THE 
American Association 
FOR THE 
RELIEF OF THE MISERY 
Of 
BATTLE FIELDS; 
A CENTRAL NATIONAL COMMITTEE, 
AUXILIARY TO THE “ COMITE INTERNATIONALE DE SECOURS AUX 
MILITAIRES BLESSES,” CONSTITUTED BY AN INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE AT GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, IN OCT., 1863. 
Its Constitution, with a Sketch of the International 
Movement for the Amelioration of Suffering 
among the Sick and Wounded of 
Armies in the Field. 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
GIBSON BROTHERS, PRINTERS. 
1866. I. 
CONSTITUTION 
American Association for the Relief of 
the Misery of Battle Fields; 
OF THE 
AUXILIARY TO THE 
“ Comite Internationale ee Secours aux Militaires Blesses,” 
AT GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. 
<J O IST H T ITUTION. 
Art. 1. This Association, organized pursuant to an official 
invitation of the Comite Internationale de Secours aux Mili- 
taires Blesses, of Geneva, shall consist of 
y'Q. R. AGNEW, M. I). 
ELISHA HARRIS, M. I). 
J. FOSTER JENKINS, M. D. 
F. N. KNAPP, Esq. 
F. L. OLMSTED, Esq. 
HOWARD POTTER, Esq. 
THEODORE ROSEYELT, Esq. 
CHAS. J. STILLE, Esq. 
C. E. STRONG, Esq. 
G. T. STRONG, Esq. 
I HENRY W. BELLOWS, D. D. 
JNO. S. BLATCHFORD, Esq. 
CHAS. L. BRACE, Esq. 
E. A. CRANE, M. D. 
JNO. M. CUYLER, M. D. 
WM. E. DODGE, Jr., Esq. 
U WOLCOTT GIBBS, M. D. 
FRANK H. HAMILTON, M. D. 
C W. H. VAN BUREN, M. D. 
and such other persons as may hereafter be elected to 
membership ; and it shall constitute a Central National 
Committee, auxiliary to the Genevan International Com- 
mittee. 
Art. 2. The objects of this Association are: first, to secure 
the adoption, by the Government of the United States, of 4 
the international compact, providing for the neutrality of 
all persons in attendance upon the sick and wounded of 
hospitals, battle fields, etc., already adopted by most .civil- 
ized nations ; secondly, to collect and diffuse information 
touching the progress of mercy and the advancement of 
sanitary science, in its application to armies ; thirdly, to 
cooperate with all other national associations, and with the 
Central Geneva Committee, in such ways as it may approve 
or find convenient for the furtherance of humanity on battle 
fields throughout the world. 
Art. 8. This Association shall hold itself in readiness, in 
the event of a war upon its own soil, or its borders, to 
inaugurate such practical measures for the protection and 
relief of the sick and wounded of the opposing armies as 
may consist with the objects of the Association, as indicated 
in Art. 2. 
Art. 4. The members named in Art. 1 shall constitute 
a Board of Management. 
Art. 5. The Officers of the Board, and of the Association, 
shall be a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, 
Art. 6. It shall be the duty of the President to preside 
at all meetings of the Board of Management, and to conduct 
the foreign correspondence with the Central Committee at 
Geneva, and with our own Government. 
Art. 7. The Secretary shall keep the records and conduct 
the ordinary business correspondence, notify the meetings, 
and attend to any special duty assigned to him by the 
Board of Management. 
Art. 8. The meetings of the Board of Management shall 
be held quarterly, on the second Mondays of January, April, 
July, and October, and at such other times as the Board 
may appoint, and whenever the President may call the 
Board together. 11. 
Sketch of the International Movement 
Amelioration of Suffering 
FOB THB 
among the 
Sick and Wounded of Armies in the Field. 
In November, 1863, Monsieur J. Henry Dunant published 
at Geneva, Switzerland, a narrative of bis experience as an 
eye witness of the horrors subsequent to the deadly strife at 
Solferino, in 1859. 
Moved by a consideration of the painful inadequacy of 
all means of succour for the wounded and dying of that 
bloody field, be urged the formation, in each country of 
Europe, of a permanent society for the relief of the wounded 
in battle, acting in the interest of its own country, but in 
a spirit of universal humanity. He claimed that the person 
of a combatant, prostrated by a wound, to whatever nation 
he belonged, should always be considered sacred. Also, 
that the condition of neutrality, and consequent freedom 
from capture by the enemy, should attach to the persons 
of the sanitary corps of the several belligerent armies, and 
that on the occasion of great battles, the services of benevo- 
lent persons, inclined to devote themselves to the relief of 
the wounded, should be more generally accepted as the 
necessary complement of the labors of the overworked 
official administrative staff. 
