E635 C76

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

THE WAR
AND THK
CHRISTIAN COMMISSION.
BY ANDREW B. CROSS.

TUB "WILSON BOYS

In 1860, a company called Union Riflemen, was formed in Baltimore county
for home defence, because of threats to drive Union men out of the State, in
which were five boys, sons of Mrs. Wilson, of Baltimore county. On April
19th, 1861, at the call of the Captain, John W. Wilson, they met at Cockeysville
to resist attempts of the Maryland Guard and Towsonton Cavalry to burn the
bridges on the North Central Railroad. About twelve o'cloflk at night two
omnibuses, with about forty-seven men, drove up, inquirying for Hayfield
Merryman. Noticing the uniform on the men, they asked, what company and
who commanded ? "I do," said Capt. John W. Wilson.
The man in command of the men asked of him a private interview. They
went into the parlor. After a few words, the captain was heard by those out
side to say, "The city of Baltimore could not raise money enough to hire him
to do such a thing," when he immediately came out, slamming the door, and
said, "Will you stick to me, boys ?"
"These men say Governor Hicks has ordered them to come up here and offer
me five hundred dollars to burn Big Gunpowder Bridge. . Jf they do it, they
will walk over my dead body first." Being foiled in their plans, the men got
into the omibuses and drove down the turnpike, Wilson and others following
to the Ten Mile Gate, to see that they did not take any side road to accomplish
their work. Out of this with others, a company was formed, which entered
the service on May 27th, 1861, in which were the five brothers. Afterwards
Eobert A. raised a company of cavalry, and Malcom, a company in the second-
Maryland Begiment.
Captain Malcom Wilson was killed at the head of his company leading a
charge over the bridge at the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1802. The
others were all in the army until the battle of Hatcher's Run, February 6, 1865,
when John W. Wilson, who, on the death of Colonel Dushane, had been pro
moted to Colonel of the First Maryland Regiment, was killed. Robert A. Wil
son, who had left the cavalry and was Second Lieutenant in the same regiment,
also received a ball which entered his lungs, and from which he died on* the
14th of February. John and Malcom were both shot through the head. The
three brothers are buried in the graveyard of the Presbyterian church at Ches-
nut Grove, Baltimore county. Of the remaining brothers, one's health has
given way — he is in the hospital, and tho other is with his regiment.
Seldom does a whole family enter upon the defence of their country with
such unanimity and entire devotion. Never for one moment have any of them
consented to shrink from any duty, and no braver men ever entered an army.
The citizens of Baltimore and Maryland have been so engaged in attending
upon and helping the soldiers of our country from all States, that they have
not given special or particular attention to the men of their own State.
It is due to them to say that no better men, no truer patriots, have served from

THE WA.R

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION.

BY ANDREW B. CROSS.
** ¦* ii

CONTENTS.
. PAGE.
Treatment of Prisoners at Richmond — Commissary denounced by Foote  3
Cases of returned Prisoners — Wounded and Prisoners  4
Connivance at the Rebellion by President Buchanan  5
Incident of Peninsular war — Testament given on field of battle  6
Surgeons — Philanthropist. — Intoxicating drinks  1
Prison— Fort Delaware — General Ewell's Headquarters  8
Libby Prison — Belle Island — Rev. John Hussey  11
Statement of Mr. Mcllvaine — Rev. Mr. Tiffany  12
Prisoners naked — Dr. Chapel — Petition from Officers at Charleston to Presi
dent on treatment at Andersonville  13
Confession of Richmond Examiner — Deaths in hospitals at Richmond  14
Prisons of the Revolution — Wallabocht Bay — Cruelty of English — General
Washington's remonstrance  15
Letter from Col. Hoffman — Walker — Marsden — Preaching — Point Lookout... 19
Rejected Camp — U. S. V. — 2, 5, 12 N. H. V.— Prisoners' Camp. — Hammond
Hospital  .... ,  20
Gen. Barnes — Drs. Hagar and Thompson — Rev. Messrs. Adams and Leonard.. 21
Rev. Mr. Ambrose  22
General Butler — Quarters — Rev. .Mr. McKee — Library Tent  23
Mr. Baker — Maryland Bible Society— Rev. Mr. Walker— Mr. Morgan — School 24
Exchanges — Capt. Miller, Ga., fifteen days in dead house — Capt. Little, N. C.
— Battle first day at Gettysburg  26
Edey — Man without blanket — Swearing — Attention of Surgeons  28
Officers' Camp — Gen. Jeff. Thompson — J. C. Breckinridge — Prisons not for
torture  29
Two hundred Morgan's men — Colored Regiment  30
Norwegian — Union men among prisoners — North Carolinian  31
Good humor of officers — Benefit of imprisonment — Nicholas oi Russia — John
Newton — Rules for prisoners  32
Army — Length of trains — Culpepper — Wilderness  35
Spotsylvania — Death of Sedgwick— Wadsworth  36
Tree cut down by bullets at Spotsylvania C. H. — Richmond Sentinel  31
Commission — Fredericksburg and Belle Plain — Bishop Mcllvaine  38
North Anna— York River — Bermuda Hundred  39
Mr. Miller — Drury's Bluff — Kautz — Heckman — Finnegan— Point of Rocks ... 40
Sheridan's cavalry — Sabbath at Bermuda Hundred — White House — Cold Har
bor  41
Death of Col. Porter  42
Pontoon Bridge — Crossing the James  44
Petersburg — Weldon Road— Poplar Grove Church — Hatcher's Run — Straw
berry Plains — Deep Bottom.  45
Raid into Maryland — Battle of Monocacy — Advance on Washington — Burn
ing of Chambersburg — Battle of Winchester, &c  46
Gen. Chambliss killed — Chapin's Farm — Fort Harrison — Death of Colonel
Dushane- — Death of Gen. Burnham — Gen. Ord wounded — Col. Stannard
loses one arm  47
Base Corps Hospital — Dust — Severe battles  48
Steam engine — Peaches— Mr. Felton — Bay Line  -  49
Young Judson— Death of Schneider — Dod — Youth from Connecticut  50
H. A. Wise — God made this Union — Slavery — Maryland — God rules — Dr..
Palmer's doctrine  ;. 51
Pharaoh — Fearful lesson — People maddened and blinded — Conspiracy to per
petuate Slavery  52
Prophetic warning of Stevens — Witness for God — African Colonies — Signs... 53
English Colonies — First Slaves in Virginia — Smith — Pochahontas   54
Napoleon 1st — United States— Strongest Government — Is it in prophecy? —
Ethiopia — Ashmun Institute  55
South arming Slaves — Folly — Improvement of Freedmen — Bull Run and
Slavery,  56
C r~ o r
- 06 -->
C -7 .c

PRISONS AND PRISONERS OF WAR.

RICHMOND— ANDERSONVILLE— FORT DELAWARE— WALLA-
BOCHT BAT.
The wounded from the battle of Gettysburg had scarcely been boused
in comfortable quarters for the winter, when reports came, by various
modes of, communication, that our men who had been captured at Get
tysburg, and other places, were suffering in the prisons of' Belle Island,
Libby, Castle Thunder, &c, at Richmond, for want of food, clothing
and shelter.
It was hard to entertain the idea that it could be true of men who had
enjoyed the blessings of civilization and Christianity, and who profess to
have attained to a standard of humanity, civilization and chivalry be
yond any of their Northern brethren. To charge such a crime upon
them, for milder language is not becoming, we were very unwilling.
Yet after examining into the matter with all the care, attention and im
partiality possible — comparing the statements and editorials in their pa
pers with written communications from prisoners in prison, and the per
sonal verbal testimony of men who were privates and officers, men whom
we personally knew — we were left without a shadow of doubt upon the
subject. Being eye-witness to the condition of those that were admitted
at Annapolis from tlie steamer New York, from Richmond, on May 2d,
1864, also of those admitted to West's Building Hospital, on the 18th
of April, we can testify that their condition was all that is sta'ed in the
report of Mr. Wade, on May 9th, and that the photographs of the
persons were .correct
When the miserable commissary was denounced in their Congress by
Mr. Foote as a cruel wretch, disgracing the Confederacy, robbing
and murdering by inches the prisoners — when they permitted provisions
and clothing to be forwarded, it was an admission on the part of the
Rebel Government of the truth of the statements to a very large de
gree. Convinced of the fact, and finding a door open, we gave what diligence
we could in endeavoring to secure and send forward to our men in prison
such articles of food, clothing, &c, as would help to make them comfort
able. At first they were freely received, and in part, if not wholly,
distributed. Then it was objected that they could not distribute what
the Government had sent, but would that of the Commissions — then
none except individual packages. When reduced to this, we took the
names of individuals, and dividing the goods into moderate sized boxes,
2

4 THE WAR.
forwarded them to individuals, many of whom we were thankful on
knowing that they received them. Others to whom boxes were sent,
not only did not receive them, but from some we have learned that when
they were released for exchange, on passing out, saw boxes directed to
them, with the goods in some cases removed, and in others spoiled.
To what extent our papers were guilty of exasperating them by gross
representations and violent denunciations of their conduct, we cannot tell.
It certainly was a duty to point out this grossneglect, resulting in star
vation, when their papers admitted, urged and justified it; and must
have been gross when Mr. Foote, one of their Congress, felt called
upon by his humanity to denounce it publicly in that body.
The history of this starvation is one of the darkest pictures of this
rebellion To capture men in war, to shoot them down in ba'tle, to re
quire of them even exertion to procure their food and clothing, to
let them live even on rougher fare, might be admitted as an accompani
ment of war. To withhold proper food when they have it — not to fur
nish it in quantity when they have abundance, to admit their want
and open a door to receive food and clothing — then when furnished,
to shift and shuffle from one point to another, to have some pretext to
continue the work of starvation, exposure and death — and then for
the editors of their papers to gloat over it and glory in it, is one of the
most horrible things which has occurred since this horrible war was
commenced, and admits of no apology. To have men suffering from
want of clothing, and withhold clothing furnished to them without cost ;
to have men starving and dying, and let provisions rot before their eyes
without letting them be given; to let their fellow-men, prisoners ¦
in their hands, for whose lives they were responsible to God, die thus,
is an outrage on humanity, such as the world has scarcely ever seen,
and is evidence of fie strongest kind, to us, that their cause is of that
character that God could not and would not prosper.
In times of excitement, we are in great danger of losing sight of pro
per and correct principles — in a storm a sea captain may lose his reck
oning ; in a battle, amid smoke or fog, soldiers and officers may lose
their place and be captured — the confusion ofthe contest may break or
der and discipline ; in time of civil and warm political contests, men
lose sight of individual rights, correct principles, and forget and neglect
the duties they owe to one another ; but no man has a right, no people
have a right to sanction inhumanity — to pursue it with a plan and pur
pose. What incident in the life of the cruel Nero is more indicative of
his savage temper, and indifference to human rights, than that during
a general famine, when many were perishing for want of food, he or
dered a ship from Egypt, the granary of Italy, with a load of sand for
the use of wrestlers, that he might be amused in the contest?
Among the vessel loads of our returned prisoners were men whom we
had known for many years. Those in the photograph plates were true,
but there were worse cases. No report can convey the impression which
a man would have who saw them upon the boats.
The people of the South, in general, are not to be charged with this
cruelty, for in many cases we have heard from our prisoners that acts of
kindness and attention to their wants have been shown in ways
which speak for their humanity and ingenuity in helping thein ; nei-

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 5
ther would we charge it upon officers of standing or rank in State, or
the army. The neglect the withholding and the cruelty which has placed
such a picture of horrors before the world, is principally due to the of
ficers in charge of tho-e prisons, who have acted as commanders, pro
vost marshals, keepers, guards and commissaries, with negligent sur
geons. We would not, however, by any means, excuse the criminality
against God and humanity, which in the higher officers of State permit
ted these men so to act, or the Government which would withhold help,
or when help was offered and brought by their consent, would suffer the
same to go to waste, while the men died for want. If they did not in
person examine, they should have had reliable men ; if neither, what
excuse can they make? They could not be ignorant.
-We are the more explicit ou this point, and make the complaint with
somewhat of right, personally, because we have endeavored to have the
Rebel wounded in our hands cared for in proper manner, as a duty we
owe to God, to humanity, and to our nation. The Rebel wounded at
Gettysburg, and in our hospitals, were taken care of as well as our
own, by surgeons of the Government, and by the delegates of our Com
mission. Wounded and prisoners constitute two great classes in war. In this,
the contest is to settle the permanency of republican institutions — the
right and power of self-government — the hope rjf liberty in the world;
whether man shall be man as made in the image of God, with rights
and hopes for this world, or whether he is to be enslaved, oppressed and
down-trodden under the heels of despotic power — that absolutism
which craft, taking advantage of ignorance, combined under satanic
influence, with power, has interfered between man and his Creator —
between man and the blessings which God has entitled him to, and
made him the mere creature of their will and pleasure, instead of man
in the image of God, sitting beneath his own vine and fig tree, with
no power to molest him.
Sprung upon the people of this nation as this war was in the early
part of 1861, all tho facilities which belonged to the Government re
moved by the cunning of traitorous officers, with the permission or
neglect, if not connivance of James Buchanan, the Chief Executive,
the energy of the nation, its reserved power had to be called forth, and
provision made for its defence. It has been doiie on a scale of grandeur
and magnificence. For thirty years the Southern leaders had been
preparing. When they made their first moves they were the strongest.
When their rebellion was thoroughly inaugurated they were in their
Strength. The national arms and munitions of war, which then were
as nothing, have gradually been growing into a perfectness in numbers
and strength until the present time.
In the progress of our Government's provision no department has
been more carefully and permanently advanced than that which belongs
to the wounded and prisoners. Beginning without hospitals and priscna,
indeed without surgeons, for what were the few army surgeons to the
demand ? When we called the second day after a battle upon a Medical
Director to ask him to telegraph for fifty or one hundred surgeons, he
answered " We had enough for our wounded." Several days after the
Surgeon General called forfifty to one hundred. Men could not realize

6

THE WAR.

the magnitude of the war, and just in the proportion of that die! we
need surgeons, hospitals and prisons, with all the appendages necessary
to a humane caring for of ( the lives of our own mon and of the enemy
as they should fall into our hands.
Torture is not an element of war. With all its horrors and suffer
ings and deaths, a real soldier would feel dishonored and degraded if he
let his humanity leave him for the impulse and spirit of a demon. On
the battle field, while the musketry has been one continued crash and
the artillery one deafening roar as men advanced against the enemy, a"
man has been known to stop and give a drink of water from his can
teen to a wounded enemy. At Point Lookout wo preached from a
Testament belonging to one of the Rebel prisoners, in which he had
written, " Given to me by tlie Enemy on the field of battle, at Gettys
burg." In the Peninsular war, when the English and French had been in
deadly conflict, the English army overpowered, had retreated across a
river, the French pursuing to its edge They had succeeded, and were
passing over a rising ground on the opposite side to escape the sharp
shooters of the French, who were now occupying the ground which
they left. The bugles sounded for a move, when some one observed
that a woman, the wife of one of the soldiers, in the confusion and
haste had been left on the opposite shore, and was standing with arms
outstretched imploring help. The noise of the stream and the roar of
musketry drowned her cries. What was to be done ? How can she
be saved ? While the army turned to behold her one general feeling
of interest was awakened. Suddenly the ranks opened, and a man
pushed forth~ on horseback. Pressing the spurs into his hdrse he dashed
into the stream. The storm of bullets from the French army fell as
hail around him, yet on he pressed, stemming the flood, and reached
the shore where she stood. Seizing her with his strong hand he lifted
her upon his horse. Turning his head he rushed again into the river.
The French now, for the first time, saw for what he had braved tlieir
army single-handed. Dropping their muskets to the ground, and tak
ing off their caps, with one huzza they joined the English army upon
the other side in paying their tribute to the humanity and philanthropy
of the Scotch nobleman who had perilled his life for the saving of
another. This spirit has not left the men in the army on either side in this
dreadful contest. Oftentimes when the officers of the Rebel army will
permit, their pickets hail our men with as much freedom and cordiality
as if there was no strife between them. They will trade tobacco and
sugar and papers, &c, until ordered to cease, and even then will notify
our men that they may be on the watch. There are some green spots
now and then in the desolations of war which show where human kind
ness can soften the pillow and soothe the dying hour even of an enemy
in arms.
We are thankful that amid the terrible horrors of this war there are
agencies at work in addition to the regular provision of the Govern
ment, in concert, and heartily co-operative with all those surgeons or
men of the medical fraternity who are seeking to alleviate the pain's,
bind up the wounds and minister food and nourishment to the wounded

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 7
and dying on the battle-fields and in the hospitals — to speak words of
comfort to their souls, pointing them to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of
sinners, receiving and sending their dying messages to parents and
kindred, and relieving those at home by letting them know of their
place and condition.
To accomplish such ends much labor and self-denial has often to be
endured. Care and caution has to be observed, lest in a desire to do
good a philanthropic individual docs not como undesignedly in the way
of an officer, whose instincts are his pay, his rank, and his personal
convenience, or who may have some private pique with some individual
or society, or who may feci that enough is done by the Government and
physicians without any meddling philanthropist.
No government ever did more for its wounded and prisoners than
has been done by our Government. Never were officers in charge of
an army, or surgeons in charge of hospital departments, more attentive
to their men than men who are connected with our army ; yet from
Lieutenant General Grant down — we may say from the President, him
self, down — there has been an appreciation of that kind of labor and at
tention which in a thousand ways has helped to mitigate the severity
and horrors of war.
In the surgeons' department, where the only jealousy arises and
where little things either without design or by mistake, or through
inexperience and want of knowledge of men and the world, have given
offence, we take pleasure in saying that almost uniformly this kind of
labor has been received gratefully, kindly, and in many cases sought for
and co-operated with to such a degree that you would forget that he was
ar, officer under pay and with authority, and feel that he was like one of
yourselves, seeking only to do good to his fellow man.
If there be one thing in the army more to be dreaded, and con
demned than any other, it is the. use of intcxicating drinks in officers,
surgeons and privates If there be a man upon earth who should be a
sober man, cool, calm and collected, it is the man who goes himself and
leads others into battle. He risks not only his own life, but his men
and his cause So of the man who undertakes to attend upon the sick
and wounded after a battle. The time was when to be almost drunk was
an essential to a sea captain, an engineer, a commander, a private sol
dier and a preservative to a surgeon. But the sunken ships, drowned
passengers, exploded engines, scalded victims, frightful conflicts of
railroad cars, captured officers and men by blunders, and the bad man
agement and neglect in the cases of wounded men, resulting from
drink, have demanded sober men.
Stimulants that are needed for wounded men ; strong drink which
according to scripture, is to be given to men who are ready to perish, is
not necessary for men who are welland properly cared for. The testi
mony of commanders of armies, of surgeons of long experience in war
and in countries where fevers and chills are common, is against the use.
1. A man sells to make money by it. 2. A man drinks because he
loves it and desires to have it near him.
With some surgeons we have noticed the bottles from the dispensary
with the label Spintus Frmncuti are a sort of sovereign panacea. We
with pleasure record the conduct of others, when their wounded men

° THE WAR.
have come in and spirituous liquors have been proffered, have rejected it
and sought for hot coffee. In the hurry and pressure often incidental
to war, especially during and after an engagement, neglect and oversight
of many things is almost a necessity, orders that pertain to the efficiency
and success of the army must be carried out without delay and without
regard to persons or cost. At such a time no sane man will interfere
to hinder the same, but when at ease, with leisure, inattention and ne
glect are unjustifiable.
After a battle, the first thing is to save life, make as comfortable as
you can the wounded and make secure the prisoner?.
The same thing which called for enlarged and humane exertions
toward the wounded, from the large number of prisoners in this war,
called for places of security. Our government has provided Fort Dela
ware, Point Lookout, Johnson's Island, David's Island, &c.
The. whole system of imprisonment^n its best forms is not attended
with the humanity it should. We find in our State prisons until lately
where no passions are called out, merely the keeping safe of criminals,
neglect and often severity. Abroad it has been far worse. The Prison
History of Europe until exposed by Howard was a horrible disgrace to
human nature. Where passions are inflamed on either side and men
are placed over prisoners, who have neither humanity, coolness, cour
age nor management— the treatment of prisoners will be without con
sideration and without humanity. Oftentiir.es these prisons and burial
grounds exhibit the brutality of officers, surgeons and we might add of
nurses in charge.
In the month of November, 1863, while engaged in sending to our
prisoners at Richmond, some person called at the commission room and
said that we had better look into the condition of the rebel prisoners at
Fort Delaware. On Friday, December 3rd, we went to New Castle and
on Saturday 4th to Fort Delaware. We spent Saturday afternoon, Sab
bath and Monday morning looking carefully into the condition, a report
of which was published in the Baltimore American of December 10.
From it we extract as follows :
"Fort Delaware is situated on an island in the Delaware river, directly
opposite- to Delaware city, the point where the Chesapeake and Dela
ware Canal opens into the Delaware river.
The island is about three-quarters of a mile from Delaware City,
about one-half mile from the Jersey shore, and contains about seventy-
five acres of land. It was formerly called the Pea Patch, and now, at
times, gets the old name. The ground is flat, and at high tides would
overflow, but an embankment is made all around it, higher than the
tide at any time rises. On the east side of the island is a lock by which
the river is admitted into the moat which surrounds the fort. From
this also there are several smaller canals, which drain the island, and
passing through with the rise and fall of tbe tide, carry away any filth
or putrid water which might and must gather around a large fortifica
tion with so many persons in and about it.
The fort is built of solid granite stone on the outside, with brick case
mates and garrison houses within its enclosure. These casemates are
three stories high. All the buildings and fort seem to have been put up
in a very substantial manner.

