American Historical Ephemera and Photography

Group of 7 receipts, all from Springfield, Ohio, each documenting payments to individuals for various services related to providing wood fuel to families and to City Hall. Several receipts indicate the fuel was specifically for families of Civil War soldiers. One receipt indicates the payment to George Hays "To one Load of Wood furnished Colord family on Clarks Hill / April 4th 1864."

The suffering of soldiers' families during the Civil War caused governments at the local, state, and federal levels to respond with unprecedented efforts to control prices and supply provisions. Some towns increased taxes in order to purchase meat, flour, and wood for the families of soldiers. The scarce receipts offered here demonstrate that Springfield, Ohio, though a relatively small community, did enact programs to ease the burden on families whose primary providers were off fighting the war.

[With:] 1 receipt documenting expenses reimbursed by the City of Springfield to J.M. Cummings, Clerk, for "Expenses to Cincinnati as to assignments of 44 Regt by order of Council" and "Expenses to Columbus, Cleveland, posting volunteer Record."