Whitman writes from (presumably) Lawrence, Kansas Territory, to ask Samuel Adair for his assistance in distributing remaining relief clothing before winter. He includes instructions for notifying the public of the availability of relief goods and indicates that whomever Adair "knows to be in absolute want" should have first priority. Whitman feels the task of distribution would not take longer than one week. He also wants Adair to estimate the number of poor families in his [Adair's] community.