sept. 28th.
Box second to Nashville Hospital  Sept. 28th.
Box third to Nashville Hospital, Oct.
Wagon load to Nashville Hospital by Mrs. Mayes and Mrs. Wells, Oct.
Box to Capt. Gooch’s company, Oct 12th.
Box to Knoxville Hospital, Nov 9th.
Box to Martin’s Regiment, Nov 11th.
In Addition to the reported contribution, sent wagon load to Soldiers’ Relief Society, Nashville, by Mrs. Beomfild Ridley and Mrs. Nelson, Nov 23rd.
Sent second wagon load Nov. 23d, by Mrs. Buchanon.
Send third wagon load by Mrs Northway and Mrs Ralston, Nov 23rd, to S.R.Society.

To keep this from being longer then needed I will stop here and finish later this week with the treasurers’ report and who gave fund and other material donations and labor to the group.

I hope you are enjoying some of the essoteric lists that I am writing about. I have about 2-3 more to go, then I go to a series called 'maps'.