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 9
The rebel prisoners occupy barracks outside of the fort and on the
northwest corner of the island. Each of these has three rows of bunks
on each side, with an isle about 8 to 9 feet wide. The bunks on each
side being 5 to 7 feet deep, would make the barrack about 18 to 20 feet
wide, and about 200 to 250 feet long. In each of these are four to five
large coal stoves, with cylinders, which would hold at least a bushel of
coal at a time. The Hospital Department is as good as auy of our sol
diers could wish for, and their rooms comfortable unless their men ne
glect to keep up the fires. They have hand-barrows and carts, &c,
with which the prisoners amuse themselves in hauling coal, which is fur
nished in abundance, so that if they do not keep them warm it is their
own fault.
Sabbath morning, the 5th, was exceedingly cold — the very kind of a
day to see if they were suffering. From our observation of them, as
well as our own feelings, we could give no other statement than that they
were as comfortable as it is customary for our soldiers to be in their
barracks. At 10 o'clock we preached in the quarters of the artillery inside of the
fort ; at 11 in one of the hospitals. As we came out we noticed the pris
oners making to the cook-house. We went down and through it to see
what fare they had. Here was good bread — sweet, well-baked, and
better than we have eaten a hundred times in other places — and plenty
of it.
The meat for dinner was good shoulders, and we think hams. The
men around expressed their opinion that it was good meat.
While standing among them we asked them if they would like to have
preaching. They readily assented, and circulated the notice among
their companions. We wentout and selected a spot in the barrack yard,
which was protected from the wind, and where the sun shone. Here
were gathered in a few minutes almost one thousand men, who stood
listening attentively for over half an hour that we talked to them, and
then seemed unwilling to part, begging us to come and preach to them
again or send some one.
In the hospital cook-house the fare was very good, all looked cheerful.
We went to the fort to look into the condition of the rebel prisoners,
so that, if they were in any suffering condition, we might seek a remedy,
and if we found them cared for as we believed that we might hold it up
as a reason why our soldiers in Libby, Castle Thunder, and Belle Island
should have what they were entitled to, even from rebels. _
Brutus said to his fellow conspirators against Ceasar's life —
" Let's kill him boldly, Vint not wrathmlly ;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the Gods,
Not hew him as a carciss fit for hounds."
Men who fought as those did under Lee at Gettysburg are degraded
before the world, wbrn the officers of their Government will treat the
prisoners that they took with inhumanity. So our Government would
be justly the contempt of the world, if we by neglect or ill-treatment
wasted away in prison the lives of those we have taken. While in war
and battle wa use every appliance with ail skill and energy— to the
wounded and prisoner let us show the mignauimity— the humanity of
men. We ask nothin" more for any of our mon at Richmond than we

10

THE WAR.

give their men at Fort Delaware. If they can't do it for them, allow
us to aid them in doing it.
All the spare time between the services we used in inquiring into the
condition of all the men there, especially that of the rebel sick and pris
oners. Concerning all, we would say that they are well cared for, and
that this is the answer of every one to whom we spoke, excepting that
the prisoners have not as niuch preaching as they would like, nor as
much reading matter, the Chaplains confining themselves mainly to the
garrison and those in the hospital.
Under General Schoepf the barracks and everything around partake
of order, cleanliness and comfort. He requires the prisoners to be taken
out in the fresh air and walked about during which time their part of the
barracks arc cleaned and white-washed; blankets, clothing, &c, all
brought out and aired. This is health to the prisoners, and, of course,
economy to the Government ; it is cheaper to the Government to give
the vegetables and fruits, which are wholesome, than to pay for the
medicines and attention to them when sick.
The conduct of the rebel government to our soldiers in their prisons
at Richmond, awakens up in the hearts of many, the spirit of retaliation
and revenge. God forbid that it should be attempted against any of
their privates who are prisoners in our hands ! That inhumanity of
man to his fellow man, which
" Has made countless millions mourn,"
does not belong to the spirit of our Government. If the rebel govern
ment will so basely treat our men, as we know they have done at Rich
mond, don't let our souls oome into their assembly, or practice their
cruel deeds.
Surgeons and Chaplains from Libby, who have spent nights with us
on their return, urge that we be kind to the prisoneis among us. War
in any way is terrible. Don't let it be aggravated by the meanness and
malice which would prey like vultures upon the wounded and prisoners.
Christianity requires of us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give
drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and the prisoner, not to gloat ou his
unfortunate condition, but to try and do him good, ministering com
passionately." Coming from Fort Delaware we met in the cars a young man of 17th
Connecticut, who was in Barlow's division ofthe 11th corps, wounded
the first day at battle of Gettysburg. He was wounded north of the
town and brought to the German Reformed church hospital by the re
bels who then held the town. This church was General EtcelVs head
quarters, or., observatory, it being the best point about Gettysburg to
see the movements of his men on the north and east. From it almost
every man ofhis corps attacking on cemetery hill could be seen He heard
Ewell when the Louisiana men fell back, abuse them as cowards. The
aids and men who were on guard, while looking at the attack remarked
that General Lee had said to his officers that our " right centre must be
taken if it cost two-thirds of the men." The desperation of the attack
gives weight to this remark.
After this visit we continued to do what we could in the sending of
provisions of food and clothing to our men in Richmond. The reports

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 11
. from there daily harrowed up the feelings of every humane man
freezing and starvation seemed to be the two chief sources of torture
We feel a loathing to record the statements we had from so many per
sons of those di=mal months. Would that it were blotted from tile his
tory of man. But it is an index of the spirit of rebellion which is itself
cruel Libby prison, where our officers were mostly confined, is a row of
brick buildings on the canal, facing the James river, three stories high,
formerly used as a tobacco warehouse. The rooms are about one hun
dred feet long and forty wide In six of these rooms, 1.200 officers,
from General Neal Dow to a second lieutenant, remained, with no other
space for eating sleeping, taking exercise, cooking or washing. Not
two feet by ten to -i man, out of which was to be taken room to pass,
cook, wash and dry.
Two men, Major and Richard Turner, had charge, one as officer, the
other as inspector of the building. No one was allowed to go within
three feet of the windows, which reduced their space about one-sixth, or
two by eight and a half feet. The appearance of one near the window,
was sure to induce a shot from the sentry, which occurred almost houily'.
Lieutenant Huggins was shot at, when standing eight feet from the
window. One of the officers who escaped in the tunnel assured us that the
accounts we had of the* suffering by cold, withholding of food, &c,
were by no means exaggerated. The only correction which he would
make was in regard to the corn meal, of which he did not think the cob
was generally ground, but that t1 e corn, bran-and all without sifting
was given out to them, but that it was often with crusts so hard and
thick that they could not eat one-half of it, and the allowance for the
day was one of these pieces about three inches by four and about two
inches thick. One of these rations he left with us, but frequently we
have seen the same when our men have come up in the truce boat.
Sometimes they were tantalized with the siuht of the boxes sent to
them which were piled up — but occasionally the contents were thrown
to them in such a way that they were mixed together and ruined. Gen.
Dow and others speak of the reception of articles aud attention which
indicate a different treatment at. other times to some of the officers.
The Rev John Hussey, of Ohio, who was taken prisoner while
attending upon our wounded at Chicamauga, spent seven weeks in
Libby. Ou his way to Richmond, passing through Atlanta, he saw
Judge John C Gaut, of East Tennessee, hand-cuffed, and at Rich
mond, in Libby, Dr. R. Humphreys, of Jonesboro', East Tennessee,
Mr. Hardin, of Virginia, living opposite Fredericksburg, abo'ut sixty-
five years of age without a shirt, only a woman's shawl over his shoulders.
He also saw children in the prison held as hostages to compel their fathers
who had avoided the conscription, to present themselves.
Belle Island is in view of Libby, in the James river. Trees and rocks
are upon part of it The portion on which our pri loners, privates, were
kept is almost entirely of sand, low and barren even of shrubs. About
five or six acres are ditched and earth thrown up about three feet,
on whic,h about forty feet apart, are the guards. Within this arc
rows of tents, which poor in themselves, shelter but few of those in

}2 THE WAR.
the camp. Thousands had no shelter of any kind. It was before
the eyes of the people of Richmond: The President and Cabinet,
with the Congress and Senate of the confederacy were within a few
minutes' walk of it.
The men having been stripped in part of their clothing, deprived
of their money, which^is the common charge, without, shelter along
that bleak river, often enveloped in its pestilential fog, with but a little
fire here and there, while thousands who cannot approach, are shiv
ering around, or trying to keep their blood in circulation by keeping
themselves in motion day and night. The severity of the frost of last
winter was so great, that nearly all the ice houses around and down
the James river were filled Thousands of men trying like hogs to
get together in such numbers as to keep themselves warm, the outer
ones occasionally changing place with some more favored, at different
hours of the night; in other cases the outside ones frozen to death.
An occurrence of almost every day during the winter. No amount of
clothing will keep a man warm who is deprived of food.
STATEMENT OF J ai'lLVAlNE.
"I belong to the ninth Maryland ; was taken prisoner at Charlestown, Virginia.
October 18, 1863; marched to Staunton 24th, 'there until Monday 26tb; aboul 9 A. M.
took cars for Richmond; got there about daybreak 27tli; marched to tobacco ware
house, stayed to November 1, about 1J o'clock: about 450 were in the cellar.
The ground was wet. all the time from a hydrant which leaked on the ground. The
warehouse was four stories high, full of prisoners; bars in the windows, but no glass.
Got wheat bread about size of a rusk twice a-day with a piece of meat not equal to
one-fourth of our rations, and the bread not equal to two hard tack. The meat
stunk so we could hardly take it. The guards used to hallo in to us — 'Yankees,
how does horse meat eat?'
"To Belle Island November 1. No shelter of any kind ; nothing but naked earth
until last of January, when five hundred went away. We got into an old lent which
sheltered us from the wind, but not from the rain. Our overcoats, blankets, shoes
and dress coats and money were taken from us at Charlestown as soon as we were
taken. Over one thousand dollars was taken from our regiment. They said when
we were paroled they would give it back, but they never gave a dollar, and said
they never would; they would do just as our government did.
"About ten thousand were there ut Christmas. In each corner of the square,
holes were dug for drinking water. The ground was so low that water came at about
one and a half feet from the top of the ground. During the day so many were al
lowed to go outside of the ditch next to the river about twenty to thirty feet, but
a great many of the men were not able who were suffering from diarrhoea. The
gates were closed about sun down. Sometimes the water in these holes out of
which we were to driuk would be as filthy as in holes of a barn-yard.
" The first month we got one piece of corn bread and such meat as we got in the
warehouse. After that no meat, corn bread twice a day, unless some of the guard
reported us, then we could get only one piece and sometimes none. The average
of deaths must have been twenty to thirty a day, and they have laid unburied for
days, five men lay unburied lor nine days."
STATEMENT OF KEV. W. II. TIFFANY.
Rev. William H. Tiffany, M. E. church, Charlton, Saratoga county, N. Y.. as dele
gate chaplain ofthe Unit.'d States Christian Commission, on the Blackstone; W. C.
Berry, of Stamford, Conn., Captain. Left Fortress Monroe November 8th, in com
pany with the fleet, of seventeen vessels, for Savannah. There were no prisoners on
the Blackstone going south. Saw on the George Leary, a lot of about four to
five hundred, who seemed in good spirits and condition, and apparently well
clothed. We arrived at Hilton Head on the  — , we left it on November 20
arrived at Venus point eight or nine miles northeast of Savannah, in river that eve
ning; on 21st we loaded five hundred and sixty-five of our men. Col. Mulford

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 13
said, as we had no berths, he would give us the best of the returning prisoners.
Ihere were at least twenty in the first stnges of fever, and fit subjects for the
hospital, yet all walked on board. There were six or seven we feared could not
hve, but by careful nursing they were brought to Annapolis and carried ashore.
Alter we had landed our men, we went out to the Atlantic which drew too much
water to get to the dock, and took her men. There seemed about the same number
ot men ; of these there were seven who had died on the passage, one died while we
were carrying him to the wharf, and two appeared to be dying as thev were carried
, °re- ^he prisoners on board the Atlantic appeared'in a pitiable condition,
while fifty or sixty carried on an upper deck were in a horrible condition, living,
dying skeletons, filthy with vermin, and nearly, if not quite a dozen naked and with
no covering but the blanket furnished by our government. Of the fifty or sixty, they
were mostly so weak that Iliad to lift their heads to get them in a different position.
One of these asked me to help him to turn over, the bones had worn through his
skin Part of the crew of the B. helped me to put on shirts and drawers, fur
nished by the Christian Commission, on those naked.
The fifty or sixty did not speak harshly or vindictively, but sadly and mourn
fully oftheir cruel treatment by the South. In regard to food they were kept on
short allowance on the most trifling excuse and persecuted in various ways. Some
of them had money which they hid in their bread and meat. When a young man
from Norwich. Conn., came on board the Blackstone at Savannah, he said he
had eaten nothing but raw salt meat for several days, had a terrible diarrhoea, and
wanted some food suitable to his case.
Of the captain, W. C. Beiry. the mate, George G. Fletcher, steward, Philip
Collaman, and the three engineers, Joseph J. Illingworth, John Illingworth and
Timothy Leary, and the crew generally, too much could not be said of their kind
ness, sympathy and generosity towards these men.
Dr. A. Chapel, Surgeon io. charge at West building hospital, and
whom we saw at the boat when a load of our men arrived, wrote to Mr.
Wade, chairman of the committee on part of the war as follows :
"Baltimore, May 26, 1864.
"I am very sorry that your committee could not have seen those cases when first
received. No one from these pictures (photographs) can form a true estimate of
their condition then. Not one in ten was able to stand alone; some of them were
so covered and eaten by vermin, that they nearly resembled cases of small pox,
and so emaciated that they were really living skeletons, and hardly that, as the result
shows, forty out of one hundred and four have died up to this date.
" If there has been anything so horrible, so fiendish, as this wholesale starvation,
in the history of this satanic rebellion, I have failed to note it. Better the massacres
at Lawience, Fort Pillow and Plymouth, than to be thus starved to death by
inches, through long and weary months. I wish I had possessed the power to
compel all the northern sympathizers with this rebellion, to com? in and look upon
the work of the chivalrous sons of the hospitable and sunny south, when these skele
tons were first received here. A rebel colonel, a prisoner here, who stood with
sad face looking on as they were received, finally shook his head and walked away,
apparently ashamed that he held any relation to men who could be guilty of such
deeds." To the individual testimony of one from Belle Island, one from
Libby, with the observation of Mr. Tiffany, we give the paper drawn
up by our officers at Charleston, pleading on behalf of the prisoners at
Andersonville. »
Confederate States Prison, \
Charleston, S. 0., August, 1864. J"
To the President of the United States :
"For some time past there has been a concentration of prisoners frora'all points
of the Rebel territory to the State of Georgia— the commissioned officers being
confined at Macon and the enlisted men at Andersonville. Recent movements of the
Union troops, under General Sherman, have compelled the removal of prisoners
to other points, and it is now understood that they will be removed to Savannah,
Columbus and Charleston. No change of this kind holds out any prospect of re-

14

THE WAR.

lief to our poor men. Indeed, as the localities selected are far more unhealthy,
there must be an increase of suffering."
"Colonel Hill, Provost Marshal General of Confederate States, at Atlanta,
stated to one of the undersigned that there were thirty-five thousand prisoners
at Andersonville, and by all accounts from the United States prisoners who have
been confined there, the number is not overstated by him These thirty-five
thousand are confined in a field of some thirty acres, enclosed by a board fence,
heavily guarded. About one-third have various kinds of indifferent shelter.
The rest, without any, are exposed to the rains and storms, the cold dews of the
night, and the more" terrible effects of the sun, with almost tropical fierceness,
upon their unprotected heads. This mass of men jostle and crowd each other up
and down the limits of their enclosure by day, and at nightlie upon the naked
earth, with only the clothing tbey had when they came, few having blankets."
" Upon entering the prison everyone is deliberately stripped of money and
other property, and as no clothing or blankets are ever supplied to their prisoners,
the condition of soldiers just from an active campaign can be easily imagined.
Thousands are without pants or coats, and hundreds even without a pair of
drawers to cover their nakedness."
To these menis issued three-fourths of a pound of bread or meal, and one-
eighth of a pound of meat per day. Upon this the prisoner must live or die.
The meal often unsifted and sour — the meat North would be consigned to a
soap barrel. By this they are barely holding life together. To the starvation
and exposure add the sickness by which, on an average, one hundred die daily."
" ' Of twelve of us', said one, ' who were captured, six died and four are in the
hospital. I never expect to see them again. There are 1-ut two of us left.' In
1862, at Montgomery, Alabama, under more favorable circumstances, where the
prisoners were protected by sheds, one hundred and fifty ti two hundred were sick
from diarrhoea and chills out of seven hundred. This per cent, would give seven
thousand at Andersonville."
The blood of the martyrs, it is said, was the seed of the church,
but not more truly so than such men will prove the sowing afresh in
the hearts of the people of this nation and the world, the seeds of
liberty. Little have we felt personally so as to bo able to prize the
inheritance which our fathers bought for us.
We lo k on these horrors, in the cruel treatment of our men, as
next to impossible — as if they had never been endured before — and
indeed it is seldom that such treatment has ever been bestowed on
men; particularly by those who protend to civilization and Christianity.
A young man on a fla'g-of-truce boat, connected with the Sanitary
Commission, gave us an extract from a report which one of our
paroled men had found in Richmond, which showed that in the hos
pitals of our men at Richmond, out of two thousand seven hundred and
seventy-nine in hospitals, in January, February and March, one thousand
three hundred aud ninety-six had died. But laying aside all other
statements or calculations, a,nd all editorials commending cruel treat
ment towards our prisoners, let one single fact speak. The Richmond
" Examiner" of November 10, 1864, says :
" Since the establishment of the prison post at Andersonville, Georgia,
last Spring twelve thousand of the Yankee prisoners held there have
died and been' buried there, and this mortality exiited among a body of
prisoners at no time exceeding forty thousand."
That is, such has been the neglect or brutality on the part of the
Rebel authorities that nearly one-third of our men have died in their
hands. L. L. Key, who acted as chief of police at Andersonville on the ex
ecution, says — " When I arrived there were some 4,000 prisoners — but

