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Before night our clothing was all gone, but fortunately 12 barrels more arrived Tuesday morning. In all I think we distributed about 30 barrels of clothing mostly received in answer to an appeal inserted in the newspapers at the north, & to our private letters & about one thousand quilts, obtained [[strikethrough]]from[[/strikethrough]] from the Hospital partly by purchase & partly [[strikethrough]]by[[/strikethrough]] from the Sanitary Commission. Had it not been for these I believe there would have been many cases of [[strikethrough]]cold[[/strikethrough]] death from the cold. It does not help the matter any to know that the approved requisition for the bedding etc. in the hospital was received just three days after the things had all been sold. Many of our children are now kept from school barefoot. There are sick persons whom I would like to supply with bedding & whose children I would like to clothe, but our commissary is empty.
One woman whose husband was killed by the rebels in the war, has three children one an infant of ten days, & they are terribly destitute. I would clothe [[strikethrough]]s[[/strkethrough]] them if I could.
There are very many who escaped from slavery during the spring & summer. These usually brought with them only the clothing on their backs & have done well if they have provided food & comfortable clothing for their children [[strikethrough]]for[[/strikethrough]] during the warm weather. That they they should in most instances provide for the future was not to be thought of.