Home of the Brave

A precursor to the American Red Cross, the U.S. Sanitary Commission was a volunteer organization charged with overseeing the sanitary conditions of the Union military hospitals during and after the American Civil War. Responding to a terrible shortage of bed linens, bandages, socks and other basic articles of clothing among the wounded, the Sanitary Commission arranged a massive supply drive. In just four years women from the Union states stitched and donated more than 250,000 quilts – including many that used this simple but striking block pattern. Most were made from scraps on hand, leftover from handmade shirts, aprons and dresses. But I’m sure the quilts brought a great deal of relief to the soldiers that received them. Today’s block is destined for a similar project; to bring comfort to soldiers wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq, or to the families of fallen heroes.