New York, July 30th.
My dear Miss Woolsey: I was extremely glad to receive your excellent letter yesterday. Had I known that you were residing in Washington, I should have requested you some time before to collect information for our society. We had become extremely anxious about these women; we could not learn who had safely arrived, where they were, what they were doing, nor how they fared in any respect; and a check of considerable amount, sent to one of them, was unacknowledged. As we had pledged ourselves to protect these women, pay their expenses, their wages, etc., you may imagine that we felt extremely uneasy about them. . . .
I will ask you now, to find out for us where Miss E. H. and Mrs. M. S. are placed. They were sent from New York by the night train, July 25th, direct to Miss Dix, and should have reached Washington last Friday morning.
Will you also visit the Georgetown Hospital and report on two nurses whom we sent on last Saturday. We should like some unprejudiced account of the management of this Hospital. . .
I will see that any nurse going to Alexandria in future is furnished with a certificate signed by some proper authority here. We feel much obliged to you for all the trouble you have taken in this matter. . . .
As the government payment commences Aug. 5th, from that time our society hands the nurses over to the government.
I remain very truly yours,
E. Blackwell.