Jerry W. Riggs of the 16th Maine Infantry wrote to Leonard Watson of the Maine State Agency of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, noting that he was expecting a box from home and wanted it forwarded to him at Bell Plains, Virginia.
The Sanitary Commission gave aid to hospitals, cared for wounded soldiers, and took care of other needs of Civil War soldiers.
The back of Riggs' note has a notation dated Dec. 31, 186 that "no box found to this date."
