The Ladies of the Fort Hill Sewing Circle, in Hingham, Massachusetts, made this Album quilt for donation to the Unites States Sanitary Commission in 1864. The women inscribed the blocks with messages of encouragement and support for the wounded Union soldiers it was meant to be used by. The Fort Hill Sewing Circle was formed in 1851 to raise funds for upkeep of the Fort Hill Cemetery. Like many other women’s groups, the ladies shifted their support to the war in 1861. Courtesy of the Barbara Knapp Trust.