General Correspondence
Livermore, Mrs. D.P.
1863Chicago Sanitary Commission Rooms,
Chicago, Aug. 17th, 1863.,

Miss Anna Dickinson,
Dear Lady,

I have requested to write you in behalf of the "Chicago Sanitary Commission" of which I am a member, with reference to securing your services as a lecturer for at the time of the great Northwestern Fair, which is to the held in this city next fall during the first last week of October and first of November. I enclose you a circular, which will explain the whole matter to you. At the time of this Fair, which we mean to make not only a money-making agency, but a great moral demonstration, rebuking disloyalty, and upholding Freedom, we wish to provide various evening entertainments. We have been requested from all parts of the Northwest to obtain your services as a lecturer for two or three evenings, and have been assured that no entertainment which we could provide would be more acceptable. This accords with the inclination of the Executive Committee, who are exceedinglydesirous to have you lecture in this city, during the 
progress of the Fair, for its benefit. The Hall in
which you will lecture, will not be the same place 
as that in which the Fair will be held- wh.
will make it better for both. We are prepared to accede
to your terms, and to make such arrangements
as may suit your convenience and feel 
so earnest and desirous to add  [if] the weight
of you eloquent words for Freedom and Loyalty
to the other attractions of the occasion, that we 
can hardly contemplate the profitability of a refusal 
on your part.
Our Fair will undoubtedly be one of the
grandest occasions the Northwest has ever seen. 
It will bring together the noblest women of the
country, those, who in the dark hour of our nation's
life have towered head and shoulders 
above all others. Highly as we estimate you and 
Western women mention your name with pride,
we think this occasion will be worthy your presence.
The hope you will find it both agreeable and convenient
to accept our invitation and that you
will give us an early reply, naming the evenings
when we may expect you, and your terms.
The hope you will be able to speak for us, at



least two evenings, and if it suit you, would
prefer to have you here the first week in November.
Not knowing where to address you, I
send this to you under cover of a note to Mrs.
Lucretia Mott.
Yrs. very truly
Mrs. D.P. Livermore
Box 5836Chicago Sanitary Commission,
BRANCH OF
U. S. SANITARY COMMISION,
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street.
Chicago, Sept. 12th. 1863
Miss Anna Dickinson,

Dear Madam,
I have 
written you once before, but not 
receiving a reply, I venture another 
letter. My former letter was directed 
to you, Care of Mrs. Lucretia 
Mott, Phila. 
Enclosed please find a 
Circular, by which you will learn 
that the women of the Northwest 
propose holding a Fair on [of] a scale of 
great magnitude, for our sick and 
suffering soldiers the last week of 
Oct., and the first week of Nov.,
 in this city. It will eclipse every 
other occasion of the kind ever held 
in the Northwest, and already 
there is irrepressible enthusiasm 
concerning it.2    Chicago Sanitary Commission,
BRANCH OF
U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION.
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street.
Chicago,...186

   The evenings of both weeks will
 be devoted to evening entertainments
 of a most brilliant character - lectures, 
concerts, tableaux, &c, We
 have hired every desirable Hall
 in the city, and propose to entertain 
the city ourselves during
 those two weeks.
   Everywhere, from all parts 
of the Northwestern States, earnest
 petitions came to the Executive Committee, 
praying that you may 
be invited and secured to lecture 
for us one or two evenings of 
either week. There is a most earnest 
desire on the part of the best 
women and men among us to listen 
to you. We mean to make 
this Fair, a mighty moral power, 
as well as a money making institution. 

3    Chicago Sanitary Commission,
BRANCH OF
U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION.
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street.
Chicago,...186

We want it vitalized with
 the loftiest moral influence, and
 intend that there shall be daily,
 eloquent utterances throughout
 its continuance for loyalty, right 
and liberty. The Sanitary Commission 
of the West and Northwest 
are doing more than all
 others for negro regiments and 
hospitals - and we want that
 portion of the community which 
constantly clamors against this,
 sternly and powerfully rebuked,
 and so overawed by a regenerated 
public sentiment, that they shall
 be compelled to keep silent. 
You can aid us in this 
work, as no other can. The announcement 
that you would be
 with us at our Fair, would be4 Chicago Sanitary Commission.
BRANCH OF
U. S. SANITARY COMMISION.
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street.
Chicago,...186

flashed from Detroit to Cairo, and
 from Chicago to St. Paul, and
 would create universal enthusiasm. 
The good and true of
 the Northwest would tender
 you such an ovation as would
 surprise our colder-blooded
 people of the Atlantic States - 
While my soul Kindles at the 
thought of the good your earnest,
 truthful, eloquent words would 
accomplish here. 
    Mrs. Wm. Doggett is
 writing you from this city, at 
the same time with myself, and 
feels as I do, that she cannot 
take "no" for an answer. As 
to terms, I have carte blanche
 granted we in making arrangements 
with you, and am at libty 