M. Dunant suggested a uniform flag for the field and 
general hospitals of all civilized powers, and an identical 6 
distinctive badge for all military surgeons and their assist- 
ants, both official and volunteers, and he did not restrain 
the expression of his hope that some, among the great 
military powers of Europe, might adopt the above-mentioned 
proposals by formal compact, and thus present a basis for 
their incorporation into the international law of the civilized 
world. 
The Souvenir de Solferino of M. Dunant excited great 
attention in Europe. It passed to several editions, each in 
French and German, and was translated rapidly into the 
English, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Russian, and Spanish 
languages. 
The general sympathy which it worked encouraged the 
Geneva Society of Public Utility to constitute a permanent 
commission of five members of that body, for the purpose 
of securing a formal expression of European public senti- 
ment in advocacy of its recommendations. The illustrious 
General Dufour, commander-in-chief of the Swiss Federal 
army, was named president of the commission, and M. 
Dunant its secretary. 
This commission convoked a conference at Geneva in 
October, 1863, asking to it, by invitations addressed to the 
ministers of war of all the European governments, official 
representatives from every European power, and also the 
representatives of such corporate bodies and associations as 
seemed to be especially qualified for the discussion of the 
topics proposed, or were especially interested in the adoption 
of an international code. 
This first international conference was attended by thirty- 
six delegates, eighteen of them being the official represent- 
atives of fourteen governments, including those of Great 
Britain, France, Spain, Austria, Prussia, Italy, Russia, and 
Sweden. 7 
The commission had accompanied their circulars of invi- 
tation by copies of a proposed code of international enact- 
ments, expressing their matured opinions regarding the 
topics submitted for consideration. 
This code was earnestly discussed for four days, when the 
conference embodied its views in a series of resolutions, and 
committed to the Geneva Commission, now re-named Comite 
Internationale de Secours aux Militaires Blesses, the charge 
of securing for the proposals of the conference their embodi- 
ment in legal enactments. 
The recommendations of the conference were chiefly these: 
That in each country which was willing to adhere to the 
agreement proposed by the Geneva Commission, a committee 
should be formed with the view of cooperating, in all 
possible ways, in case of war, with the sanitary service of 
its army ; 
That each committee should put itself in communication 
with the government of its country to that end, that its 
offers of service might be acceptable when they should be 
needed ; 
That in time of peace the committee should engage in 
such employments as would best fit them for usefulness 
during war, especially in preparing supplies of hospital 
stores, and in foi'ming and instructing classes of volunteer 
hospital nurses ; 
That during war the committees of belligerent nations 
should furnish, in proportion to their resources, assistance 
to their respective armies, particularly that they should 
organize and employ volunteer hospital nurses, and engage 
them, in subjection to the military authority, at the depots 
for the care of the Avounded. (They should be permitted to 
solicit the assistance of committees of neutral nations ;) 8 
That on the invitation, or with the permission of the 
military authority, the national committee should send to 
battle fields volunteer relief agents, who should he made 
subject to the orders of the chief military officers, and who 
should, in every country, wear upon the arm, as a distinctive 
uniform badge, a red cross upon a white ground. 
In addition to the above recommendations, the conference 
expressed the wish that governments would extend their 
protection to national committees, when formed, and as far 
as possible facilitate their objects. 
That the neutrality of general and field hospitals should 
be declared by belligerent nations, and that it should also 
be accorded in the fullest degree to the official personnel 
of the sanitary service, to the unpaid nurses, to the inhabi- 
tants of the country who might go to the relief of the 
wounded, and to the wounded themselves ; 
That a distinctive and uniform badge should be adopted 
for the official sanitary corps of all armies, or at least for all 
persons of the same army, belonging to that service, and 
that a uniform flag should also be adopted by all countries 
for temporary and general hospitals. 
The Central Geneva Committee promptly engaged in 
correspondence with most of the cabinets of Europe for 
the purpose of ascertaining to what degree they were willing 
to adopt the recommendations elaborated by the Conference 
of Geneva. Within a few months, fifteen states signified 
their willigness to accept the propositions as part of an 
international code. 
