History
There is a group of heroes that served upon the battlefields of the
Civil War without rifles or cannons. They came with bibles, bandages
and the love of Christ. These were the heroes of the U.S. Christian
Commission.
Where was God during this terrible suffering and bloodshed?
The answer lies most notably in the stories of heroism exhibited by the
United States Christian Commission and the delegates that so fearlessly
and faithfully served the soldiers with the gospel. Formed in the fall
of 1861 by the Young Men's Christian Association to "take active
measure to promote the spiritual and temporal welfare of the soldiers
in the army, and the sailors and marines in the navy, in co-operation
with chaplains and others.
During the war, five thousand delegates volunteered and
distributed over $6,000,000 worth of goods and supplies (in 1860's
valuation) to the soldiers and sailors of the Union army on the
battlefields, camps, hospitals and prisons. They also served the
soldiers in grey when the opportunity arose. It is estimated that the
service rendered by the delegates of the Christian Commission equal the
continuous work of one man for 658 years!
The story of the Christian Commission during the Civil War,
although relatively unknown, remains one of the greatest stories of
heroism and courage in the course of our modern history. This is a
story of heroes...heroes of faith!