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 15
tho number increased, till in September there were 3-2,000 to 35,000.
In August and September the deaths were from 75 to 125 per day.
_ Horrible as were the horrors of the revolution, and terribly as they
did suffer, there is nothing to compare in magnitude with this destruc
tion, and the animus of it bears out the statement of a Captain who
saw a man treated so badly that he remonstrated with tho Surgeon and
guard, saying, that if they did not treat them better they would kill
them. To which the Surgeon replied, with an oath, " That is what
we want to do."
Let us compare this with English treatment of our fathers— 1776 to
1782 — the men who suffered— whose lives were worn out inch by inch
in the prison ships of hollow-hearted, sanctimonious, selfish England.
No parallel has been seen since in this country until this imprisonment
of Libby, Belle Island, Andersonville, &c.
" The story of the prisons in the city of New York, and the prison
ships in the Wallabocht bay, during the war for our independence, was
the darkest in the history of the Revolutionary struggle. War, at all
times dreadful here assumed its most fearful character. Occasional
acts of inhumanity and cowardly brutality committed in the heat of
battle when the thirst for blood is whetted by its indulgence, may
be excused, as the temporary triumph of passion and vengeance over
reason and humanity ; but for the cold, calculating cruelty, regularly
adopted, and steadily pursued towards our unfortunate countrymen,
there was no excuse. The voice of civilization and humanity cried out
against it, and the results proved that an insulted Providence frowned
upon it with fearful indignation.
" Savage nations sometimes put their prisoners to death, but this
has never been openly practiced by the civilized nations of the earth.
The custom of tho cultivated nations of antiquity, of selling their
prisoners into slavery, met the most positive reprobation in the begin-
ing of the feudal ages, and the system of ransom, which was then
adopted, yielded, early in tbe seventeenth century, to the more liberal
and humane policy of exchange of prisoners under cartels. Until that
exchange took place the law of nations as well as the principles of hu
manity required the belligerent parties to provide proper accomoda
tions for their prisoners and to supply them with healthy food, and in
case of sickness with proper medical attendance. How England ob
served these rules in tho case of our imprisoned countrymen the civil
ized nations of the world may judge.
" The battle of Brooklyn, and the capture of Fort Washington, in
the Fall of 1776, put the British in possession of nearly four thousand
prisoners, and by the arrest of citizens supposed to sympathize with the
patriots they soon increased the number to five thousand. Our ene
mies were now compelled to adopfthe system of parole, or to turn all
the public and other large buildings in New York into prisons for their
reception. Their feelings of humanity as well as their cowardly policy
led them tb adopt the latter course. The churches and sugir houses and
prisons were crowded with the unfortunate patriots to such an extent,
in some instances, that there ivas not space for them to lie down to
rest. Among them they threw their own criminals — vile wretches
gathered from the purlieus of their large cities, as if they were fit asso-

16

THE WAR.

ciates for men whose only crime had been love of country and liberty.
But this moral pestilence did not suffice to gratify their malice ; for in
these crowded prisons they scattered the seeds of disease and death.
The prisoners were poorly fed on worm-eaten bread and peas, and pu
trid beef, which not unfrequently they were compelled to eat iu its raw
state ; and the more surely to accomplish the objects contemplated,
those sick with small-pox and infectious fevers were left among them
unattended, without medicines to relieve them or water to cool their
parched lips. Denied the light and air of Heaven, and starved by their
inhuman keepers, and broken-hearted by the supplications and groans
of their distressed kindred and countrymen, tkey sickened and died,
and were thrown like dogs into their native soil, unless it happened to
be tho good pleasure of Cunningham, their infamous jailor, to march
them out under the cover of midnight darkness to the gallows and the
grave. "These executions were thus conducted. A guard was despatched from
She Provost, about half-past twelve at night, to the Barrack-street and
the neighborhood of the upper barracks, to order the people to shut
their window shutters and put out their lights, forbidding them at the
same time to presume to look out of their windows and doors, on pain
of death ; after which the unfortunate prisoners were conducted, gag
ged, just behind the upper barracks, and hung without ceremony, and
buried by the black pioneer of the Provost. Thus about two hundred
and sixty American prisoners were murdered without cause, and in vio
lation of every law, human and divine.
" While these horrid deeds and instruments of destruction went on in
the city, vessels which they had previously converted into prison ships,
at Gravesend bay, were now removed tothe Hudson and East rivers,
where they were anchored for the same purposes. The soldiers taken
prisoners on Long Island, and confined in these vessels, were transferred
to the prisons in New York, to make room for the marine prisoners, now
rapidly accumulating.
" About October 20th, 1776, the Whitby, a large transport, was re
moved tothe Wallabocht bay, and moored opposite " Remsen's Mill."
She was the first prison ship in this bay, and was crowded with prison
ers when she arrived. Many prisoners from the army, and citizens ar
rested on suspicion were confined in her, which was not the case with
the otter prison ships. She was said to be the- most sickly of all the
hulks, and the only prison ship in the bay until 1777 ; and during two
months in the Spring of that year, the entire beach, between the ravine
and Dcmser's Dock, was filled with graves; and before the first day of
May, the ravine itself was filled with the remains of the hundreds who
died from pestilence, or were starved to death in this dreadful prison.
" May, 1777, two more ships cam'e, and the Whitby's prisoners were
transferred to them ; but they were almost as sickly as the other. No
exchanges took place, but death made room forthe early arrivals. On
Sunday afternoon, after the middle of October, 1777, one of these ves
sels was burned, many prisoners perishing in the flames. Another
burnt in February, 1778.
'•These were succeeded by the Good Hope, Scorpion, Prince of
Wales, John, Falmouth, Hunter, Stromboli and Old Jersey; all of

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 17
which were used in this service. In them thousands of our unfortu
nate countrymen suffered and died, from the inhuman treatment received
from the English. So great was their suffering, that they were induced
to set fire to the ships which were burned, hoping thus either to secure
their liberty or hasten their death.
'' Better the greedy wave should swallow all,
Better to meet the death conducting ball ;
Better to sleep on ocean's oozy bed,
At once destroyed, and numbered with the de.,u,
Than thus to perish in the face of day,
Where twice ten thousand deaths one death delay."
" William Burke, from Newport, Delaware, was confined 14 months
in the Old Jersey. lie saw many Americans put to death by the bayo
net. During the hot weather, the prisoners were admitted, one at a
time, on deck through the night. When this was granted, they assem
bled in a crowd around the gate at the hatchway for the purpose of get
ting air, and to take their turn to go on deck. Often sentinels would
thrust their bayonets down among them with the most wanton cruelty.
Twenty-five cases were thus butchered in one night, Other witnesses
speak of four, six, eight and ten victims thus murdered at times.
"On July 4th, 1782, they received the most brutal treatment be
cause they wanted to observe that day. They were driven at the point
of the bayonet below deck long before the usual hour. After the hatches
were closed, they supposed they might sing a few songs for. their bleed
ing country; but the guards directed them to stop, and went dowu
among them with lanterns in one hand and cutlasses in the other, driv
ing the crowd of defenceless victims before them, cutting and wound
ing all within their reach.
" In 1782, when Alexander Coffin was sent a prisoner on the Old Jer
sey, he found about eleven hundred prisoners there, many of whom, du
ring the severity of the Winter, were without clothing to keep them
warm. To remedy this evil, they were compelled to keep below, and
either get into their hammocks, or walk the deck, which was almost
impossible. In this way they could keep from freezing, by using groat
efforts, but it was not always done. We have an account of one poor
fellow whose feet and legs were frozen. The toes and flesh falling from
his feet while tbe nurse was dressing them.
" To cap the climax of infamy, Coffin says, they fed the prisoneis on
putrid beef and pork, and worm-eaten bread, which had been condemned
on their ships of war. It was full of vermin, but they had to eat it,
worms and all, or starve.
" The knowledge of these things was not confined to the petty offi
cers and guards ; their superiors knew it, and the ministers of tho Eng
lish Government had knowledge of them. They were not the results
of circumstances nor the fruits of temporary passion. Their cruelty
was a part of their policy, deliberately and remorselessly pursued.
" General Washington remonstrated in a letter to Admiral Digby,
' If the fortunes of war, sir, has thrown a number of these miserable
people into your hands, I am certain your excellency's feelings for the
men must induce you to proportion the ships to their accommodation
and comfort, and not by crowding them together in a few ships, bring
on diseases which consign them by the half-dozen to the grave.'

18 THE WAR.
" Before this, on January 13th, 1777, he had written to Howe : ' I
am sorry that I am under the disagreeable necessity to trouble your lord
ship with a letter, wholly almost on the subject of the cruel treatment
which our officers and men receive, in the naval department who are un
happy enough to fall into your hands. Without descending .to particu
lars, Leall upon your lordship to say whether any treatment of your of
ficers and men has merited so severe retaliation. I am bold to say it
has not. * * * And I hope, on making the proper inquiry, you will have
tho matter so regulated that the unhappy persons in captivity, may not
in the future have the miseries of cold, disease and famine added to their
other misfortunes. Again, those who have lately been sent out give the
most shocking accounts of tlieir barbarous usage, which their miserable
emaciated countenances confirm.'
" During all this time, every attempt to relieve the sufferings of the
prisoners, either by their friends, or on the part of the Government,
was iugeniously defeated. If money or supplies were sent, they were
appropriated by tlieir jailors. If an exchange was agreed upon, the
prisoners were not sent out until they had been reduced to skele
tons, by starvation and disease. Thus rendered unfit for future ser
vice, they r.etirned, many of them only to find graves at home." — Mir
tyrs to the Revolution, in British Prison Ships, p. 60 .' New York, 1855.
See also '2d vol. Lossing' s Field Booh ofthe Revolution, pp 65P-061.
England has set the leaders of this rebellion an example of the way
in which to treat prisoners. They have imitated them so well that the
history of one, by change of dates and placts, would be tho history of
the other. The late returns from Savannah are so many additional
witnesses to the fact of the want of food, clothing and shelter.

MILITAEY PRISON AT POINT LOOKOUT.
On December 16, 1863, we wrote to Colonel W. Hoffman, Commis
sary General of Prisoners at Washington, for permission to visit and
preach in the camp at Point Lookout. In a few days we received the
following letter: Office of Commissary General of Prisoners 1
Washington, D. C, December 18, 1863. ' f
Reo. A. B. Cross, U. S. Christian Commission, Baltimore, Md.
Dear Sir : — Your letter of the 16th instant, requesting permission to visit Point
Lookout for the purpose of preaching to the prisoners is received, and I beo- to in
form you that orders have been given to the commanding officer, lo permit "clero-v"
men to address the pri-oners, if they desire it, and for this purpose you need no
further permi.-sion. None but relatives are allowed to visit prisoncis and onlv i
¦ cases of illness or other urgent cause. ^
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. IIOFF.W-VN
Col. 3rd Infantry, Com. Gen. of 'prisoners.
On January 21st 1864, we went to Fortress Monroe with a lot f
boxes of food and clothing for our men at Richmond to send by Mai
Mulford in the flag of truce boat. Coming up on the 22d we stoond
at Point Lookout. In the morning we called on General Marsden

SnuaiPox llo

1-15 Wards of Hmnnwnd
16 Executive Building
If Wtirelum&es
.18 Bribery
19 Coj/imissary
K Chapels
T Liljvary &c,
G Diet Kitchen;
I Cottages used' for Hospital-
X TjuuruHry
Jit GruwdsWarcL
O Past Office
P Houses for Employees
+ "Booms of-ProTbstMar-shcd^
o -Ptmtps

Xith by AJJoe.n8< Co Rah

HOSPITAL feMIIJTAEYPRISOiYAT POI^t LOOKOUT

J3y .Andrew R <

^Baltimore.

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 19
general oommanding^-visited the camp, made engagement for preach
ing and took a general review of the whole gr" d, hospitals, &o.
The general had sent word to the commissary in We camp, and he had
tried to secure us a place for preaching on the next day, the Sab
bath. We concluded on the unoccupied cook house near the gate, in case
of rain or snow, which would hold about five hundred persons. Sab
bath being pleasant we preferred preaching in the open air, which we
did to a very large and very attentive congregation. The Rev. Mr.
Ambrose, chaplain of the 12th New Hampshire, of whom we will speak
again, came in. The Rev. W. W. Walker, a Methodist preacher from
an adjoining county, who had been captured in a raid a short time before,
was there. In the afternoon preached for the contrabands — then in the
first six wards ofthe hospital — at night spoke in the chapel.
On Monday 25th, examined the camps ofthe New Hampshire regi
ments on guard, went into the prisoners' camp, it being dinner time,
went into tho house where was a table for several hundred, per
haps five hundred Every man had his provision before him of meat,
soup and crackers. Remarked that it was a substantial dinner. All
within reach readily assented, except an Irishman near the docj: who
began to complain. We remarked he certainly could not complain of
quantity. No. Of quality 1 No. After dinner we had a meeting in
the cook house which the commissary had prepared on Saturday.
Mr. Ambrose suggested whether we could not get the house for meet
ings, which we mentioned to General Marsden and secured. It was
used until they were removed to the house at the other end, where
they have since held schools and meetings.
Point Lookout is a tract of land lying at the extreme south of the
western shore of Maryland, bounded on the east by the Chesapeake
Bay, south and south-west by the Potomac river — on the north by an
inlet of wattr which almost makes it an island, there being not more
than one hundred feet wide connecting it with the mainland, and that
for one quarter of a mile deep sand. The land on the Point is level, no
portion of it being above ten to fifteen feet above the level of the bay
and river. Beginning at a point or sand bar formed by the current of
wind and tide which on each side throws up the sand, then north along
the Chesapeake bay about a mile and a half to where tbe strip of narrow
sand connects it with the main land, then an inlet from the Potomac
runs out to the river on a line of about three-fourths of a mile. Here
in a sort of cove the shore commences and runs gradually to a point
with a slight curvature until it reaches the bay.
In goirj"- down the Potomac — and also down the bsy — vessels have
to steer out to pass Smith's Point on the south side of the Potomac,
from which the probability is that it received its name — Lookout — the
point from which you must look out.
Above the upper end of the point an arm of the bay runs in toward the
Potomac, which is called Foint Look-in. Not far above is what appears
to be a point but is not, and is called Point no Point. At the south side
of Patuxent is Cedar Point, which makes out and is really a point.
From which ran the old saying among sailors-
Point Look-out and Point Look-in,
Point no Point, and Point Again.

20

THE WAS.

At Point Lookout is a light house ; at the upper end or the nar
row passage is a gate, with guard and cannon, now a fort ; on the out
side of this narrows is a regiment on guard. Also south of this and
outside of the Point on which are the prisoners separated by this inlet
of water, is the small-pox hospital, consisting of a house, tents, &c. A
short distance from the gate on the lines of the point on the bay shore,
we had first what was called the rejected camp. Men out of the rebel
camp who had applied to be admitted into our army, but were rejected
on account of physical inability. Next was a regiment, the first United
States volunteers, who had taken the oath and entered our service. To
all these men we have often preached and furnished them while there
with books, papers, &c, as far as we could. They were afterwards sent
to Norfolk where they did provost duty. From a very careful observa
tion of the men for several months, we could say nothing but in com
mendation of them, and of Lieutenant Colonel Dimond and Major Wey
mouth who were in charge of them. Next was the fifth New Hamp
shire — -nearest to the rebel camp On the Potomac opposite the camp
was the twelfth New Hampshire,- running up to the inlet of water ; fur
ther ^own on the river but adjoining was the second New Hampshire,
nearer the point and between the river aad road which runs to the
point was a Wisconsin battery. Within these lines east of the road and
along the bay was the prisoners' camp, including a tract of about forty
acres ; then the officers' camp — both enclosed with a plank fence about
ten to twelve feet high. Nearer the point was the contraband
camp, wagons, stable, carpenter shop, houses for workmen, and the
cow yard. Then a ditch crossing from the bay runs to a small inlet or
lake which empties into the Potomac, making the point almost an
island On the remainder of the land or the point proper is located the Ham
mond Hospital — extending from the Chesapeake shore to the Potomac,
the waters of each of which reach extreme ends of the wards. Starting
from a centre there are three buildings about seventy-five feet long
each, and about thirty feet wide. One is a kitchen department, another
a chapel, the third a library room, and for the knapsacks, &c, of the
men, fronting on a covered circular platform. Between these
are two or three covered ways, with plank floor elevated above the
ground, extending about a hundred feet to a circular covered way
with plank floor as before three to four feet above ground. Facing
on this are fifteen wards of about one hundred and fifty to two
hundred feet in length and about thirty feet in width, with large win
dows on each side, the front door of each opening on the circle. From
this circle and between two of these buildings is a covered way which
runs out to a large dining room connected with which is a kitchen,
this building running at right angles to the passage and being entered
midway on the side next the centre. Here are tables and seats for
one thousand to fifteen hundred persons. To this table all those
¦who are able or permitted by surgeons come to their meals. At the
end of each of the wards next the circle is a room in which the provisions
are brought from the diet kitchen, for all who are not able in that
ward to go out or for whom the fare of the full diet is not permissable 
from these rooms it is distributed to each patient in the ward. In all

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 21
of these wards are iron bedsteads with mattrasses, sheets and blankets,
extending along each side of the ward, between which is an entry or
space of about ten to twelve feet. In this are several stoves by which
unless in extremely severe weather, the wards are kept comfortable.
In this same circle, built as the wards, but two story in height,
with rooms on each side of the entry, is what is called the Executive
Building, in which is the dispensary, office of surgeon in charge,
the clothes, furniture, &c, rooms of surgeons, chaplain, &c, &c.
In the centre of the whole is a well and force-pump, designed to sup
ply water to a reservoir, on an elevation above the houses, out of
which it was carried in pipes to all parts of the hospital and to
the bath-room, at the pump ; but the water being so strong of iron it
is necessary to bring water from another pump some hundred yards from
this. Outside of the plan of the Hospital proper are rows of one-story
cottages, facing the bay, and others at right angles facing on two
streets, which were designed for the use of the Point as a watering
place before the erection of the Hospital. Before the war Point Look
out was a fashionable resort and bathing place. About half-way along
the shore is a large yellow frame building, two stories, well-built and
comfortable, which was occupied as the headquarters of General Mars-
den, then in command — now by General Barnes. The cottages are
used as hospitals, with the exception of those that have been occupied
by surgeons, the officers of the department, the sisters of charity,
&c. The hotel building is a hospital, excepting a few rooms occupied
by the Commission.
On the roads leading from the wharves, at the Potomac, are ware
houses for commissary stores, a large bakery, large supplies of wood
and coal — then a sutler's house, ice-house, bakery, commissary, laundry,
and guard house — a row of buildings occupied by various persons,
Hying here, in connection with the Government employment— another
row in which is the post-office, Provost Marshal, &c, various photo
graphers, some boarding houses, &c. Lately they have erected a house,
designed as a hotel or boarding house, to accommodate such persons as
have business requiring them to visit the Point. North of the com
mander's, and running to the main road, containing six to eight,
perhaps ten acres, is a pine grove which adds greatly to the relief of the
level surface of the Point. A general idea of the place thus given will
be more fully fixed in the mind by reference to the map which we
place in this pamphlet, and by reference to which the reader will be
able more intelligibly to understand the description.
There were eight to nine thousand prisoners. Of these about one
thousand were in the Hammond General Hospital. Dr. Hagar is Sur
geon in charge and director, and Dr. Thompson in charge of the
camp. The small-pox hospital has had several changes. The general
hospital and the camp had no chaplain. Beside the rebel wounded in
the Hammond Hospital, many of whom were wounded at Gettysburg,
there were also from one to two hundred of our own men sick and
wounded. The Second New Hampshire regiment had only within a
short time secured a chaplain, Rev. Mr. Adams, who had his hands
full in his regiment. The contrabands had the Rev. Mr. Leonard, just