The committee thereupon solicited the authorities of the 
Swiss Confederation to summon a congress of sovereigns to 
consider, concertedly, stipulations which might be incorpo- 
rated into the law of nations, concerning persons wounded 
in battle, and those carrying them assistance. 9 
The Swiss Federal Council acceded to this proposal, and in 
June, 1864, issued an invitation to all civilized powers to 
take part in a general congress about to assemble under its 
auspices at Geneva, in August, to consider this especial 
question of securing, by international enactments, neutrality 
in time of war for hospitals, ambulances, surgeons, and all 
persons legitimately engaged in caring for the sick and 
wounded. 
The French government so heartily desired the success 
of this novel congress that it warmly supported the invita- 
tion before several of the European cabinets. 
The congress constituted by the representatives of sixteen 
states assembled at the City Hall, in Geneva, on the Bth of 
August, and remained in consultation until August 22d. 
The Swiss delegation submitted a plan of a convention for 
the discussion of the congress, embodying most of the pro- 
visions asked for by the conference of October, 1863.* After 
full and varied discussion, it was, without vital modification, 
adopted, so far as the assent of the twelve nations signing 
the treaty could make it so, as the public law of nations, f 
The representatives of four States present at the congress 
were not authorized by their respective governments to sign 
the treaty ; therefore, to enable them to sign it at a later 
date, when the assent of their governments might be ac- 
corded, and to afford to other governments who had not 
sent plenipotentiaries to the congress an opportunity to 
*The request for governmental sanction and support of voluntary aid commit- 
tees was considered as pertaining to the special province of the separate govern- 
ments, and as not properly within the range of intexmational law, therefore not 
included by the powers of the congress. It was subsequently excluded from the 
draft of a treaty prepared by the Swiss delegation for the consideration of the 
congress. 
f Appendix. 10 
accede to the same, the convention was left open. It has, 
since that date, through the intervention of the Swiss Con- 
federation, by virtue of article 9 of the convention, received 
the accession of all of the chief civilized powers of the 
world, with the exception of Austria, Turkey, and the 
United States. 
That the Government of the United States could not, in 
1864, have hound itself to accept the treaty stipulations of 
the Congress of Geneva, needs little argument. The Honor- 
able the Secretary of State, when consulted concerning the 
approaching Congress of Geneva, is reported to have said that 
“our Government, while always ready to forward all humani- 
tarian action, has a well-understood policy of holding itself 
aloof from all European congresses or compacts of a political 
nature ; that it had sent delegates to the Postal Congress at 
Paris, the Statistical Congress at Berlin, and to those relating 
to agriculture, in other parts of Europe ; but that the con- 
gress now proposed to be held at Geneva, being for the 
modification of international laws of war, and the signing 
of a treaty binding upon our Government, xohile in the midst 
of war with a relentless and barbarous foe, was one of greater 
significance, and the seeding of a delegate or delegates, 
officially empowered to represent and act for the United 
States, was, from the very difficulties apparent, nearly or 
quite impossible. That, nevertheless, the United States 
Government stands ready to treat with any one, or with all 
other powers, individually, for the accomplishment of the 
grand objects of the Geneva Congress, or even to adopt, later, 
the treaty stipulations which shall wisely emanate and result 
from that congress. The Government wishes to act as a 
free agent, with option in these premises, and in its own 
good time.” The changed condition of the nation in 1866 does not, it 
may he hoped, demand this cautious attitude, and the 
members of the American Association for the Relief of the 
Misery of Battle Fields, in accepting the pressing invitation 
of the parent committee to lend their cooperative aid in 
mitigating the sufferings of war, are animated by the hope 
that their own Government need not longer hesitate to 
constitute the United States of America a partner in the 
compact of Geneva. 12 
A.FdPEXDIX. 
A. 
CONVENTION. 
POUR L’AMELIORATION DU SORT DES MILITAIRES BLESSES 
DANS LES ARMEES EN CAMPAGNE. 
Son Altesse Royale le Grand Due do Bade, 
Sa Majeste le Roi des Beiges, 
etc. etc. etc. 
egalement animes du desir d’adoucir, autant qu’il depend 
d’eux, les maux inseparables de la guerre, de sup- 
primer les rigueurs inutiles et d’ameliorer le sort 
des militaires blesses sur les champs de bataille, ont 
resolu de conclure une Convention a cet effet, et ont 
nomme pour leur Plenipotentiaires, savoir : 
Son Altesse Royale le Grand Due de Bade 
Le Sieur, etc 
Sa Majeste le Roi des Beiges, 
Le Sieur, etc. 
Etc. etc. etc. 
Lesquels, apres avoir eebange leurs pouvoirs trouves en 
bonne et due forme, sont convenus des articles 
suivants. 
