U.S. Sanitary Commission - 1861-1865

The U.S. Sanitary Commission identified its presence with red flags that featured white lettering. Created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 to handle epidemics sweeping the Union Army, the U.S. Sanitary Commission was a forerunner to the American Red Cross. The U.S. Sanitary Commission brought sanitary conditions to the camps and hospitals, where more men died from infected wounds and illness than from actual combat. Various groups and individuals, such as Clara Barton, assisted the commission with its work in hospitals and in the field. This particular flag flew at the Sanitary Commission Office at 244 F Street in Washington, DC