22

THE WAR.

appointed to see after them and reconnoitre the county in regard to
negro affairs. The Rev. Mr. F. L. Ambrose was chaplain of the
Twelfth New Hampshire.
He was a perfect stranger to us before we here met him ; but a more
kind, unassuming, brotherly minister, ready to do anything, at any hour
of the night, in any kind of weather, for anybody who was in want or
trouble, we have never met. He moved quietly but diligently round
in his own regiment, in the hospital, in the camp, everywhere doing
good. He was a most decided and firm man, ready to yield his life, as
he afterwards did, for his country. At the battle of Chancellorsville
scarcely a soldier in the army exposed himself more than he did, in
rendering every help in his power to his regiment, and especially in at
tending upon and removing the wounded At Petersburg, when his
regiment,' in the eighteenth corps, was exposed to the most terrible fire
of the enemy, he was there among them. Everyday, when we would
call at the eighteenth corps hospital, in the rear of his regiment, in
quiring for him, we would be sure to hear he was either here this morn
ing, or last night, or he is here now. When his regiment were in the
trenches he was wont to go in among them and attend to them. As he
was leaving, one day, aball which was supposed to be a stray shot from
some of the rebel works, went through his leg, between-the knee and
thigh. He was taken to the Chesapeake Hospital, at Fortress Monroe,
where we heard he was doing well, but on going to see him we learned
that his wound had commenced bleeding and that he had died from it.
" Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."
It is of this man, so loyal, so faithful, so loving to his country, that
we wish to say, that he looked after the men in the camp as if they had
been his own charge. Nothing that he could do for them which was right
and proper would he refuse to do. Where they were in want he tried
to get that want supplied, in trouble to comfort them, preaching to them
the Gospel, praying with them, ministering to their dying, furnishing
books, papers, tracts, &c, from every quarter that he could. We
will cherish through life as one of its green spots the period which we
spent with him at Point Lookout and in front of Petersburg. The
knowledge of his death will make many sorry who have been in the
camp and hospital, as it did many who are now there. He was a min
ister of the Congregationalist church. The Rev. Mr. Adams, of the
Second, who was there but a short time, is now with his regiment,
north of the James. The more we have seen of him the more we feel
interested in him. He belongs to the Methodist church and is from
New Hampshire.
We found at the Point everything that could be asked for, furnished
by the Government, but were somewhat disappointed in regard to the
police arrangement, in which the convenience, comfort and health of
the camp and the community suffered. It was mud from the wharf to
the Point, from the Point to the camp, and with some difficulty you
could pass to the camp would getting into the mud. We allow for the
wet weather, but there were plenty of men who would work, and there
was plenty of gravel to remedy it. What was wanting was ditching,
draining and graveling.
There was difficulty in getting a place to board and a room in whieh

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 23
to sleep and to keep the books, papers, tracts, &c, which were needed
for so many persons. Dr. Walton very kindly gave us the use of his
office for books, &c, until we could secure one. Not having a tent and
not being able to get a room, we applied to Gen. Marsden for a lot
on which to set up a small shanty. To this he agreed, but could not
furnish the lumber. Before building we went to see Gen. Butler, and
asked him to give us the lumber. Having stated the condition of
things— the number of prisoners, no chaplain, there being one nomi
nally, who had not been in attendance for months, the number of the
bad cases of the wounded, who were dying, and so many more that
must die; that if we had a convenient place, we would secure what
help wo could from our commission, that if we had such a place we
would procure Dr. Junkin for awhile. Dr. J. having gone down with
us before on a trip for his health and called on the General. It was at
this time that the General said, and not as some one wrongfully pub
lished : " Please inform the chaplain for me, that he must resign, if
he is not able to perform his service, and if he gets able to engage in
his work again, and desires it, I will see that he gets another place. If
he has the spirit of his master he won't want to hinder the work being
dope by another, which he can't' do himself. In that event I will ap
point Dr. Junkin there, and let the government pay the expenses in
stead of your commission. I won't furnish you lumber. The govern
ment bas no lumber to spare ; but when you go back, make out a writ
ten application to Gen. Marsden for such rooms as you need. Dr. Ha
gar has room in the hospital unoccupied." On returning, we made
application accordingly, and received the rooms which the commission
has since been occupying.
Since that the Rev. D. D. McJKee has been appointed and has acted
with great acceptance as Chaplain to the Hospital. The Rev. Mr.
Leonard has also been appointed and acted as chaplain in the camp ;
lately be has gone to some other place.
The prisoners in the hospital had the liberty of the hospital grounds,
which enabled those able to walk to visit any places within the limits.
We wrote to a gentleman in New York, who has a heart for every
good work, stating the case, and he authorized us to go to a publishing
house and select out of the catalogue such books, &c, as we thought de
sirable, and he would give an order for them. We called on our com
mission also for books, papers, &c, all of which we received.
We then invited in passing any of the men who were in these wards
and connected with the hospital, to come in at certain hours of every
morning to take such books, papers or tracts as they desired, read and
return. In each ward we secured men to collect them and furnish
them to those who could not come out, and also to distribute papers
and tracts among them. In this way we had the fifteen wards of the
circle regularly supplied ; and others did the same in the buildings out
side ofthe circle. Each of these men reported the condition of the men
in their wards, enabling us daily to see the worst cases and give them
such attention as was in our power.
In the camp we sought the aid of a few brethren who had charge of
a tent, called the Library Tent, in which, and through which we fur
nished books, tracts, &e. for distribution in the different wards, so as to

24 THE WAR.
extend as far as we could the papers, tracts, hymn books, &c, making
inquiry always of any who wanted testaments. The Maryland State Bible
Society, through the labors of Mr. Baker, their agent, did a good
work in furnishing over 13,500 testaments, with 590 copies of the bible
to such as needed them, from January 1, 1864, to December, 1864.
At this time there was some difficulty in regard to furnishing to the
prisoners boxes of clothing, &c. , sent to them. Learning also from Mr.
Shoemaker, of the Adams Express that there were boxes in his charge
which he could not deliver, we went to see Mr. Stanton. He imme
diately said, send him a line, stating the fact, and he would issue an
order for their delivery. Mr. Shoemaker wrote to Gen. Butler at same
time, who also sent an order for their delivery.
The Rev. Mr. Walker, of whom we have spoken before, requested
us to ask Gen. Marsden to grant him an interview, saying he had
never been in the war, was exempt in his own country as a minister,
would not only give his parole to take no part in the war, or if paroled,
would endeavor to secure in exchange any person who would be con
sidered an equivalent. We mentioned his case to the general, but he
did not see anything that he could do.. On seeing him the next time,
and stating what the general had said, he was very much cast down.
Trying to cheer him, we said we believe God has sent you here for
some purpose, see if you can't find it out. You may find it the best
field of labor you ever had, or ever will have in your life, and you may
look back in eternity and praise' God for this more than for any other
period. There are many here who can't read. If you would only get
them stirred up to learn, it would be a great thing. If you didn't teach
you could get others. If you will get the scholars and teachers, we will
see that you get the books. Thus was- started a little movement, which
has grown, until more than a thousand are regularly engaged, and from
simply starting to learn to read, classes have been formed in reading,
writing, arithmetic, algebra, natural philosophy, the higher branches
of mathematics, Latin, Greek, German, &c.
The encouragement, continuance and perfection of this work is due
to Mr. Alonzo Morgan, of Sumpter, S. C, one of their engineer corps,
who has devoted himself with a diligence and zeal, truly philanthropic,
to aid his fellow prisoners of this school. Mr. Morgan entered upon it
the 10th of March, and on the 22d of April writes as follows :
"We have bad our regular exercises every day, with the exception of days of
snow and heavy rains, not exceeding three in all. We have one hundred and
fifty men learning to read, and nearly as many more in the writing classes. The
English Grammar, Natural Philosophy, Modern and Ancient Geography and His
tory, Geometry, Book-keeping, Algebra, Latin and Dictionary classes are all large
and well attended, some of which are divided into three sections, each containing
fifty or sixty pupils. But our Arithmatic class is probably the most interesting.
It is divided into seven sections, commencing with numeration and extending to the
most thorough instruction in the science.
One of these sections contains sixty students. The teachers have displayed fine
talents in their several departments, coupled with the most laudable zeal for the
cause. The following'gentlemen are regularly engaged and have classes assigned
them, which meet once or twice every day. These with several others, who are
occasionally called in for temporary engagements form a corps of teachers of
whieh any institution might be proud. The books, stationery, &e., which you and
other friends of education have contributed have been turned to the best account.
Teachers.— K. J. Gwaltney, J. D. Blackwell, W. S. Arbogast, G. N. Footman'

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION.

25

W. A. Coates, J. Hughes, I. W. Free, P. R. Piper, J. J. White, J. N. Strout,
T. Newman, A. G. Newman, E. P. Moore, D. C. Smith, H. J'. Carter, M. C. Bell.
I believe we are doing all we can with the means at our disposal, but could
we obtain larger supplies of books and stationery we might be able to extend the
field of labor so as to include many of our comrades who are now spending the
long weary days of their captivity in idleness and vice.
Returning to you, and all those kind christians, who have displayed S' ch gene
rosity in supplying our necessities, our sincere thanks, I subscribe myself,
With respect, yours truly,
A. Mokgan,
To Rev. A. B. Cross. Supt. P. W. C. School."
[Since the date of this letter, the school has gone on increasing until as many
as twelve hundred are daily engaged.]
March 2nd, Gen. Butler came to the Point to make arrangements in
regard to paroling for exchange a number of prisoners. After preaching
in the camp Mr. Walker asked if we could not see Gen. Butler in his
case. We called on him in the evening ; mentioned it. "I will exchange
for such a man." We said we were perfectly satisfied if he could. He
said he would bear itin mind. He sent for, and had an interview with
him. When the flag of truce boat came up he was proposed in exchange
for one of our colporteurs. The papers made out and all in readiness
as we supposed, when the provost marshal said "he could not go.
" Too busy to attend to it." We said, "Gen. Butler, when here was
not too busy to hear it, nor too forgetful when he went to Fortress
Monroe to find a man and arrange for his exchange." It was arranged
in time for him to get on the boat.
Captain Little, who lost his arm at Gettysburg, through some mean
ness on the part of officers lately from Johnson's Island, captured only
a few months before, was thrown out of the list of exchange His case
was no sooner mentioned than the General asked if his name was on
the list. His clerk said, no. "Put it on, and write Judge Ould, 1
send Captain Little, as special exchange." The bell rang, and in ten
minutes the boat sailed. ,
That day they commenced digging ditches, hauling gravel, mend
ing the roads, draining the ground, and a distributing of the shoes,
&c The General had upset the arrangement of the Rebel officers and
directed that the oldest captured should go first. There was a sort ot
shout among the prisoners in the camp and many in the hospital on
hearing what he had done. He had also ordered attention to the
policing of the ground, &c. , ,
Dr Thompson, the surgeon in charge of the cam.p seemed grateful
for the General's visit. For three months he had urged this pohoe im
provement without effect. From that visit a new face was put on the
camp and the Point which has continued until this present time The
camj in general is well drained, and on the whole m comfortably fixed
as is possible with so many men, and every attention is given to health
cleanliness and comfort. The Hospital department has been moved o
a portion of the ground taken from the officer's camp, and in addition to
the hospital tents", which are large and floored, there have been erected
four barracks for hospitals, which are nice and comfortable quarters.
gfficer have said to u's time and again, "If we were not pn=
would like to come and stay here awhile merely for recreation and
pleasure. It is this being in prison, not allowed to go beyond a certain

26 THE WAR.
line, that is the trouble." In the camp time and again we have heard
men say the same, "If it was not for 'the prison we would not mind it.
Others, " We would just as soon stay here until the war is over as any
place." About 11 o'clock, March 17th, the flag-of-truce boat New York,
started with nine hundred and sixty-eight Rebel prisoners for exchange .
As many of the wounded as could safely go were on board. On leav
ing the wharf, bread and meat and coffee, all of which was in abun
dance, were given out, and again before we arrived at Fortress Monroe.
We gathered from Captain 0. H. Miller, of Georgia, the following
statement: ''He was of Longstreet's corps, Hood's division, Anderson's brigade, the Fifty-
ninth Georgia regiment. Colonel Brown's regiment rested on the second day
at Gettysburg, in front of the railroad cut, where the first day's fight was, un
til about twelve o'clock. Then marched to the right, on tbe west side of the
branch and east of the McLean House— then to the Peach orchard and Brick house.
The shelling was so heavy that we had to remove on through the Peach orchard
and directly across the rocks in Plum Run. By them our regiment was split in
two, but we advanced. I was on the right. Went acros* the little branch, over
the fence into the woods, among rocks, on to where it was pretty level. Here
formed the regiment, fixed bayonets and charged about sixty yards to the
Union forces, where they had breast-works here and there. This was their first
line. We fired about three volleys, and fell back and reformed lower down.
Then made a charge on the same works and got, possession of them, following up
in the hollow, on the right, and got possession S>f Little Round Top and beyond
it. Then the battery of three guns turned on us and made an awful destruction
of men. We turned to the left and captured the three guns. We then came into
a position where a cross fire from the enemy's infantry took us. On that little
knoll I was wounded, and placed in the crevice of some rocks where I lay until
daylight of the 3d . Our men at early dawn carried me away. Our men held
position for two or three volleys. Reinforcements arriving we had to give up and
fall back to original position. The Union men charged over me and took their
old position. Several Union men sat down beside me, said it was a good place to
rest and keep away from bullets. Our men made another charge and drove the
Union men back about sixty yards, and continued until dark. The main body
withdrew, taking with them what wounded they could and burying all they could.
The Texians were on my right. The wound was a compound fracture of the upper
third of my right thigh. I was taken to Hood's division hospital, on Jonn '
Plank's farm, where was a surgeon of the Eleventh Georgia. They carried mo
to a tent, but said it was no use, I would certainly die. They ordered me to the
dead-house, where 1 remained fifteen days. A young man of my company got a
piece of rail and with a shirt ti»d my leg. When they took me into Plank's house
they said, I would certainly die, to give me whatever stimulants I would have.
After this a surgeon from Gettysburg came, and suggested Smith's Anterior and
Post-splint, which they applied with success. But in that time my leg had short
ened four and a-half inches and could not be helped. On twelfth of August was
taken to the Field General Hospital — third November, West's Building Hospital —
fifteenth to Fort Mcllenry — -twenty-third and twenty-fourth to Point Lookout."
We give the particulars of this case in full, because first, it is the
best description of the engagement on Round Top which we have come
across, all thelines of which we had seen before ; in the next place, it is
one case of ten thousand, where a man has been left fifteen days in the
dead-house and yet lives, and shows neglect by surgeons of their own
men This from Captain Little, of Fifty-Second North Carolina :
" The"fifty-second North Carolina and sixty second Mississippi, had a skirmish
with the Union cavalry June 30. July, we moved toward Gettysburg. General
Pettigrew had gone on expecting a heavy force, finding the Union force larger he sent

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 27
back for fifty-second North Carolina, forty-second Mississippi and himself fell back
two or three miles, liaving staid where we were all night. Early on morning of
hrst,_ we came with tile rest of Hill's corps. The whole road was filled with artillery
coming where General Hill had selected his position ; we turned to the right, were
the extreme regiment. Company E was the extreme right of the line to observe
the motions of the enemy and report.
Generals Archer and Davis to the left, were first annoyed by cavalry and sharp
shooters, but kept position until the charge in the afternoon, when the whole line
advanced to the hullow before you come to the Seminary ridge. We fell back and
were relieved by Lane's brigade.
The McLean House was burned by order of Col. Marshall because of the sharp
shooters firing upon us. The men burned it very reluctantly, but it was the only
way we could get them out. We had no artillery. Burnt it as we were making
the advance.
The fighting was principally to the left and very heavy. The eleventh and twen
ty-sixth of this brigade were very heavily pressed and the forty-seventh next to the
fifty-second; Colonel Leavenlhorp here. Colonel Burgwin of twenty-sixth killed
in charge of this day. To the left Colonel Conally of fifty-fifth was in Davis' brigade.
The next morning where the eleventh and twenty-sixth met ours in a piece of
woods there was desperate fighting. Some of the men who were in the fight said :
The men met within ten steps and fired. Some places toe could distinguish the line by
where the men fell, one was a Pennsylvania regiment. The ground was covered with
men. A great many of both sides. The eleventh and twenty-sixth, very large,
were perfectly riddled of officers and men ; the twenty-sixth carried in above one
thousand men. That evening we went back to where we had advanced fromin'the
charge and staid until late next afternoon. Second morning Pickett's division went
down to our right, took position and staid that night. We could see artillery on
Round Top, and cemetery hill. Some shells from these hills hit us.
Third, our.brigade put in position to tbe left of Pickett's division, directly behind
artillery, moved about and got in place about eleven. Generals Lee, Longstreet, Hill
and a number of general officers met in a shady bottom near a little branch. Lee sat
on a stump, was reading a paper of some kind a long time before the action. After
one gun, the whole artillery, from the whole line opened on cemetery hill, with tre
mendous force, from one to three and a half, when it slackened and the order was
given for advance. The whole line two deep. In the advance Pettigrew's brigade
of Heath's division was to the left of Pickett's, as they advanced. Pickett doubled
on Pettigrew. As they got up close they were thinned out very rapidly. Going
over a fence on the Emmittsburgroad was shot in arm. After firing was over, and
Union men came out to take prisoners one of them with one of my men helped me
to a house on the Taneytown road and afterwards on account of shells, back across
a marsh and rocky place where laid all night ; next morning was taken in ambulance
to hospital of sixth corps, where Drs. Oakley and Chamberlain gave me every atten
tion and through that saved my life. It was at John Trostle's house. I took the
names of men who I hope to see when the war is over.' '
This is a republican government in which we all have some personal
interest and right, and no man is worthy of his place in the country who
will not feel for her honor as well as her justice — and no officers are fit
for ruling in such a government who do not in some measure appreciate
the words of Seneca, sine bonitate nulla nit jestas, " without goodness
there can be no such thing as majesty," — no government can be honor
able and majestic, which will do mean things. If our government should
pay men to furnish vaccine matter to prevent disease and suffering, must
we wink at a man who would furnish bad vaccine matter? Just on the
same principle, our prison camps are to hold secure our prisoners, and
our hospitals to minister to and take care of the sick and wounded.
We feel thankful that our surgeons have been able to treat with suc
cess cases of wounded and suffering men. However much may be said
of neglecting wounded men, Jesus did not blame the Samaritan (Luko
10 : 34) for binding up, or pouring in oil and wine.

28

THE WAR.