Article Premier. 
Les ambulances et les bopitaux militaires seront reconnus 
neutres, et comme tels, proteges et respectes par les bellig- 
erants, aussi longtemps qu’ils s’y trouvera des malades ou 
des blesses. 
La neutralite cesserait, si ces ambulances ou ces bopitaux 
etaient gardes par une force militaire. 13 
Article 2. 
Le personnel des hopitaux et des ambulances, comprenant 
I’intendance, les services de sante, d’administration, de trans- 
port des blesses, ainsi que les aumoniers, participera an 
benefice de la neutralite lorsqu’il fonctionnera, et tant qu’il 
restera des blesses a relever on a secourir. 
Article 3. 
Les personnes designees dans I’article precedent pourront, 
meme apres I’occupation par I’ennemi, continuer a remplir 
leurs fonctions dans Phopital on Lambulance qu’elles des- 
servent, ou se retirer pour rejoindre le corps auquel elles 
appartiennent. 
Dans ces circonstances, lorsque ces personnes cesserront 
leurs fonctions, elles seront remises aux avant-postes ennemis, 
par les soins de Parmee occupante. 
Le materiel des hopitanx militaires demeurant soumis aux 
lois de la guerre, les personnes attachees a ces hopitanx ne 
pourront, en se retirant, emporter que les objets qui sont leur 
propriety particuliere. 
Article 4. 
Dans les memes circonstances, an contraire, Fambulance 
conservera son materiel. 
Article 5. 
Les habitants du pays qui porteront secours aux blesses 
seront respectes et demeureront libres. 
Les generaux des Puissances belligerantes auront pour 
mission de prevenir les habitants de Pappel fait a leur 
humanite, et de la neutralite qni en sera la consequence. 
Tout blesse recueilli et soigne dans une maison y servira 
de sauvegarde. L’habitant qni aura recueilli chez lui des 
blesses sera dispense du logement des troupes, ainsi que d’une 
partie des contributions de guerre qui seraient imposees. 
Article 6. 
Les militaires blesses ou malades seront recueillis et 
soignes, a quelque nation qu’ils appartiendront. 14 
Les Commandants eu chef auront la faculte de remettre 
irnmediatement aux avant-postes ennemis, les militaires 
ennemis blesses pendant le combat, lorsque les circonstances 
le permettront et du consentement des deux partis. 
Seront renvoyes dans leur pays ceux qui apres guerisou, 
seront reconnus incapables de servir. 
Les autres pourront etre egalement renvoyes a la condition 
de ne pas reprendre les armes pendant la duree de la guerre. 
Les evacuations, avec le personnel qui les dirige, seront 
couvertes par une neutrality absolue. 
Article 7. 
Un drapeau distinctif et uniforme sera adopte pour les 
liopitaux, les ambulances et les evacuations. 11 devra etre, 
en toute circonstance, accompagne du drapeau national. 
Un brassard sera egalement admis pour le personnel neu- 
tralise ; mais la deliverance en sera laissee a I’autorite 
militaire. 
Le drapeau et le brassard porteront croix rouge sur fond 
blanc. 
Article 8. 
Les details d’ execution de la presente Convention seront 
regies par les Commandants en chef des armees belligerantes, 
cl’apres les instructions de leurs Gouvernements respectifs, et 
conformement aux principes generaux enonces dans cette 
Convention. 
Article 9. 
Les hautes Puissances Contractantes sont convenues de 
communique!’ la presente Convention aux Grouvernements qui 
n’ont pu envoyer des Plenipotentiaires ala Conference Inter- 
nationale de Geneve, en les invitant a y acceder ; le protocole 
est a cet effet laisse on vert. 
Article 10. 
La presente Convention sera ratifiee, et les ratifications en 
seront echanges a Berne, dans I’espace do quatre mois, ou 
plus tot si faire se peut. 15 
En foi de quoi les Plenipotentiaires respectifs Pont signee 
et y ont oppose le cachet de leurs armes. 
Fait a Geneve, le vingt-deuxieme jour du mois d’Aout de 
Fan mille linit cent soixante-quatre. 
Ce traite a ete signe par les Plenipotentiaires de: 
Son Altesse Royale le Grand Due de Bade. 
Sa Majeste le Roi des Belges. 
Sa Majeste lb Roi de Danemark. 
Sa Majeste la Reine d’Espagne. 
Sa Majeste l’Empereur des Francais. 
Son Alteses Royale le Grand Due de Hesse-Darmstadt. 
Sa Majeste le Roi d’ltalie. 
