A meeting of the citizens of Oceola was held, at the Protestant Methodist Church, on Tuesday May 3d, 1864, for the purpose of assisting the Soldier’s Aid Society in raising means to furnish material for the Society to forward to the Hospitals.
Judge Rice was appointed President of the meeting, which was then opened by prayer by Elder Fleming. The meeting was then addressed in a very able manner by Rev. H. B. Heacock, Elder Elliott, and Elder Fleming. A collection was then taken to raise money to buy materials for the Society to make into clothing and other necessary comforts for a sick room, to be sent to the hospital were Soldiers are suffering from sickness and wounds. The congregation were liberal with their means, which the members of the Society will be thankful for, and the Soldier that gets hem will be made comfortable. May they warm his body, raise his drooping spirits, and cheer his soul.
The Scurvy is raging in many portions of the army, and the best relief for it is vegetables. The Society therefore makes an earnest appeal to the good citizens through the county to send the Society such vegetables as they can spare, and they will send them away, as arrangements are already made so that transportation does not cost anything to the Sanitary Commission – Vegetables that may be sent will be properly taken care of and forwarded to the hospitals.
W. G. Kennedy, Sec.
- Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, May 7, 1864