We ask proper treatment for our men in prison. Let us do what is
right to those in our hands. With those whose home,' friends, and as
sociations are all south, we can bear, but not with northern men
who have gone south and hold up for this rebellion. We found
in this camp a man named Edey, from New York or Brooklyn, a
zealous rebel, from a Texas regiment. It was in the severity of
the winter when attention was needed promptly. We said to him in a
company of others, go through the camp and find out any cise of suffer
ing. Let it be knowriHthat you are on the lookout for such cases, and
if there be any and the provost marshal or quartermaster has not what
isnecessary, we will see that it is gotten. Mr. Edey never reported
us one case.
One day Mr. Morgan, the teacher, said a man had come in two
or three nights before, without a blanket — that he had come to his tent
and he had to give him part of his, so that it was not comfortable to
either of them. One of them was not well and was suffering from
chills. He said he had gone to the keeper at the gate but-he had
damned him and ordered him off. He did'nt blame the keeper of the
gate, because he had so many annoyances from so many continually
knocking and asking for things ; but said he could'nt stand up against
such a speech as some others could. We stated the case to the Cap
tain. He said, " it was a lie, and he didn't care a damn — that nobody
had gone in without a blanket." Having the man's name .and ward,
we gave it to the Surgeon of the Hospital, requesting him to go and
see the case, which he did immediately, and ordered the man to the
Hospital. Not satisfied with this we continued our investigation until
we found out the truth. It appeared that this man had come in late at
night; the Captain was not there, and whoever was in charge of the
gate had permitted him to go in without inquiring whether he had a
blanket. The kindness, care and regard for the condition of the men, on the
part of Drs. Thompson, Walton and others, is a credit to them as sur
geons. The whole camp is in small divisions, over each of which is a
surgeon from among the prisoners, whose business is to see to any man
who is sick and needs attention — to report his case to the Surgeon of
the Hospital, who for that day is in charge of the camp, who goes and
examines into his case, and if needing care orders him to the Hospital,
where he is attended to regularly and promptly.
Swearing is a qualification with some men for office. To keep such
a gate, without cursing occasionally, would seem like forgetting his
business. Some of the prisoners, of their own accord, said that the
Captain was quite clever to them and did a great many things for them.
Not long after we said something to him about wanting to get a pair of
pantaloons for a man. He went in and brought out a pair, of his own
accord, which we took and gave the man.
About once a week there is an inspection of the camp. All the
prisoners take out all their goods of every kind from their tents, and
each man displays his worldly all upon the gravel street. As the Cap
tain, or Provost Marshal rides along, and each man standing up, he
sees who seems»to need pantaloons, or shirt, or jacket, or shoes — orders
him out of the ranks, and away he goes toward the gate — so another,

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 29
and another, until you will sometimes see a small regiment of men,
some for shoes, pantaloons, shirt or coat. In this way they are seen
to. Of course here, like in every other department, one officer will
think there is not much need for a thing that another will think impor
tant. Swearing officers would not always think giving a Bible, or
preaching the^ Gospel to prisoners, a very important matter.
The Officer's camp of about ten to fifteen acres, lies parallel to the
Prisoner's, with two rows of tents, and a cook-house in one corner of
the camp. We do not recollect of there being over four hundred men
in it at any time, unless for a night, when an exchange was being ar
ranged. The officers were in the wards among the wounded in the Hammond
Hospital until late in March or early in April. Everything was quiet and
went along very comfortably until about the middle of March. On the
thirteenth of this month about three hundred and fifty rebel officers
came from Johnson's Island or Elmira — among them General Jeff.
Thompson and J. C. Breckinridge, son of General Breckinridge, who
was in a few days exchanged, and General Thompson sent to Fort Dela
ware. Many of these officers were very gentlemanly and clever,
behaving themselves as well as men could. Others were on the look
out for a way of escape. On their arrival the guards were doubled and
greater strictness required in all who came in or went out of the lines
of the hospital.
In a few days a suggestion was made to the Commander that a con
spiracy was on foot, and an attempt would be made among the prisoners
to escape, which led to an examination of the camp. As usual, in all
such investigations, innocent persons suffer. When a man's worldly es
tate consists of the clothes on his back, a blanket or two, a few books,
Bible or Testament, a few pieces of boards put together in the best way
he can for chair, or bedstead, or table, to turn all out and break up all
his fixtures is a very serious item, when he does not know where or how
he can replace them. It is all vain talk for men to say, prisoners have
no need for such things. They are men, and have minds and affec
tions which must work out on something. Baron Trenk brought his
soul to a mouse, another eminent prisoner to a spider, and another
watched daily the growing of a blade of grass that came out between
the bricks and mortar of his cell. To destroy these little things, to tor
ture and torment by depriving a prisoner of all comfort is as base and
infamous as the spirit of the Church of Rome, which, in her desire to
wreak vengeance upon those who leave her and protest against her,
has systematized torture, and placed before the world the incarnation
of satanic cruelty in her inquisition.
The prisoners at a sudden notice were ordered out of their tents.
A company or two of a regiment, on guard, came in with axes, picks,
spades, &c. They entered every tent of those suspected, dug up the
ground in and around, threw out every thing. In the search they found
one or two small box-boats prepared to float on the river or bay, and a
rope-ladder with which to escape or scale the fence. In other tents
nothing objectionable. Hurried out, they had left their little all of
treasure which, when the house was dug up, could not be found. For
a time some complained of the needless destruction.

30 THE WAR.
The loafers and bummers about the hospital, who the soldiers were
want to say were "nine days in the army and the rest of the time in
the hospital," grumbling at everything that was done for any man unless
they had a share of it, and could not see a shirt given to a naked man
without beiug in desperate want themselves, living in the kitchen, where
the best of everything passed through their hands, yet complained of
hard fare, were ready to have every one of the men hung right up.
Our soldiers who had gone through nearly every battle in which the
army of the Potomac had been engaged, spoke very differently. Those
that had been in prison at Richmond, spoke of how tjiey would have
been treated — but didn't think it was right to punish men for trying to
escape. It is the duty of government to keep prisoners as securely as
possible, but on the part of the prisoner, it is his right and his duty to
escape just as quick as he can, and to this end we would have every one
of our men at Richmond, and in other prisons, do their best to escape,
and when they did we would give them the right hand, and help them
on their way. Indeed, we think it is a sort of honorable thing for a pris
oner of war to escape.
About two hundred officers of Morgan's men came to the Point on
Sabbath, March 20. We met them going up in front of the provost
marshal's, and waited while the names were called. We noticed some
of them were considerably intoxicated. As the roll was called, we were
struck with the manner of one young man ; answering to his name, he
left an impression on us out of all the company. They were taken to the
camp prepared for the officers, adjoining the main camp for prisoners.
When they had gone in, an altercation occurred between this one of the
officers and the one in charge of them. Several times he ordered the
officer off, but he persisted in using insulting language, and possibly
drew his fist in his face, &c. The lamentable result ofit was, that the
officer in charge shot him dead When we saw the corpse, it was the
same young man. The officers at the Point generally lamented the occur
rence. The man who did it was a kind man, who would do almost any
thing for the prisoners, and felt it severely, but supposed it was his duty.
While our men lamented it, we found, on conversing with his fellow-
officers, that they did not condemn the act, but attributed the conduct
of the man to the fact that.he had been drinking. Among these officers
were many very civil, gentlemanly men of education and standing,
who behaved themselves in the most unexceptionable and christian
manner. Sometime before they came, a colored regiment had been sent up from
Fortress Monroe, to be placed among those guarding. The prisoners in
the camp heard of it, and for a while the most intense anxiety was man
ifested. It was a new thing. The guards on the walk around noticing
it, let them transgress the usual bounds, so as to look through the
cracks in the fence at these passing. For a while there was a good deal
of talk, and with some, threats. They were sent beyond the gate and
encamped on the main land, just above where the Point connects with
it, enabling them to watch and capture, as they did afterwards, those
that might escape from the camp along the water.
Some of our own men, especially the Irish, among the guards of the
hospital, and the substitutes ofthe second New Hampshire, were more

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 31
excited and indignant than the prieoners. It was, however, admitted on
all hands, that a Maryland regiment, we think the fourth United States,
marched, drilled and manoeuvred as well as any they had ever seen.
In a few days, when in turn, they were put on guard, there was a
httle difficulty with one or two. The old sayiDg, "Put a beggar on
horse-back and he will ride to the devil," has been often seen iu placing
ignorant, inexperienced men in charge of companies of men, or raising
men up suddenly. Some of this colored regiment, when first put on
guard, hardly knew their place, or the orders they were required to
carry out. ^ Especially some young, conceited lads. A few of these at
the gate, did not treat our own men, when going into the camp, with
propriety. There was also complaint of the shooting by some of them
when there was no necessity. These cases were promptly examined
into. Among them, however, were as many well behaved, excellent
guards, good soldiers, civil and trusty men, as were in either of the
white regiments, and very soon, the prisoners in the camp looked upon
them and acted towards them with as much respect as those of the other
regiments. Ole Johnson, a Norwegian, from the battery, who was sick, came
to see if he could get a Norwegian testament. He had been in service
over two and a half years, had learned to read English in a printing
office in Madison, Wisconsin. His father and mother were dead; had five
brothers and one sister in Norway. The reason he gave on finding
himself at liberty to talk, for coming to our room was, to get out of the
company of the men who were in the ward with him. His father was
a christian, he had been trained in his principles, was trying, away
from home and among strangers and wicked men, to live as a christian,
and thanked us for the invitation to come when he had opportunity.
We quote two ofhis remarks: " When I heir a man swear, I most believe
he is a liar, and won't believe him." " It is a fearful thing, that a man
is so blind, that he will run away from his Matter. "
We found Union men in camp, who had come there under peculiar cir
cumstances. Two men from East Tennessee. One whose father and an
other his brother, had started from home in company, to get into our
army in Kentucky. The father of one and brother of the other had suc
ceeded in making their way, but these two were caught and put into the
rebel army. They were captured somewhere west, had been impris
oned had applied to take the oath, had been neglected and put off.
Another man was away from home in Adams county, Penn., when
the army of Lee came through Waynesboro', and took him along with
them. A portion of the regiment which took him were captured at
Gettysburg, and he with them. His home was in Carroll county, Ma
ryland. He was marched on down by Westminster, within eight miles
of his wife and children. He had been a prisoner, until now, and
carried from one place to another.
A young man from North Carolina, who had been conscripted into
the service, giving us his history, said: "He would like to go north until
the war was over, had applied to take the oath, was always a Union
man. All his family and nearly every relation he had were old Henry
Clay whigs. They had a good farm on which he had left his mother
and younger children. His father was dead. His mother had always

32

THE WAR.

brought them all up to work and in favor of liberty. Often told them
that slavery would bring on a war. That , she was willing to give all
she had without any pay for them. They were all opposed to slavery,
and believed that it was altogether the cause of the war." That
there are many who feel as we here have said, it is only necessary to refer
to the fact that one whole regiment and part of anether have come out
and entered our service, and others have entered the navy.
Seeing Gen. Butler about other matters, and noticing the prompt
ness with which he did what work came before him, deciding cases as it
seemed to us fairly, and kindly, we brought these cases before him.
They were examined into and without delay relieved.
Men in public offices have a great deal to do, but it is wonderful
what men can do, if they will be good humored, civil, attentive, and
industrious, with promptness and despatch. Whenever you see a public
officer have time to drink a little, swear a little, get angry and treat
people roughly about business which they are appointed to do ; you
may be sure that he will not get through his work. The man who has
little or nothing to do, may get angry, be irritable, pevish, fretful, ner
vous, &c, but the man fully occupied ought to say as one did, "I have
got so much to do, I must keep in a good humor." It was wise. The
faster you run the machinery the more it needs oil — he is a fool who
would put sand on instead of oil, when he is in a hurry.
Let officers treat men civilly. Don't do as a general once said to us,
he had abolished the word civility from his vocabulary. " I shall always
be glad to see the officer of the twentieth Maine, who captured me at
Round Top during the battle at Gettysburg," said a prisoner. "He
behaved like a gentleman." With all the abuse of Gen. Butler by the
rebel press, in the rebel camp at Point Lookout, it was a matter of
pleasure among the prisoners to see him. They knew he would not
compromit one hair where the interest of his government was at stake,
but they felt a confidence that when a matter came before him he would
attend to it, that he would not let things be done unjustly or inhu
manely to them as prisoners, and that where an officer did such a thing
and he learned it, he would relieve him.
We have heard some of our men speak in commendation of a rebel
guard, who brought up some of his associates, with a short turn, which
would not do any guard harm. "I am here to guard and keep safe
these prisoners. I will not insult them — and I will not permit any man
to do it, while I am on guard."
Men who are in war should remember that it will not last always.
They must die. Their enemies must die, both must meet at the judg
ment bar of him who will there remember the kindness which gave a
cup of cold water. If they both live, when the war is over, they will
find that acts of humanity which they performed will do more to bind
together the people of this nation, than any thing else. Out of these
prisons will come men who have been there trained and disciplined by
God himself.
War and imprisonment are God's school. When he permits a nation
to war and fight, religion is not dead. He sends afflictions upon indi
viduals and tries them — but on nations judgments, to punish and break
down associations which have been combined in opposing his great pur-

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 33
poses. Thus in the Scripture, Jer. 6, 8 : "Be thou instructed, 0 Jeru
salem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not
inhabited." To the city of Nineveh he sent Jonah. Forty days and
Nineveh shall be destroyed, because of her wickedness. But they re-
pente"5 and God turned away his anger. So Jer. 18, 7-10 : " At what
instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to
pluck up, and to pull down and to destroy it. If that nation against
whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil
that I thought to do unto them, &c."
" I have read the Mew Testament through since J was in prison" said
an officer, an educated man, who had been inclined to treat it with con
tempt; " I now want to read the Bible. I never" had one ." It would
surprise any man who had not been among the prisoners in our hands to
see how many of them want the Scriptures and how anxiously they seek
for them. Men who at home probably never opened them. Many of
God's people have been in prison. Joseph, Jeremiah, John, Peter,
Paul and Silas. Thence came Paul's Epistles. Christ said to his disci
ples " ye shall be cast into prison."
Earthly governments, ignorant and inattentive officers, may suffer
individuals to pine away unjustly, or in the multitude of the cases let
innocent persons suffer with the guilty, rather than trouble themselves
to look into their cases, but it is not so with Christ, he will hear every
call, and regard every case which presents itself before him.
A man sent to prison, in Russia, for conspiring against the life of the
Emperor Nicholas, treated with scorn a minister who visited him, kicked
the Bible he left, and cursed man and God for injustice, After days
of solitude, loneliness and anger, he opened it on 50th Psalm, 15th v. :
Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify me. He threw away the book. After days he read again and
again. God made the very despised word effectual to his salvation,
and he waited in joyful hope for the day of his execution. On
the day preceding, the Emperor himself came to him in his cell to
let him know that he was released, and apologized for his imprisonment,
having been fully satisfied of his innocence. (See Tract, Prisoner and
• Emperor.') John Newton said, "when I hear a knock at my study door, I hear a
message from God. Position involves responsibility. Public men who
shut their doors and their ears against the petitions of individuals,
should learn from the unjust judge, and remember that God has said,
" Whoso stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor, he shall cry himself, but
shall not be heard." Prov. 21 : lo.
" The Lord despiseth not his prisoners." Ps. 69: 33.
" Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee." Ps. 79 : 11.
"From heaven did the Lord behold, to hear the groaning of the
prisoner." Ps. 102 : 20.
Jesus said, " But I say unto you, love your enemies." Mat. 5 : 44.
Placing our men in front of batteries, on fortifications, &c. , we think
fair and right to oppose with an equal number and grade on same kind
of work and danger; but to withhold food and clothing and shelter
from, and proper medical attention to, any prisoner or wounded man,
we hope will not be entered upon the records of our nation. " Yen-

34 THE WAR.
geance is mine. I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy
hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink ; for in so doing thou
shalt heap coals of fire upon his head." Rom. 12: 19, 20. Let us
show our principles in contrast. God's government sets forth no such
principles of retaliation. It is altogether satanic cruelty. Wf must
have his spirit to do his acts. Success in putting down this rebellion
and future prosperity is from God. Don't let us do that which will set
him against us. We will do better with him on our side than with all
our wise men and all our armies. 2 Kings vi : 17.
Men at Point Lookout, from Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Alabama, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Ken
tucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Maine, New
Hampshire, Mas-achusetts, New York — from twenty States — colonels,
captains, lieutenants, a judge, lawyers, sons of pious mothers who are
dead, and they orphans, sons of widows at home, came freely
to our room. We were able to give them religious reading matter,
and privately to. encourage, exhort and admonish as their particular
case seemed to need.
From rules laid down by Secretary of War and Commissary General
of Prisoners :
XII. The Commanding officer will cause requisitions to be made by his Quarter
master for such clothing as may be absolutely necessary for the prisoners ; which
requisition will be approved by him after a careful inquiry as to the necessity, and
submitted for the approval of the Commissary General of Prisoners. * * *
From the 30th of April to 1st of October, neither drawers nor socka will be al
lowed, except to the sick.
At Fort Delaware, in eight months, over thirty-five thousand artieles
were distributed among the men — shoes, stockings, shirts, drawers,
woolen blankets and great coats. It is a rule not to let a man enter the
camp without an overcoat or blanket. In nearly four months we were
at Point Lookout, there was, as far as we could learn, but one case,
and that proved by the mistake of a man letting him in late at night
without knowing the rule.
XIV. The Commanding officer must give receipts for money to those to whom it
belongs. These sums shall be kept in a book subject to inspection of the Com
missary General at any time, or other inspecting officer, and when prisoners are
transferred the amount due must be sent with him to the officer to whom they are
sent, who shall receipt for it. When paroled their money will be returned to
them. Of these rules we had practical proof, and when the Rev. Mr.
Walker was going away, the reason which tho Provost Marshal gave
for not getting him off in that boat was, that he had so many to pay he
would not be able to get him in this time. He did, however, pay them,
pay him, and he went down in the boat.
We have been thus particular in these matters, because there is uni
form complaint in regard to our men, that they not only are not fur
nished, or paid, but that nearly everything is taken from them and with
held when they are paroled.

FIELD OF W

\R AROUND RICHMOND & PETERSBURG 1864.
By .Andrew "B. Cross-- BaJtimorc.

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION.

