Beyond the Battlefield: Uncovering the Women and Volunteers Who Fed 1.3 Million Union Soldiers at the Delaware River.
On the night of April 9, 1865, a Philadelphia cannon fired 36 shots to celebrate the surrender of Lee’s Army at Appomattox. Nicknamed “Fort Brown,” the cannon sat at the base of a 100-foot flagpole at Washington Avenue and Broad Street. For the last four years, the cannon had played an important role for the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon (UVRS).
When a troop train from New England departed New York, a telegram was sent to the “Union” and the cannon was fired. Volunteers, mostly women from the surrounding neighborhoods, would head to the saloon kitchens to begin preparing meals. Meanwhile, a group of enthusiastic boys would head to the Delaware to watch for the boats carrying the troops across the river. A second shot was fired when the ferries were spotted and the cooking began.
We often remember the soldiers at Gettysburg, but rarely the civilian effort that got them there. The cannon’s most important service wasn’t just celebrating victory; it was enabling the vast, grassroots logistical effort that made that victory possible.
Philadelphia: The Union’s Unofficial Hub
Philadelphia played a major role in mobilization due to its status as the major railroad hub in the Mid-Atlantic region. Consequently, most Union soldiers from northern states east of the Appalachians serving in the eastern theater of the war passed through the city.
The primary route for troops arriving from New England, New York, and New Jersey required them to travel by rail across New Jersey, then via steamboat across the Delaware River. (There were no bridges across the Delaware until 1896.) This journey culminated at the foot of Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, where soldiers disembarked and marched to waiting trains of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad to continue southward.
The headquarters of the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon (UVRS) and its annexed hospital, located at the critical transit point of Washington Avenue. Note the cannon, nicknamed “Fort Brown,” visible on the left, which fired the signals for arriving troop trains. The 100-foot flagpole (base visible behind the cannon) would have been the tallest marker in the neighborhood.
Spontaneous Patriotism: The Birth of the Saloons
Recognizing the dire need for systematic support, the refreshment saloon movement originated spontaneously among patriotic families living near the navy yard, who began offering food and coffee to the hurrying soldiers. This grassroots effort quickly formalized into two major organizations:
The Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon: Established on May 26th, 1861, in buildings on Otsego Street, south of Washington Avenue.
The Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon (UVRS): Organized formally on May 27th, 1861, at a small boat-shop owned by James Crim on Swanson Street, below Washington Avenue. Barzilai S. Brown, a local grocer, was instrumental in facilitating this initial distribution of aid.
The Refreshment Saloons were defined by the dedication of their volunteer workforce, which included men on the committee but was primarily organized and run by women. These women channeled their patriotism and prior experience in benevolent societies into direct action.
Beyond the Meal: Services That Defined the War
The services provided went far beyond a simple meal:
Sustenance and Shelter: The saloons supplied passing soldiers with food, drink, a bath, and shelter.
Welfare Services: Volunteers provided letter-writing materials, stamping and mailing the correspondence free of cost to the soldiers. They also distributed a “Soldiers’ Guide.”
Medical Care: As the conflict wore on, both saloons expanded to include hospitals. The Union Refreshment Saloon established Philadelphia’s first military hospital, eventually ministering to thousands of sick and wounded soldiers.
Volunteers found creative ways to fundraise for the saloons, including selling tickets to see the captured Confederate Ram Atlanta and organizing the Great Sanitary Fair.
A rare glimpse inside the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon. The scene highlights the dedication of the volunteer workforce, primarily women (like the prominent figure seated here), who provided thousands of soldiers with a warm meal, shelter, and a profound sense of family support during their long journey to the front.
A “Kindly Competition”: Scale and Rivalry
The two saloons, located just blocks apart, maintained a high volume of activity throughout the war. They experienced a “kindly competition” driven by philanthropic motives. Their cumulative scale of operation was staggering:
The Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon fed nearly 900,000 soldiers.
The Cooper Shop provided meals for 400,000 men.
Together, they cared for no less than 20,000 soldiers in their annexed hospitals.
One soldier, writing home in June 1863, captured the city’s mood: “As soon as we reached the city we marched to the dining saloon... It was the very best class of people who were out to meet us... It was like so many people bidding good-bye to their own sons and brothers. Anyone who thinks there is any lack of support for the war has only to march through Philadelphia.”
The Refreshment Saloons served as critical supply depots, analogous to a modern-day international airport lounge combined with a triage center: a place where weary travelers could find rest, sustenance, communication, and immediate medical aid during a long and dangerous transit, ensuring they felt supported and remembered during their patriotic journey.
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