5    Chicago Sanitary Commission,
BRANCH OF
U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION.
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street.
Chicago,...186

to accede to any terms you may
 propose - only lecture for us
 as we desire. Wont you come? 
Can you decline?
    I leave tomorrow 
night for Boston, and shall be
 in that city from the 16th to the
 22nd inst, when I shall go to 
N.Y. for a few days. I would
 call on you to talk over matters
 a little, if I knew where to find
 you, and would even come to 
Phila. if I were sure of inducing 
you to come to Chicago. Will 
you please drop me a line so that
 I may get it while in Boston
 between the 16th and 22nd? For 
very urgent reasons, I am exceedingly
 anxious to know your decision 
before I leave Boston, and6  Chicago Sanity Commission.
BRANCH OF
U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION,
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street
Chicago,...186

must entreat you not to delay
 writing me. My address is
 Care of Tompkins & Co. Boston
 25 Cornhill, up to the 22nd., after 
that, up to the 27th, Care of
H.N. White, Syracuse, N.Y. 
I shall be at the Liberator Office, 
while in Boston, and can 
receive a message there. 
I have sent a duplicate 
of this to Phila. hoping in some 
way to reach you. Please grant 
me an interview before you decline 
the invitation of the Women of the 
Northwest. 
Yours truly
Mrs. D.P. Livermore


Chicago Sanitary Commission,
BRANCH OF 
U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION.
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street.
Chicago...186

Boston Sept. 22d. 1863
My hear Miss Dickinson,
I write immediately,
 to acknowledge the receipt 
of your letter, which has
 just come to hand. I forwarded 
your proposition to Chicago,
 to the other members of the Committee 
associated with me, asking 
for instructions, and can write
 you definitely in a day or two, as 
they will telegraph me in reply. 
Had the matter been left wholly
 in my hands, I should close a 
bargain with you immediately, only 
stipulating that you must lecture 
for us two nights. One night
 would not begin to accommodate
 the people who will desire tohear you and if you come to 
Chicago at all you must lecture 
two nights. I think you 
can do that, and, if you should 
be in Ohio, as Mr. Garrison tells 
me you are likely to be, you can 
come to us and return in the 
same week.
    Hoping to be  instructed 
to say to you "Come!" in a day 
or two, I remain
Yrs very sincerely, 
Mary A. LivermoreChicago Sanitary Commission,
BRANCH OF 
U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION
Rooms No. 66 Madison Street.
Chicago, Oct 1st. 1863

My dear Miss Dickinson,
Sickness caused 
me to change my route home from 
Boston to Chicago, and hence I 
missed the telegram sent me 
from Chicago the 23rd Sept. 
authorizing me to engage you for
 two evenings, during one week
 of our Fair.
I reached Chicago this morning
 and hasten to write you,
 before stopping even to breakfast.
 I have first despatched you 
our decision, and hope the telegram 
will reach you in a few
hours. We shall depend on you 
for two evenings. The members 
of the Commission here in the city
 have sent the news flying [*?*] all 
over the Northwest, and when Ireached Suspension Bridge on
my way home, I met a Chicago
lady going East, who
was in ecstacies over the decision.
I am grateful and rejoiced
that we are to have
you. Don't fail us! And may
the good God who is doing so
much for our country, through
you, be strength and inspiration
to you, on that occasion.
Please write by return mail
and state definitely on what
two evenings we are to have
you. We are to make engagements
for other evenings, and
it is necessary for us to know
when you will be here, so that we
can reserve those evenings. Unless
you greatly prefer it, you are not
to go to a hotel. I do not know

but you have friends in Chicago
who will claim you, but if
you have not, the hospitalities
of many homes will be proffered
you. I will write more definitely
hereafter, when you reply.
As I understand it, we are
to pay you $500 for your first
evening's lecture, and $100
for the second. Is that correct?
The northwest is effervescing with
enthusiasm concerning our Fair.
Perhaps John C. Fremont will
give us a lecture, after you.
There is probability of it. Heavy
with a travel of forty-eight continuous
hours, I remain, hastily,
but
Very truly yours,
Mrs. D.P. Livermore
Box 5836,
Chicago, Ill.Chicago Sanitary Commission,
Branch of
U.S. Sanitary Commission,
Rooms No.66 Madison Street.
Chicago  Oct.11th. 1863.

My dear Mrs. Dickinson,
     We do not hear
from Anna, and are becoming
 a little anxious.  From all parts
of the country we are urged to
announce when Anna is to lecture, 
and of course are unable 
to do so.  What is she coming
to Chicago? On what two evenings 
are we to expect her?
     Our Fair comes off in
two weeks, which must be my
apology, for urging an immediate 
announcement of the
evenings.  Not knowing how
to [write] direct to Anna, I have
written to you.  Hoping an
early reply, I remain

Yrs. truly
Mrs.D.P. Livermore