AEMY OF THE POTOMAC.
As the spring of 1864 opened, the eyes of the nation were upon the
two armies which had faced each other during the winter. If Grant
moved — Lee must. A line of intrenchments and fortifications at every
available point on the way to Richmond, or if by the James or York
rivers, heavy earthworks, a second or third edition, enlarged and im
proved, on those against McClellan, must be encountered.
A single corps of thirty thousand men, would require about seven
hundred wagons and four thousand two hundred mules The horses of
officers, artillery, &c. , nearly seven thousand. If good roads, each wagon
will take about eighty feet, or fifty-six thousand feet, over ten miles for
a train — the artillery three miles — ambulances one mile. If thirty
thousand men march in single column — six miles — then cattle trains,
bridge builders and pontoons, if needed, added So that twenty miles
at least, may be laid out. Some say the supply train for the four corps
was eight thousand wagons, and would reach sixty miles in length.
The second, fifth and sixth corps, under Hancock, Warren, Wrightand
the' ninth, from Annapolis, under Burnside, are assigned to enter upon
that line on which General Grant afterwards said he would fight it out.
Crossing the Rapidan , then by the Wilderness Spotsylvania Court House,
the North Anna, Old Church, Bethesda, in front of Cold Harbor, for
the purpose in part, of getting past Lee, and between him and Richmond.
Or if the attempts along these lines fail, provision is made for the other,
by sending up the tenth and eighteenth corps, under Smith and Gil-
more, to Bermuda Hundred. Lee holding to advantage the line next
to Richmond as far down the Chickahominy as Bottom's Bridge, with a
knowledge of every hill and ravine, by-road, creek or swamp. The army
of the Potomac must fight as it advances, while the enemy watches to
fall upon it, unless by some skill or expedition it can s-icceed in getting
in front of and between him and Richmond, an end which any wise
and efficient commander will be on the alert to do.
Richmond was in a direct line about sixty miles from Orange Court-
House where Lee's army wintered, about seventy from Culpeper Court-
House where our army lay. The latter about sixty miles from Wash
ington the former about seventy-five miles. They were about fifteen to
eighteen miles apart, with the Rapidan between them.
Tuesday morning, May 3d, the order was given to move. Wilson's
cavalry in the night threw a pontoon bridge over Germanna Ford, fol
lowed the next day by the fifth and sixth corps. Gregg's cavalry did
the same at Ely's Ford, the second followed. The ninth remained over
as a reserve to guard the supply train and piotect Washington On
the evening of the 4th, the three corps encamped south of the Rapi
dan— and were on 5th followed by the ninth. _
Thursday May 5, our army was early in motion through the Wilder
ness a tract of wild, uneven country, covered with scrub oak, low pines
and ' thick bushes, intersected with by-roads, swamps and ravines a
surface of about twelve to fourteen miles square, with very few mhabi-
4

36' fffi& Was.,
tants. On the eastern edge is Chancellorsville, and near wnere Hooker,
in May 1863, fought with Lee.
It was certain that Lee would with his knowledge of the country,
make a quick, strong and effective assault. Our army was marching oo
a south-east line for the purpose of passing Lee and was necessarily ex
tended. Lee on one side at north-east to assault, whieh he did after
bis manner, massing first on one point then another. In some of these
he was successful, taking a number of prisoners. The fighting was
very severe.
Friday 6th, early, the fight was renewed and continued all day. Burn-
side had come over the night before. There were five separate battles
by the evening of this day, the last continuing into the night, in which
a most desperate eharge was made upon our right. Generals Seymour
and Shaler were captured, their brigades scattered, and the right so
pressed that the supply trains were in danger of being cut off. But by
the aid of the artillery and the gathering and rallying of his forces,
Sedgwick checked the enemy, and really saved the supplies to the army.
General Wadsworth was killed by a bullet, which struck him in the
forehead. Saturday, 7th. The last night really closed upon a drawn battle, in
which the enemy were very successful — but at early dawn this morning,
a severe artillery fire was opened by oiir men, the fighting before was
from the character of the country mostly of musketry. An advance on
our part showed that Lee had fallen back, and was making south, for
Spotsylvania Court House.
This battle had continued from ten minutes before twelve on Thurs
day noon until the morning of Saturday. It was a meeting of about
two hundred thousand men, in fierce terrible and deadly conflict, and
now drawn to be renewed at. Spotsylvania The loss on both sides was
severe. Lee took about one thousand prisoners, but did not drive any
of our army back to the Rapidan, or hinder an advance.
The army of Lee had gotten the start, and secured strong fortified
positions at Spotsylvania Court House before us. Our army had moved
on Saturday during the darkness of the night. About daylight on
Sabbath, the 8th, part ofit halted in the midst ofthe old battle-field of
Hooker and Lee, to get breakfast. In an hour or two it turned south,
on the turnpike toward Spotsylvania Court House, fighting at times
nearly all day.
Monday, 9th. The Maltapony river has four branches, Mat, Ta, Po,
Ny. Between the Ny and near the Po is the Court House. The for
tifications of Lee at this place were approached by three roads, center
ing in the town. On these in the form of a semicircle, he placed his
army, under Longstreet, Ewell and Hill. General Meade, with the
second, fifth, sixth and ninth corps, after driving him in on different
points, here faced him, and advanced across the Ny. General Sedg
wick was killed by a sharp-shooter while he was giving directions about
the position of his artillery. This day there were charges and repulses
but Lee held his strong position around the Court House. The trains
had come up, and the men whose rations had been exhausted were this
day replenished.
Tuesday, 10th. A severe cannonade, preparatory to an attack on the

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 37
whole line, was commenced. The attack was made with great force and
energy. Extending over a large district of country, along the marshes
of the Ny, in the woods and open fields, met on all sides by the shot
and shell of Lee's batteries, from their strong works, yet our men entered
some of these and took about 1,000 prisoners. While our loss this day
was severe, Lee must have been heavily loser, when he asked for a
truce on the next day, 11th, to bury the dead.
On Wednesday, 11th, General Grant sent this despatch to the Secre
tary of War : " We have now ended the sixth day of very hard fighting.
The result has been very much in our favor. Our losses have been heavy,
as well as those of the enemy. I think the loss of the enemy must be
greater. We have taken over 5,000 prisoners in battle, while he has
taken butfewfrom us except stragglers. I propose to fight it out on this
line, if it takes all summer."
Early Thursday, 12th, our men charged upon that portion held by
General Edward Johnson , capturing him and his division. General Grant
despatched : " The eighth day of battle closes, leaving between 3,000
and 4,000 prisoners in our hands, for the day's work, including two gen
eral officers and over thirty pieces of artillery. While we have lost no
organization, not even a company, we have destroyed and captured one
divisiop, Johnson's — one brigade, Dobbs', and one entire regiment of
the enemy."
The fight of this day was from morning until night, fourteen hours
long. It could not be exceeded in resolute, determined bravery and per- i
severance by any preceding battle ; and left us at night one mile nearer
the Court House, repulsing Lee in nearly every attack. This led Lee
to draw in his lines nearer his centre. The Richmond Enquirer says
" that during the battle of Spotsylvania a large tree in the rear of the
rebel breastworks was cut down by the concentrated force of the minnie
balls. The tree fell inside of their works. After the battle one of their
surgeons, Dr. Charles Magill, measured the trunk and found it twenty-
two inches through and sixty-one inches in circumference. The foliage
was completely trimmed from it."
We have now had most severe and terrible battles, at Wilderness and
Spotsylvania for eight to ten days. The Richmond Sentinel said :
"During the past two weeks the war has raged with a fury unexampled
in all our previous campaigns." Our wounded from which are probably
not short of twenty thousand Lee's not less. Ours are to be attended
to as far as possible, bandaged, amputated and dressed before they are
removed ten to fifteen miles, to the hospital at Fredericksburg. Tbe
supply is short— some of the divisions are with scarcely anything. The
medical wagons of the first division ofthe ninth corps, by some delay, did
not reach fhe hospital until the fighting had ceased. Any one familiar
with these movements knows the danger of wagons or men moving about
in small companies, when the enemy's cavalry are waiting for the oppor
tunity to seize and take off whatever they can. In this division the hos
pital was established and conducted during the first day with the con
tents of the commission wagon, their tents forming the shelter for the
severely wounded, while basins, sponges, scissors, lint, bandages, stimu
lants, beef tea, coffee, milk, crackers, &c, with the delegates as nurses,
cooks', &c , rendered the only service. On Sabbath, 8th, after supply-

38 THE WAR.
ing a cavalry hospital, the team, with those from this corps, bore away
for Fredericksburg. On Monday they arrived. The supplies which
they had husbanded were an immediate relief, furnishing breakfast for
hundreds who otherwise would have gone without anything.
A case of treachery in the mayor should not be forgotten. When
the wounded from the Wilderness, who were able to walk, had come
into the town ahead of the wagons and ambulances, they inquired of
him for the hospital, which the government had: established. He
directed them as they supposed, to it, at the outer edge of the town —
hut where there was a number of cavalry who gobbled them up and took
them prisoners to Richmond.
Those unable to walk were taken in wagons and ambulances from the
Wilderness and Spotsylvania to Fredericksburg. Jarred and jolted in
wagons on a rough road, is hard enough for a well man, but what must
it be for men with wounds in feet, legs, thighs, arms, body, head ; some
with one leg, one arm, indeed every kind of wound which can be imag
ined among so many thousand persons; for days without food, when fed
and dressed, then wagoned to Belle Plain, a landing on an arm of the
Potomac, about eight to ten miles below Aquia Creek. The travel/
from Fredericksburg to Belle Plain was in wagons, ambulances and on
foot, over a muddy, rough and dreary road. It was necessary to remove
them as fast as possible, every house of every description in Fredericks
burg being a hospital.
t It would be a very difficult work to estimate the labors of the dele
gates at Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg and Belle Plain,
who were supplied as fast as possible, and with an abundance. Bishop
Mcllvaine, of Ohio, says of a visit, May 23d:
" At Fredericksburg we were set down in the midst of tbe work. There were
from 8,000 to 10.000 wounded men in the various churches, halls and other houses
ofthe town. As some were sent away towards Washington others came in from
the field. The application of the work of tbe commission to those poor sufferers
lying in ambulances, just from the battle, and waiting to be placed under shelter,
as well as to the thousands in the so-called hospitals, was just the aspect in which
it would best exhibit its true character. I joined in it, messed with the delegates,
saw the whole interior of how they lived and denied themselvesand wrought. The
moruing was begun and the day was ended with devotional exercises in the open
air, for the commission rooms afforded no space for about 270.
" Tbey went out to help the surgeons, some of them surgeons themselves, to
wash, to feed, to soothe, take part in the most painful operations, to minister in
every wise and loving way to the sick, the maimed, the dying, to talk with them
about their souls, to point them to the Lamb of God, to pray with them, under all
varieties of trying and painful circumstances, to receive their last messages to dear
ones at home, to comfort in all ways those dear men to whom the country is so
deeply indebted, to bury them when dead.
"But I cannot expect to give au adequate idea of their work, or of their spirit
in it, for all accounts to me, before I saw it, had greatly failed to make me com
prehend it so as to do it any justice, greatly as I, had valued it. What particu
larly struck me in the work was the individuality and. personality ofthe connection
between the commission agent and the wounded sufferers. There was nothing
between them to make the application of aid circuitous or doubtful. It did not take
the place of, or in the least interfere with, Ihe work of the official men, the army sur
geons, &c. It supplemented them. It helped them. It supplied deficiencies in special
emergencies, which no government could be ready for, in all the details of such a
condition of things as existed at Fredericksburg. It met the wounded on the field ¦ it
met them on their arrival at the town long before the appliances of a very over
worked corps of excellent army surgeons and nurses could get to them.
' ' I was much struck With the high character of the men, coming from the highest

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 39
social positions, reinforcements daily arriving as the time of others expired, but
not reaching the necessities ofthe case ; [on our way from Fredericksburg we met
twenty or thirty on their way down, walking in the hot sun,] and then with how
they laid aside their garments and girded themselves, and became servants to all for
Christ's sake, how laboriously they wrought, and how all along, with minis
trations to the body, they carried the gospel, and most of all, sought the salvation
of the soldier. And how the poor safferers welcomed them —how they appreciated
their work— how they thanked them! In how many cases did I heir them say
"We shnuld have been dead by this time but for the christian commission men."
"Having seen the work, under circumstances which tested it to the uttermost, as
to the sort of men it gets, the wisdom of its appliances, and the efficiency and econ
omy of its operations, I can say, and I want to say out of my whjle heart, that a
work more worthy ofthe confidence, and affection, and co-operation of a christian
public, especially of every loyal heart and hand, cannot be devised. It is wonder
ful to see what, from a very small beginning, it has arrived at. The sight ofit is
one ofthe most refreshing alleviations of the gri»f of the land, under the tribula
tions of this awful war, and the wicked conspiracy that originated it."
Friday, 13th. The wet weather stopped operations, except the build
ing of fortifications and gathering of reinforcements — until Wednesday,
the 18th, when the second and ninth corps were engaged, gaining two
lines of Lee's intrench ments and taking some guns. On the 19th Ewell
made an attempt to capture the ammunition and supply train, in which
he failed, losing about twelve hundred killed and wounded and five
hundred prisoners ; our loss being nine hundred. Grant now stretched
his line until Spotsylvania Court House lay to his right. On the 20th
our men succeeded in moving south, and on Saturday, 21st, in the even
ing, occupied Guinney's Bowling Green, and Milford.
Both armies were marching all Saturday night. On Monday, 23rd,
our forces crossed the North Anna near the central railroad, after
severe opposition.
On Wednesday, 25th, at night, after burning the railroad bridge, our
army was between the North and South Anna rivers. About three
o'clock it was reported that the fifth corps had crossed the North Anna,
but only a brigade of one division, under General Griffin, bad. The
whole corps were preparing to cross, and were allowed by Lee, calcula
ting on attacking and driving them back t > the river When he
attacked, General Griffin maintained his position so firmly as to save
the day and bring all through in safety, though Lee had opened on him
with nearly one hundred cannon. Lee had also formed a new line of
defence on the north side of the South Anna river, which he proba
bly supposed General Grant would attempt to pass, as he had done at
Wilderness and Spotsylvania. But he on Thursday, 26th, prepared
to recross the North Anna, and in a few days had removed his army
down to and across the Pamunkey, in such a position that he could
communicate with White House as a base, where he had already had
his supplies forwarded.
On May 5th General Butler sent a heavy force up the York river,
making it probable that he was going to West Point or White House.
Coming back, it was supposed he was going to Yorktotvn, but he
returned and went up the James river to Bermuda Hundred, where he
disembarked his forces, taking .possession of Bermuda Hundred.
Whatever was the object of the movement, one thing is certain, that
Fortress Monroe was virtually removed to the junction of the James and
Appomattox, and Bermuda Hundred and City Point made a position

40

THE WAR.

for operations which will not cease until the rebellion is overthrown.
From Bermuda Hundred, on the James, Butler, with the tenth and
eighteenth corps, under Smith and Gilmore, took possession of all the
ground from a line above the Point of Rocks, on the Appomattox, to
Trent's Reach, on the James, the line of which works will be seen on
the map. He was not more than twelve miles from Petersburg, and
about fifteen to seventeen from Richmond.
May 3rd, we went down to Fortress Monroe, with Mr. J. R. Miller,
one of our field agents, to see where was the best place to make the
base for the operations of the commission, believing it certain that the
line would be the James. At the suggestion of General Butler, and
with the kind attention of Captain Plato, Quartermaster at Norfolk,
placed our stores in the quartermaster's warehouse for a few days.
Mr. Miller went to Yorktown. General Butler's fleet returning, he
came back, and put up a tent at Fortress Monroe, where afterwards a
little shanty of 12 by 32 was put up, in which has been kept part of
our stores. Hundreds of our delegates, and others connected with hu
mane purposes, some seeking their wounded children and fathers, and
others the bodies of those who had fallen on the field or died in the hos
pital, have here been provided for.
In a few days, Mr. Miller went up and established a station at Ber
muda Hundred, another about five miles west in the tenth corps, near
General Gilmore's headquarters, at the eighteenth corps, (then under
General Smith,) at the Point of Rocks, a third.
General Kautz, with about 3,000 cavalry from Suffolk, came up by
Stony Creek, burned the railroad bridge, and came into our lines about
City Point. His wounded and others who had lost their clothes, &c.,
in the raid, Mr. Miller saw supplied. On the 9th, General Butler an
nounced his hopefulness of the success of Kautz to the Secretary of
War Intrenching from the Appomattox to the James; Wednesday,
May 11th, he advanced out of his lines, and had a fight with the rebel
forces, about 2, P. M., driving them to the outside line of their works,
near Drury's Bluff; 12th and 13th they were skirmishing, On Saturday,
the 14th, he drove them to their inner line. In the evening they made
a sortie, and after several volleys returned. Sabbath, 15th, our sharp
shooters, some within one hundred and fifty yards, kept their artillery
quiet Monday, 16th, there was a very heavy fog. The rebels taking
advantage of it made a sortie, early in the morning, got around and
took largely of Heckmau's brigade. The engagement was very severe,
and loss great on both sides. At night, our forces retired into our
works. The rebels did not follow.
The wagon, under Michael Finnegan and delegates, had been on
hand from the 11th to the 16th. On Sabbath (15th) they were up with
our lines, and by 7 o'clock, ou the 16th, were on the line of the in-
trenchments, where they met the wounded coming in streams They
stopped the wagons and supplied coffee, tea, beef tea. crackers, milk,
&c. Four to five camp kettles were boiling nearly all day. Some of
the men went to Point of Rocks, others to the tenth corps hospital.
There was no other provision made for any of these men until they went
to the hospital, about two miles. When our delegates came to the hospi
tal, Dr. Snow, who had it in charge, said : "I never was so rejoiced in

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 41
wiy life. You came in the time of our greatest need." No one could
have been more kind aud attentive than the doctor was to our men
while at the hospital. Two young men from Princeton, of the Sanitary
Commission, were here rendering what aid they could, but no stores
had been sent to them, nor was even a tent provided for them.
On the 9th of May, Sheridan's cavalry left near the Wilderness,
crossed the Rapidan in the evening, on to Beaver Dam Station, on the
Richmond and Gordonsville ro-ad, around to the right of Lee's army. —
Here he tore up the railroad, destroyed three trains of ears and a large
amount of stores. Turning, off, made for Richmond, crossing the Chick
ahominy and entered the exterior defences of Richmond. Encounter
ing the rebel cavalry, under General J. E B. Stuart, he recrossed the
Ohickahoniiny and made for General Butler's lines.
On Saturday, (28th) at Bermuda Hundred, the troops were coming in
all night and getting upon transports. On Sabbath morning we helped
our wagon and horses on board a vessel, and by 10 to 12 o'clock, al?
was quiet and clear of troops. On Monday they were at the White
House, having gone down the James and up the York river.
Lee was aiming to keep Grant from Richmond, and Grant was moving
down toward his new base at White House. If Lee could cut him
off he would interfere greatly with his movements. But Lee was in
danger, if he went too far in the way of cutting off supplies at White
House, of opening the door for Grant into Richmond
The cavalry engagements from day to day, hindered Lee, but on the
29th, Sheridan drove him back from the west of Hanovertown toward
Bethesda chureh. This cavalry fight one of the most severe during
the war, prepared the way for our army to secure their position. Lee's
lines were from Atlee's Station, on the Virginia Central railroad, on
north ofthe Chiekahominy to Shady Grove Church, about eight miles
from Richmond.
On the 30th, General Warren, with the fifth corps, pressed up towards
Lee's right. General Hancock, ofthe second corps, also got into the right
of the fifth. With the aid ofthe cavalry, on this and the 31st, the sixth
and 18th coming up, our forces were enabled on the next day, June 1st,
to form a line of battle, as may be seen from the map — ninth corps on
west of Bethesda chureh, across the Mechanicsville road, fifth between
that and the Walnut, Grove road, eighteenth between that and the new
Cold Harbor road facing Gaines' Mill, sixth across new Cold Harbor
road, second aeross Sumner's Bridge road. Directly in front of our
forees was Lee's army intrenched The battle of this day secured us
Cold Harbor.
We were about the same distance from Richmond and White
HoW. If we eould move a little more to the left, and across the Chick
ahominy, the way would have been opened into Richmond. Wed
nesday night it was arranged to move on Thursday, (2d) but a se
vere storm hindered, and gave Lee time to complete his fortifications.
On Friday, (3d) they were more strongly fortified.
The importance of this point was duly appreciated by General Grant
when hri commenced his work of fortifying, intrenching and advancing
anon Lee, line by line, until our fortifications were within a few rods in
fflme places of theirs— so near fiat men eould exchange papers and hold