Sa Majeste le Roi des Pays-Bas. 
Sa Majeste le Roi de Portugal et des Algarves. 
Sa Majeste le Roi de Prusse. 
La Confederation Suisse. 
Sa Majeste le Roi de Wurtemberg. 
B. 
TREATY. 
for the ameloration of the condition op wounded soldiers 
OP ARMIES IN THE FIELD. 
The Sovereigns of the countries following, to wit: Italy, 
Baden, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Portual, France, 
Prussia, Saxony, Wurtemhurg, and the Federal Council of 
Switzerland, animated with a common desire of mitigating, 
as far as in their power, the evils inseparable from war, of 
suppressing needless severities, and of ameliorating the con- 
dition of soldiers wounded on the field of battle, have deter- 
mined to conclude a treaty for this purpose; and, having 
named plenipotentiaries to sign such a Convention, these plen- 
ipotentiaries, after the due interchange of their powers, found 
to he in good and proper form, have agreed upon the follow- 
ing articles, to wit: 16 
Article 1. 
Ambulances and military hospitals shall be acknowledged 
to be neuter, and, as such, shall be protected and respected 
by belligerents so long as any sick or wounded may be 
therein. 
Such neutrality shall cease if the ambulances or hospitals 
should be held by a military force. 
Article 2, 
Persons employed in hospitals and ambulances, comprising 
the staff for superintendence, medical service, administration, 
transport of wounded, as well as chaplains, shall participate 
in the benefit of neutrality whilst so employed, and so long 
as there remain any wounded to bring in or to succor. 
The persons designated in the preceding article may, even 
after occupation by the enemy, continue to fulfil their duties 
in the hospital or ambulance which they serve, or may with- 
draw in order to rejoin the corps to which they belong. 
Article 3. 
Under such circumstances, when those persons shall cease 
from their functions, they shall be delivered by the occupy- 
ing army to the outposts of the enemy. 
Article 4. 
As the equipment of military hospitals remains subject to 
the laws of war, persons attached to such hospitals cannot, 
in withdrawing, carry away any articles but such as are 
their private property. 
Under the same circumstances an ambulance shall, on the 
contrary, retain its equipment. 
Inhabitants of the country who may bring help to the 
wounded shall be respected, and shall remain free. The 
Generals of the belligerent powers shall make it their care 
to inform the inhabitants of the appeal addressed to their 
Article 5. 17 
humanity, and of the neutrality which will he the conse- 
quence of it. 
Any wounded man entertained and taken care of in a 
house shall he considered as a protection thereto. Any in- 
habitant who shall have entertained wounded men in his 
house shall be exempted from the quartering of troops, as 
well as from a part of the contributions of war which may 
be imposed. 
Article 6. 
Wounded or sick soldiers shall be entertained and taken 
care of, to whatever nation they may belong. 
Commanders-in-chief shall have the power to deliver im- 
mediately to the outposts of the enemy soldiers who have 
been wounded in an engagement, when circumstances permit 
this to be done, and with the consent of both parties. 
Those who are recognized, after their wounds are healed, 
as incapable of serving, shall be sent back to their country. 
The others may also be sent back, on condition of not 
bearing arms during the continuance of the war. 
Evacuations, together with the persons under whose direc- 
tions they take place, shall be protected by an absolute neu- 
trality. 
Article 7. 
A distinctive and uniform flag shall be adopted for hos- 
pitals, ambulances, and evacuations. It must, on every 
occasion be accompanied by the neutral flag. An arm-badge 
(brassard) shall also be allowed for individuals neutralized, 
but the delivery thereof shall be left to military authority. 
The flag and the arm-badge shall bear a red cross on a 
white ground. 
Article 8. 
The details of execution of the present Convention shall 
be regulated by the commanders-in-chief of belligerent armies, 
according to the instructions of their respective Governments, 
and in conformity with the general principles laid down in 
this Convention. 18 
Article 9. 
The High Contracting Powers have agreed to communi- 
cate the present Convention to those Governments which 
have not found it convenient to send plenipotentiaries to the 
International Conference at Geneva, with an invitation to 
accede thereto; the protocol is for that purpose left open. 
Article 10. 
The present Covention shall be ratified, and the ratifica- 
tions shall he exchanged at Berne, in four months, or sooner 
if possible. 
In witness whereof, the respective plenipotentiaries have 
signed the same, and have affixed thereto the seal of their 
arms. 
Hone at Geneva, the twenty-second day of August, one 
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four. 
(Signed,) * * * * *