42 THE WAR.
conversation from the two armies. The position could not be carried
without fearful loss of life.
Early this morning a charge, which had been ordered the preceding
evening, was made, in which we suffered severely. General Tyler was
wounded. Great numbers of our wounded lay on the field, though
strenuous efforts were made to carry them off.
Colonel Peter B. Porter, of Niagara Falls, commanding the 8th New
York heavy artillery, was killed within 5 to 6 rods of the rebel lines.
Seven wounds were found upon his body. One in his neck, one between
his shoulders, one on the right side, and lower part of the stomach,
one on ths left, and near his heart, and two in his legs. The evening
before he said, " that if the charge was made he would not come out
alive ; but that if required, he would go into it." The last words heard
from him were : " Boys, follow me." We notiee the following extract
from his will, which was made before entering the service, which shows
the man :
" Feeling to its full extent the probability that I may not return from the path
of duty on which I have entered — if it please God that it be so — I can say with
truth I have entered on the career of danger with no ambitious aspirations, nor
with the idea that I am fitted by nature or experience to be of any important
service to the Government; but in obedience to the call of duty demanding every
citizen to contribute what he could in means, labor, or life to sustain the govern
ment of his country ; a, sacrifice made, too, the more willingly by me when I
consider how singularly benefited I have been by tbe institutions ot this land, and
that up to this time all the blessings of life have been showered upon me beyond
what falls usually to the lot of man."
The White House is on the south side of the Pamunkey river, about
three-quarters of a mile below where the railroad from Richmond to
West Point crosses. West Point is at the head of the York river anil
in the fork of the Pamunkey and Matbapony. The former is exceed
ingly crooked, but navigable for steamers and gunboats to the railroad
bridge. For a mile or two west, and for miles south, the land is level
and tillable. Its name is from an old house with brick foundation,
upon which we suppose there was a comfortable and well arranged
house. The walls seem to have been whitewashed. There is not now
any building standing, nor when our army went there for its base,
the iron of the railroad near being removed, and the ties burned by
McClellan's army in 1862.
Mr. Miller with Finnegan pitched tent north of the railroad embank
ment and within twenty steps of the river. This became our store tent,
from which our wagons for tbe fifth, sixth, ninth, second and eighteenth
drew their supplies, and took them out in company with the Govern
ment trains to the vicinity of Cold Harbor, &c, to which ever place
our tents for the corps were pitched. A few hundred yards below on
the river was the barge from which we received our stores, and along
the river for nearly a quarter of a mile were boats continually unload
ing stores, ammunition, forage and everything of every kind needed for
the army. Along the shore and in procession for half a mile, coming
and going, were the wagons for and with supplies. Before you get
down to the White House was a little ravine through whieh a very
small stream of water runs, over which was a bridge that at least one-
half of the wagons passed coming or going. The delay at it and the

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 43

Don us.

damage to teams, with tho swearing done by drivers, impressed upo.,
tne importance of having a road-master as well as a wagon-master,
whose business it should be to go along daily upon the roads where the
teams travel and have logs cut out of the way, deep holes failed up,
bridges repaired, and that it should be his duty to enter upon it as soon
as the wagons are needed along the road. One half hours' attention at
this little bridge would have saved the Government one or two mules.
Near the White House foundations were the quartermaster, commissary,
&c. , &c, , also the telegraph station . A few hundred yards below began
the commission tents, and west and south-west the tents of the base
hospital for the different corps. The ground of the hospital tents was
as good as it could be, level, dry, covered with a heavy sod of grass
which was also dry. The tents not being sufficient, men were laid upon
the ground. Occasionally numbers of them were left in the ambulances
and, wagons until they were removed to the boats, which were daily
plying to Washington and such hospitals as they were sent to. Near
the hospital we had two or three large tents for goods and for delegates
to eat in, and others for sleep, &c, &c. Besides the men who were in
front with the field hospitals and our wagons, we had from seventy to
one hundred busily occupied here at the base. Every available camp
kettle was in use for coffee, tea, corn starch, farina, &c. The large
supply of crackers which we had was so far used, that we had to come
on the Government to get hard tack for ourselves as well as the men.
Our delegates in the front had given all the attention they could
before the wounded left them, but as the ambulance, and the return
wagons, which had taken out supplies, came back they brought in such
numbers that it pressed everything. At the front of our tents was one
continual crowd of those slightly wounded, who had walked in. They
came for coffee, lemonade, crackers, farina, &c, something to eat. As
soon at we had once supplied these we had to turn them over to the
hospitals. Thus continued the work from day to day. Below us was
the sanitary commission busily engaged, also relief associations from
different States, looking after their wounded. Our wagons and delegates
who had come with the army through the whole campaign, and the one
from Bermuda Hundred, were at the front with stores. There were over
2,300 wounded iu the eighteenth corps. As Mr. Miller's wagon came
up, Dr. Richardson, ofthe eighteenth, came out himself, and began to
get out of the wagon, bandages, lint, &c, &c. Everything was put out
at once, and the wagon sent back for more. About 15,000 were
wounded. Tuesday 7th, a truce was entered upon for the burying the dead and
taking care of the wounded of both armies. White House now looked
as if it was going to remain the permament base for the army.
Wharves were built, the railroad laid down, &c, &i But preparations
were really making from the day of the fight near Cold Harbor of the 3d,
to change to the south of Richmond, and the works carried on were
really a blind.
They did not however move until Sunday night, 12th. Part of the
army, the fifth and perhaps sixth corps crossed at Long Bridge and by
Wilcox Landing to Windmill Point and up in front of Petersburg,
the rest crossed at Jones' Bridge, passing Charles City C. H., and

44 THE WAR.
over the riv<=r nearly in front of Fort Powhatan, and then toward
Petersburg ; both on pontoons. Others crossed from Harrison's to Jor
dan's Point on boats
A pontoon bridge is formed by anchoring flat bottomed boats with
the current of a river at such distances apart, that scantling may reach
from one to the other, on which are placed thick boards, strong
enough to bear heavy cannon and ammunition wagons ; being equally
sustained by the boats, the whole bridge may be covered with men or
horses. We have noticed one regular line of the army, and again as
many cavalry as could get on the bridge. In crossing, men who are
on horseback are required to dismount and lead their horses. The
bridge necessarily quivers under the pressure upon it, and from the fact
that the ropes which anchor it are not drawn tight, and the weight on
it sinks it so into the water, that they become slack. The scene of
passing over the James on June 16th when the army came down, will
be remembered by those who saw it with great interest. The boats,
scantling, flooring, &c, are a part of army munitions, and are carried
on wagons in a pontoon train, as regularly as anything else, when an
army is passing through a country where the wa'er is too deep to ford.
This movement was made expeditiously and without any obstacle.
It was desirable to cross so low down because the enemy held Bottom's
Bridge, and the further down our army went, the further it called Lee's
away from Richmond to follow, making it rather hazardous for him to
get so far away from the lines around Richmond with so many of his
forces, and it would not have done for him to make an attack with a small
part of his army.
Our army is now all on the south of the James, the headquarters of
General Grant at City foint, of General Butler, about four miles to five
from Bermuda Hundred, and about one mile from the Point of Rocks
on the Appomattox.
About June 10th, while the forces around Cold Harbor were holding
Lee in position, before they moved, we had quite an anxious time at
Bermuda Hundred, on knowing that Kautz had penetrated the outer
lines ofthe rebel works, south of Petersburg, and had to retire' because
support did not come to him in time. As soon as the 18th corps, from
White House, by water, landed at Bermuda Hundred, Smith, on the
15th, started over the pontoon bridge at Point of Rocks, across the
Appomatox, Martindale going directly along the river road', Brooks, by
the City Point road, Hinks, with his colored men, came up the Jordan's
Point road, Kautz, with his cavalry, went round and came up the
Prince George Court House road. The batteries north east of Peters
burg, with four forts, were carried. The forts were carried by the
colored troops. About sixteen guns were captured, and a regiment of
Wise's brigade. The second corps came up and took the south of the
eighteenth. On the next day, 16th, the ninth corps came up and took
position to^left of seconc", and they captured the second line of the rebel
works. On this day a line of rifle pits were taken aud some prisoners. The '
fifth corps came up and moved still to the left. The sixth coming, the
eighteenth went back to Bermuda Hundred.
On Saturday, the 18th, our forces advanced within about oue mile of

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 45
Petersburg, wheie they found the enemy occupying a new line of in-
trenchments which after various assaults they failed to carry. But we
held and have retained until the present, every line we had taken.
Sabbath 19th A flag of truce was sent in to get the dead and
wounded between the lines, but refused. This Sabbath was a busy day
and night for our commission, as the wounded came down by City Point
to go away, our delegates supplied crackers, coffee, &c. , to about three
thousand men in wagons, ambulances, on stretchers, on foot and every
other way.
Beauregard, who had been facing Butler's lines, came down to Peters
burg, exposing the lines to our forces, which Butler was improving by
taking the railroad between Richmond and Petersburg, where Lee com
ing down, drove him into his intrenchments.
On the 22d our forces advanced toward the Weldon road. This
weakened, or opened the lines, so that Hill pressed in, producing some
confusion in the corps, but was soon repulsed. Cavalry raids were made
about this time by Kautz and Wilson, which, while damaging to the rebel
communications, were perilous to their men.
We held the lines around Petersburg. The advance on the Weldon
railroad, at Yellow House, extending breastworks, erecting forts,
and the advance beyond Poplar Church, with skirmishes and pretty
severe fighting at Ream's Station and at Hatcher's Run and Stony
Creek. Another series of movements have been advanced on the north side
of the James. By looking at the map it will be seen that the road from
our lines, at Petersburg, or from City Point, comes to the pontoon
bridge at the Point of Rocks. Crossing this, there is a very good road
to Jones' Landing on the James. Here a pontoon bridge had been for
some time, and General Foster, with the aid of some gunboats, had kept
a position open at Deep Bottom. This was but a few miles from Mal
vern Hill.
Thursday, July 21st. Another pontoon was stretched across to Straw
berry Plains, on the other side of the creek from Deep Bottom. The
nineteenth corps, which had come up from the south, had crossed over.
Tuesday, 26th. The second corps, with large part of Sheridan's and
Kautz's cavalry crossed over. The wagon train ofthe sixth corps, which
was with Sheridan, also came across. On the 27th the second corps
advanced across Strawberry Plains against the enemy, who was behind
earthworks, capturing 4 guns taken at Drury's Bluff, May 16.
During the night of Wednesday, 27th, the second corps re-crossed,
to be in readiness for the assault which was to take place after the explo
sion in front of Petersburg.
The mine under one of the forts, dug by men of the 48th Pennsyl
vania, Colonel Pleasants, most miners from Schuylkill county and coal
reo-ions, was on the 30th of July exploded, with eight tons of powder
—blowing up part of a North Carolina battery with the fort.
The ninth corps, supported by the fifth and eighteenth, were to ad
vance and storm the hill as soon as the explosion should take place, but
from delays, the real cause of which we do not know, instead of effect
ing what was designed they were exposed to a murderous fire, by which
we lost in killed, wounded and missing, five to six thousand men. Gen-

46 THE WAR.
eral Bartlett and staff, with Colonel Wild, were captured On the 3d
of August, Lee granted a truce for the burial of the dead and taking
care of the wounded.
The raid into Maryland, and fight at Monocacy, are a constituent part
of the operations of Lee's army and that of the Potomac. General
Hunter with Crook and Sullivan had proceeded down as far as Lynch
burg and was about to invest it, when Early came up and compelled
him to leave Going by Gauley through Western Virginia, it left open
the Shenandoah Valley. This opportunity Eariy embraced, and push
ing up with a force of over twenty thousand men, a large body of cav
alry crossed the Ohio Railroad, threatening Martinsburg. Sigel, who
was there fell back, leaving Winchester, Williamsport and Harper's
Ferry, &c. He held Maryland Heights.
On July 9, at the Monocacy, Gen. Wallace with far inferior force
fought Early, and was compelled to fall back toward Baltimore.
Though this seemed but a small fight, Rebel officers' when in Frederick
admit that their loss in proportion was equal if not greater than in any
battle of the war. Bridges were burned by parts of his command on
Northern Central Railroad, also on Philadelphia and Wilmington.
General Tyler had been captured at Monocacy, and General Franklin,
at Magnolia, but both succeeded in escaping.
On July 11, Early's main body came in on Seventh street road
toward Washington, within six or seven miles of the city, threatening
Fort Stevens. General Augur's forces drove him back. General
Hunter had gotten up to Martinsburg and with Couch threatening his
rear, made it necessary for him to change his course. He was pursued
by General Averill, who on July 19, overtook and whipped him. At
Winchester he was reinforced. After fighting him on 23d and 24th
Averill fell back to Harper's Ferry. 26th Early occupied Martinsburg.
Saturday 30th, General McCausland with several hundred cavalry,
burned Chambersburg.
On August 8th, General Sheridan was put in command of the
Middle Department, with sixth, eighth, nineteenth corps, with Crook,
Averill and Kelly. By well advised and energetic moves, he in three
battles at Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, so completely
disabled and drove back Early and Longstreet's forces, that the valley
has been relieved in great measure. In pursuing his plan of weaken
ing the military power of the enemy, beside taking a large number of
prisoners, four thousand head of stock, number of horses aud guns, he
destroyed nearly all the grain and provender along his march — two
thousand barns with wheat, hay, farming implements, &c, and over
seventy mills with'flour and wheat.
The battles at Winchester, 19th September, Fisher's Hill, 22d, Ce
dar Creek, October 19th, were, all bloody and destructive, but victo
rious. The wounded from them could not be less than twelve to fifteen
thousand. As soon as possible our delegatas have been in attendance,
giving every attention in their power. Our wouuded, with 2,000 of
the rebels, in the hospitals at Winchester, Martinsburg and Sandy
Hook, bore witness to the severity of the fight.
August 12th, in the afternoon, the second corps, on board of trans
ports, passed down the river, and after dark returned and came up to

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 47
Deep Bottom, where they landed. On the 13th, the tenth joined them
and an attack was made on the enemy's works, capturing five hundred
prisoners, six cannon and two mortars.
On the 16th, General Hancock moved his forces out from Strawberry
Plains in such manner as to command the three principal roads,
Charles city, Central and New Market. A portion of Gregg's cavalry
encountered a part of General W. H. E. Lee's, under command of
General J. R. Chambliss— the latter was killed. In his pocket was
found a testament with this request : " If I am killed in this struggle,
will some kind friend deliver this book to my wife. J. R. C, Jr. —
June 8, 1864 " By order of General Hancock his body was buried at
the Potteries, on the New Market road near Bailey's Run. We lost,
this day. Colonel Craig, who was shot through the head with a bullet.
We captured four hundred prisoners, sixteen of whom were commissioned
officers. Our killed, wounded and missing are supposed about one thou
sand. We advanced our position, and had the dead bodies of two rebel
Generals, and four battle flags
18th. Our lines were from Dutch Gap to White Oak Swamp creek.
While Lee was watching on this line, General Warren marched with
;he fifth corps to Ream's station, surprised the force guarding the Wel
don railroad at that place, and took possession of the road. That eve
ning and next day Hill tried to drive Warren out, but aided by the
ninth, he repulsed him and held the road. The loss of the fifth was
about five thousand.
On the 20th, the second came back in front of Petersburg to the help
of fifth and ninth, who were attacked on Sunday, 21st, but succeeded in
driving Ihe enemy, and taking a large number of prisoners. At this
time Colonel Dushane was killed. On the 24th (Wednesday) Lee
made another fight for Ream's station, in wbich he suffered severely,
though we lost from the second corps about two thousand prisoners, &c.
Wednesday night, September 28. The eighteenth corps, under Gen
eral Ord, moved from Jones' Neck across the pontoon bridge, near Ai
ken's Landing, and up the Varina road; and on the morning of the
29th carried the outer works below Chapin's Farm. Fort Harrison, oc
cupying a commanding position below Fort Darling, with heavy guns,
but not well manned, became useless to the rebels. About three hundred
prisoners and sixteen guns were taken. General Ord was wounded
slightly, and had to leave the field. General Weitzell took his place.
General' Burnham was killed, and Colonel Stannard lost an arm
The tenth corps, under General Birney, moved on the Kingsland
road, at the junction of this road with New Market. The New Mar
ket heights were carried. The attack on Fort Gilmor, at Laurel Hill,
was unsuccessful. During this attack General Kautz's cavalry went
up as far as the toll-gate, two miles from Richmond. The rebels the
next day made two assaults on our lines here, but only with loss to
themselves. On the 30th, the fifth and ninth corps advanced on the Weldon road,
encountering the enemy at Peeble's house, on the west of the Weldon
road. They fell back to their works on the South Side railroad. There
were several engagements here, in which we lost a number of pris
oners.

48 THE WAR.
October 7. Lee attacked Terry's division and Kautz's cavalry on
the Darbytown road. The rebels made two assaults, in which they
lost about one thousand men
From the time that our army left Culpepper Court House, May 3d,
it has had one continued series of desperate fights, with marchings to
and fro, early and late, in rain and mud, in heat and dust. Suffering
great losses in killed, wounded and prisoners, and accomplished an
amount of work, in earthworks, of forts intrenchments rifle-pits, pass
ways, bomb-proofs and embankments wiih mining and ditching, which
seems almost incredible The canal through Dutch Gap has been a
regular digging operation, attended all the time with great danger from
the shells of the Howlett House battery. It is about three-fourths of a
mile from Aiken's Landing. The width of it is about 150 feet — the
length about 400. The depth in some places about 80. When com
pleted it will shorten the channel of the river about 7 miles.
After every battle from the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna,
Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Drury's Bluff, Norfolk and Weldon Roads,
Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains, Chapin's Farm, New Market, Darby-
town, Charles City Road and Wilson's Landing, where Wild with
his colored troops defeated Lee's cavalry, also after raids of Kautz,
Wilson and Sheridan, our delegates have been on hand with stores to
supply their immediate wants, and at every hospital of the wounded,
whether brigade, division, corps, base or general, they have been pres
ent to render aid as nurses, surgeons, as christian ministers and laymen,
ministering to the necessities of any and all who needed aid. Beside
this, they have attended to aid friends in finding their wounded and
doing for them those acts of kindness, which at such times become
duty, and relieve and comfort the hearts of fathers and mothers, sisters
and brothers, who are at home
At the base hospital near City Point, about one mile from the land
ing, we had our headquarters, from which our delegates were sent to
the different corps, &c. At City Point, we also had a store-house, office
rooms, chapel tent, &c. Here our supplies are brought from the boats
and stored for distribution. At the base hospital we had accommoda
tion for one hundred persons at a time, and have had a large part of
that number engaged a great portion of the time. In this hospital we
have had from three to ten thousand persons at a time — have fed as
high as three thousand in one day. We will not enter into the various
times and ways, but from personal knowledge we can refer to cases
where men have died neglected, and where the only attention that hun
dreds of them had for even a drink of water, was from delegates who
met them at the boats and attended to them on the boats. Delegates
have even been detailed to go up with the wounded from White House,
and at the wharf at City Point the nurses begged us for supplies for
wounded on their way to Washington.
Some of the severest battles were in the very hottest and driest season.
Dust covered everything. As trains of wagons and ambulances, or
regiments of foot or cavalry passed along the road you could scarcely
distinguish whether they were white or colored men — or cavalry or
wagons Water was scarce, warm, muddy. In this condition our
wounded were taken to the hospital at City Point, where the dust was

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 49
as bad as any other place. The camp was covered with dust, any mo
tion along the streets raised a cloud, which settled on the wounded in
the tents, who were almost suffocated, and had scarcely water enough
for drinking and but little to bathe their wounds.
With the approbation of General Grant, the attention of General In-
galls, the good will of Mayor Chapman and the fire board of Baltimore,
a steam fire engine — No. 4 — was secured, which furnished water from
the Appomatox, sufficient to lay the dust in the camp, cool the tents,
fill tanks which General Grant had directed to be prepared, and carry
the water to the commission tents at the extreme end of the camp,
forcing water through 2,300 feet of hose. The supply was abun
dant for everything that was needed. While this experiment was
being made, a man who professed to have something to do with the
inspection of the army, said to us he would like to see it work, for if it
succeeded he had an idea of recommending the providing engines for the
army. The engineer, at our instance, followed him, and in passing his
tent or one of bis associates, the stream of water burst through one of
the openings wetting it a little, but only for a second — but such was the
difficulty growing out of it, that had it not been for the wounded, and
the respect for Generals Grant and Ingalls, the whole thing would have
. stopped. It was an expeiiment over a great many difficulties, but we
were indebted to the engineer, Mr. Wesley Shaw, and to James Hall and
Michael Dunn, for their prompt and constant devotion, in keeping the
engine, hose and everything in working order, and by their labor ren
dering an amount of comfort to the wounded which could not come from
any other source. After its operation the government put up two small
engines which have since supplied the camp with water, and have
gotten two steam fire engines for the western army.
' To Mr. S. M. Felton, of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Delaware
roads, we are indebted for the promptness and liberality which gave us
the use of the two roads, and to officers and men of the roads, and
also to individuals along the Delaware road in getting peaches,
by which we were enabled to pass nearly eight hundred boxes of
peaches to the men in the army around Petersburg and Richmond, and
to the wounded at Winchester, Sandy Hook, &c. Also to the bay line
for this and one continued series of accommodations, in passing stores
and delegates from the commencement of the campaign until the present.
Continuing to make comfortable the body, might bo called a small
part of the work. Our delegates have sought to bring the consolation
of the gospel to all who are in sorrow and trouble, who are sick, wounded
or dying, point them to Christ, pray with them, write to their friends,
bear messages of love, and dying farewells. They havealso labored
as volunteer chaplains to our soldiers in the army. Seeing that our
men are furnished with the word of God. bringing to them tracts, reli
gious papers. Throwing around them the influences and restraints of
the Gospel, as at home. We believe good has been done which will
appear after many days. When this war is over and the army returns
home it will not be to curse, defile and pollute the communities into
which they shall go We look for the influence of the Gospel to exer
cise such a sanctifying power that they will go loving liberty, loving
their country, loving their God, loving order and law.

50 THE WAR.
We cannot number the eases of men watched- over, nursed and cared
for by our delegates. Many a mother's or sister's heart has been made
glad on hearing of the condition of a son or brother. The son of Jud-
son, the missionary, by the neglect and ignorance of his surgeon, re
duced to the last stage of hope, was cared for by our delegates, watched
over and recovered, to render service to his country. In the hospital
at City Point, from Hancock's staff, entered upon his heavenly inheri
tance, Charles H. Dod, of Princeton, New Jersey, son of Professor Al
bert Dod, deceased, late of New Jersey college.
In the charge upon Petersburg, E. M. Schneider, son of the mis
sionary, who had only returned to duty from a wound at North Anna,
was shot through the body. At the hospital of the ninth corps he was
carefully nursed until his death. "Don't weep," said he to his anx
ious friends, " write my father that I have tried lo do my duty to my
country and my God. Tell the boys in the regiment to stand by the
dear old flag." To his brother in the navy, " stand by the flag and cling
to the cross of Christ " "You will soon go home," said the surgeon.
"Yes, doctor; lam going home. I am not afraid to die. I don't
know how the valley will be when I get to it, but it is all right now."
Gathering up his strength, he sung before he died :
"Soon with the angels I'll be marching,
With bright laurels on my brow ;
I have for my country fallen,
Who will care for sister now?"
In one of the assaults in front of Petersburg a young man from
Connecticut, noble in body and mind, was brought into the hospital,
mortally wounded by a sharpshooter. The surgeon requested Rev.
Mr. Pease, one of our delegates, to inform him that he could not live
more than three or four hours. He said at first — " I have not brought
my mind fully to that. If it must be so, I submit." As Mr. P.
closed a prayer for him, he began to pray. He first prayed that God
would hear that prayer. Then in beautiful and appropriate language,
he prayed for that man who shot him. He prayed that the Lord
would forgive him for shooting him. He prayed that God would not
take him away in his sins, but that he would give him a new heart,
and fit him to come to heaven at last. Thus ho spent the last three or
four hours of his life, praying for those with whom he had just been
engaged in deadly combat, and for beloved relations who were far
away, and in sending messages to them.
Along all the lines of the army, and near every hospital will be found
graves and grave-yards,' which contain, side by side, men' from south,
north, east and west —
By stranger hands their shallow graves were made ;
No stone memorial o'er their corpses laid ;
In barren sands, and far away from home, they lie,
No friend to shed a tear when passing by.
Yet 'known by him who said, " I am the resurrection aud the life. He
that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall, he live."

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 51

GOD DEALING WITH SLAVERY.
^ Before the war, Henry A. Wise uttered these words : " Our fathers went to
<• irt I the°esi Umo**- they couW make, and they did give us the best Union,
u xt r Government ihe world ever saw. Jefferson did not make it, nor
Madison, nor his co-laborers make it. God Mmighiy made it. It was the work
" °J inspiration. 1 believe lhat as I believe ihe Bible."
We live under that Government ; have been more blest than any nation or
people upon the earth. We live now at the most interesting and important period
in tbe history of this country, or of the world.
With all our privileges, civil and religious, we retained as part and parcel
ot mr existence, au institution repugnant to the instincts of our fathers, un
just in its treatment of the rights of others, and contrary to the spirit of tbe
Gospel of Christ— ihe perpetuation of whieh wss to confirm for all time to
come as right the conduct of the mon who ruthlessly stole and firmly withheld
from their fathers and mothers the Africans brought here as slaves.
While God bore with us, and in his providential dealing induced many to
seek in such ways as were proper to turn the captivity to such account that
good might come fn m their bondage, others sought with an avaricious desire
for wealth and luxurious ease, to make permanent in the nation, and bind down
for their children's children a race to be their slaves
No matter by what agency, or in what way God's providence wrought— of
this one thing, we are clearly convinced, he has opened a door by which thou
sands and hundreds of thousands have become free men and women. In the
State of Maryland an event has taken place, the most remarkable in the whole
history of the State, in which, by the vote of the people in one day, eighty
thousand slaves became freemen.
This revolution, so quiet and noiseless, has scarcely attracted the attention of
the people. They do not realize what God has wrought. Yet in it we see
how He can carry on His work of overturning among the nations of the earth,
and preparing the way for the coming of the kingdom of his Son. We also
see when His time comes that no opposition will have any effect. He will
work and none can hinder.
It is only four years since an effort was made in the State of Maryland and
other States to turn into slavery those who had before been freed by their mas
ters. At the very time that this class of men were striving to make slaves of
freemen, they were also preparing, by organizing armies and training troops.
to engage in a war against our nation, aiming to overthrow and destroy it, that
they might revolutionize and build up a nation, the foundation stone of wbich
was to be African slavery.
God, " who takes the wise in their own craftiness,'' " who makes the wrath
of man to praise him," " who sets up one and casts down another," " by whom
kings reign and princes decree justice," " who sends the stormy wind
to fulfill his pleasure," permitted these very men who sought to build up this
institution to engage in and inaugurate a war, which, when entered upon, must
certainly prove its utter overthrow. In this event, as in the death of his own
Son — " With wicked bands ye have slain the Lord of Glory," — of which God
also said, " They have done that which his counsel and foreknowledge deter
mined before should be done."
November 29th, 1860, Rev. Dr. B. M. Palmer, of New Orleans, preached a
sermon, in which he distinctly avowed, that tlie South had a distinct mission,
a particular trust assigned to them, that their fidelity in the discharge qf the
same was the pledge cf ihe divine protection. That mission and that trust was
" to conserve and to perpetuate tbe institution of slavery as now ex
isting." After giving his reasons for the same, he says : " This argument
5

52 THE WAR.
touches the four cardinal points of duty to ourselves, to onr slaves, to the world,
and to Almighty God. It establishes the nature and solemnity of our present
trust to preserve and transmit our existing system of domestic servitude, with
the right, unchanged by man, to go and rest itself wherever Providence and na
ture may carry it."
If Pharaoh had f aid, that as God in his Providence had sent Joseph down
"" into Egypt to save the lives of Israel, it was a reason why they should remain,
there would have been some plausibility in the argument. But to argue that
because his ancestors had stolen from their homes children of any people, and
brought them here — that as they had served them under bondage for one or two
hundred years, therefore God had intrusted to them the keeping of them
in bondage, and also as a duty the endeavor to carry the same principle ont,
wherever they could have any influence ; was to assume a principle which
nothing less than a distinct and specific revelation from God could warrant.
God had written an entirely different history for our instruction. After four
hundred years, he sent Moses, by an e special call and commission, to lead his
people up out of Egypt, with all the knowledge they had acquired in Egypt,
and with the spoiling of their masters and mistresses.
A wise man, a minister in the South, with God's word in his hand, should
have felt every year of this life as he read that history. " If God did as mar
velous a thing in the days of Pharaoh and Moses — if Pharaoh in setting him
self against Israel's deliverance, was led on by the providence of God until his
chariots and horsemen were overwhelmed in the Red Sea, how terribly to be
apprehended is the approach of that time when God will arise to deliver these
people from a bondage, which their taskmasters would make perpetual ?" Tear
after year, the distant thunder had intimated to the people of the South that
there was an unsettled atmosphere: Time and again the elements had grown
into angry strife. One messenger after another they had rejected, insulted,
murdered, and indeed, by state enactments, shut out these people from learning
to read God's word. People South dreaded, trembled, and quaked at the signs
which they saw and heard. Instead of taking counsel together to prevent the
day ,of dreadful storm, they counselled resistance. They resolved that God has
permitted them to hold this people in bondage, that His word not only per
mitted but even taught it as right — therefore we will not let this people go free.
Maddened like Pharaoh at the signs which God bad given them in the
political heavens, deluded and blinded as their ministers became on the sub
ject, losing sight of all history, of all right, human and divine, they taught
that slavery was right, and God's great sacred trust, for which they must fight,
"not only to maintain it where it was, but to go and root itself wherever
Providence and nature may carry it.
Their leading men in Congress planned and worked. They entered into com
bination with those in the North who traded with them, whose political and
commercial prosperity was dependent upon their aid and co-operation. Taking
advantage of the position and times, they had procured arms and ammunition,
trained soldiers, formed companies, gathered armies, and declared war ; not
against particular men or principles, but against that which pertained directly
to the nation. They had already avowed their des;gns ; their arrangements
mad't, their officers chosen, and rebellion deep, extensive and bitter was deter
mined upon.
Stevens, second to none in the States which united in the rebellion, in men
tal ability and moral worth, afterwards vice-president of the confederacy, did
not then yield to the rash movements ; but with a clearness and force, with a
solemnity and truthfulness, which has already amounted to literal prophecy,
stood up when others cowered and pointed out to the people of Georgia and the
south what must necessarily take place. He set forth, beyond controversy,
the fact that the south had not in truth one single thing to complain of.
" Pause, I entreat you, and consider for a moment what reason you can give
" that will satisfy yourselves in calmer moments — what reasons you can give to

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 53
" your fellow sufferers in the calamity that it will bring upon us- what reasons
. you can give to the nations of the earth to justify it ? What right has the north
assailed ? What interest of the south has been assailed ? What justice has
« nW .™dJ and what c,alm> founded in justiceand right, has been withheld ?
Gan either -of you name to-day one governmental act of wrong deliberately and
purposely done by the government of Washington, of which the south has
" a right to complain ? I challenge the answer."
God never leaves himself without a witness. So in the face of a war which
the leaders of the south were inaugurating which was to be so terrible in its pro
gress, he does not permit it to come on until he has ful'y justified his providential
" Pause, now while you can, gentlemen, and contemplate carefully and can-
" didly these important items. Leaving out of view for the present, the count-
" less millions of dollars you must expend in war with the north ; with tens of
" thousands of your sons and brothers slain in battle, and offered up as sacrifices
" upon the altar of your ambition. And' for what, we ask again ? Is it for
" the overthrow of the American government, established by our common an-
" cestry, cemented and built up by their sweat and blood, and founded on the
" broad principles of right, justice and humanity ? And as such, I must declare
" here, as I have often done before, and which has been repeated by the great-
" est and wisest statesmen and patriots in this and other lands— that it is the
" best and freest government, the most equal in it rights, the most just in its
" decisions, the most lenient in its measures, and the most inspiring in its prin-
" ciples to elevate the race of man, that the sun of heaven ever shone upon.
" Now for you to attempt to overthrow such a government as this, under which
" we have lived for more than threerquarters of a century — in which we have
" gained our wealth, our standing as a nation, our domestic safety, while the ele-
" ments of peril are'around us, with peace and tranquillity, accompanied with un-
" bounded prosperity and rights unassailed — is the height of madness, folly and
" wickedness, to which I can neither lend my sanction nor my vote."
Strange as it may. seem, the virulence of the storm drove even this man from the
truths and principles which he uttered as with prophetic foresight. We can
but hope that when the storm is over and men begin to see and think, that he will
recognize his old foundations and return to aid in rebuilding what he has per
mitted himself for a while to abandon.
God led men of wisdom, prayer and faith, to plant colonies, and lay founda
tions in Africa for evangelizing it and removing the people of color from this
country to the land of their fathers. He had watched over and protected them,
rooting and grounding them in the confidence of the nations, and thus opening
a permanent door of deliverance for the race among us when any emergency
should arise to them.
We cannot see into God's ways, but by the budding of the tree we learn that
the spring and summer and harvest are coming. So by these plantings of good
men and by the preparing of schools and colleges and seminaries we see that
God has designed some great end, which he will make manifest in his time.
To view this war, without expecting some great purpose of God to be ac
complished, is to believe that God is making a great preparation for that which
will end in vanity. God does not so work. If we may by signs, judge of
seasons, so may we with great confidence believe that God is at work with us.
On May 4, 1607, Captain Newport, with the first English colony, landed at
Point Comfort, now Portress Monroe, and had their first interview with the na
tives. About five days after they landed on Jamestown Island, to which they
gave the name. On the 18th the Indians threatened them. On June
15th, they had built or finished a fort. After various expeditions of ad
venture up the James, the Chickahominy, &c, intercourse with Indians, rescue
of Smith by Pocahontas, her marriage with John Rolf, her visit to England, her
baptism and death, and the death of her father Powhatan, an assembly or par-

54 THE WAR.
liament was held at Jamestown, May, 1620, and from this commenced the gov
ernment of Virginia.
A Dutch ship in 1620 brought over to Virginia the first cargo of negroes.
After two hundred and forty years we have a population of 26,975,575 whites,
187,996, free negroes, 3,953,760 slaves. African slavery here, began thus
early. Slavery has existed in every uncivilized nation, as the result of war,
without regard to color. At the death of William the couquerer, one-tenth of
the people were slaves, and moro than three-fourths of them were virtually in
bondage to the other fourth.
Wherever the Gospel had its influence ; to steal a man was considered sinful,
and until modern times, retaining possession of that stolen, was as great a sin.
God seems to permit men to lose sight of rights and principles when he is about
to overturn them. The Scripture speaks of blindness happening to men.
Pharaoh was hardened against God's providence until God had effected his
end. So in the days in which we live, what is more striking in connection
with the African race, than the hardening and blinding of men ? " Por this
purpose have I raised thee up," we may apply to Jefferson Davis. The peo
ple, and the press ofthe South, seem to say, " we will not let this people go."
And God is in his providence taking away, not only this people, but their ear
rings and jewels, sons and brothers, the first-born of the South. The blindness
which has fallen upon the Jews until the fulness of the Gentiles, seems to have
fallen upon the South until the deliverance of these slaves. We have long
entertained an idea that God would send his judgment through the countries in
which slavery has been the desire of the people, and that which would save 'dis
tricts and States, and even families, would be that the people desired to get it
removed. Changes now are taking place with greater rapidity than in any preceding
period of the world. Every sign says to us — the present is full with great
events, just waiting fulfilment
The growth of our country, tho place it occupies, and its power in the world,
have led many to search the prophesies of Scripture, to see if they cannot find
it distinctly taught. Some think they have found it in the forty-fourth and
forty-fifth verses of second chapter of Daniel, as "the kingdom which shall
never be destroyed," "being set up by the God of heaven, that it shall break
in pieces all other kingdoms, the iron, brass, clay, silver and gold " — " That
the battle of the great day will be an array of the hostile papal and monarchi
cal powers who will combine as despotism against republicanism and human
freedom" — that Napoleon, heading that despotism, will sweep away England
and almost destroy us. England with her money and ships and munitions of
war and merchandise is against us; Prance with the art aud cunning and
planning and combination with the South and in Mexico, have set themselves
by counsel and aid against us. A few years siuce, they were all strong for
the liberty of the negro race, yet all combine to aid in riveting his chains with
us. A class of men North in the very hour of trial, combined to overthrow
the government in its contest for our integrity as a nation. War was without,
in arms ; the attempt within of internal discord to set the house against itself,
brought on a contest the like of wbich has seldom, if ever been on the earth,
and in which no other nation could have stood forth so secure.
More than any other event, at any other time, has the last Presidential elec
tion tested the strength and stability of the government. The wars through
which we have been passing tested and displayed the military power and en
ergy of the nation. The last election, the inherent determination of the peo
ple to perpetuate to their children and future ages " the kingdom which God
set up in this western wilderness." When tbe first Napoleon was asked,
" which was the strongest and safest government ?" he is said to have an
swered " the United States of America, because it is the government of the
" people, and the government which the people want. If it was broken up to-
" day, to-morrow every man in the United States would vote for the formation

CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 55
'• of the same government." In confirmation of this, when the South renounced
our Government and set up their rebellion, they adopted the same with the
tew modifications which we have long wanted, and which now many among
us are seeking at the hands of the next Congress.
Our Government is more firm to day than it ever was. This war has given
new life to us as a nation, has recast elements that were discordant. Hereaf
ter, you will no more hear of German parties, Irish parties, Negro or Slavery
parties, &c, vvith threats of foreign interference and opposition.
It is not certain that we are mentioned in prophecy, much as we would
hope. But of Ethiopia we know that it is in prophecy. God has placed
it in his own word of promise. The help and deliverance for it will come from
him. It shall stretch out unto him the hands expressive not only of entreaty
but of thanksgiving. Much as the race are ridiculed and set lightly by. Por
men have tried to degrade thimto brutes, and then argue that they are so low
and brutish that they are allied to dumb animals and not to man made in the
image of God. This insult is not to man but to God. Everywhere in the
South they are looking for deliverance. Will not God bring it ? Will men
who look upon our array as God's arm in their deliverance, fight against us?
Away with such folly. To arm and train the negroes and put the musket
and bayonet into their hands, is to give up the contest, aad will exhibit a mad
ness whicb it is almost incredible that men could come to. Men who sing as
they arrive — " Jehovah hath conquered, his people are free,"
are not going to fight hard to be slaves.
In two hundred and forty years from the little colony on Jamestown Island,
a place with which more people have become familiar the past year than ever
before, to the present time, we have grown to be the American Nation. No
such help was given our fathers, and no such facilities were ever afforded any
nation as are now given to the African race in this country aud in the colonies
on the coast of Africa.
Every movement of the advocates of slavery seems to recoil upon them,
while it opens a door for the slave. Now the opening door to the African is
as manifest as when Israel entered the dry land, on the bottom of the Red Sea,
which had divided for them. It is in God's hand. He has led the people —
led the President— led the army ; at every step, opening the door. After he has
accomplished his work iu us as a nation, delivered us from this evil in our
midst, brought us to feel our dependence upon him, he will make us as a nation
thank him, and in the language of the Psalmist say,
" It was good, for us that we have been afflicted."
Never before has such exertion been made to elevate any race of people as has
been for the negro race in this country, within one or two years, and especially
the last. One single item in connection with the Christian Commission's work
in the Army of the Potomac is a request for fifteen to sixteen thousand primers
and spelling books. Different bodies of people in all the States are vying
with each other in their efforts. The Government has appointed a Bureau for
Preedman's affairs, and are rendering every facility. The Friends, individual
societies, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church has a committee,
which is actively at work establishing schools and furnishing teachers, &c, at
City Point, Portress Monroe or Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Lsonardtown,
in Maryland, everywhere along the lines of our armies, exertions are mak
ing In Pennsylvania, near Oxford, Chester county, through the zeal and en
ergy of Rev. Dr. J. M. Dickey, an institution has been established for the
training up and educating of colored men for the Gospel ministry, called the
Ashmun Institute. Men from it have gone as missionaries to Africa, others
are preaching here. Every year is giving it favor, and now an effort is being
made to endow it, so as to make it permanent and enable it to render greater
facilities.

56 THE WAR.
The change in public sentiment daily taking place, compels us to believe
that the hand of God is in it. Before the first Bull Run fight we remarked
that if our army was completely triumphant and the war soon brought to an
end, the probability was, that slavery would continue for years ; if we were
defeated and the war protracted, it would end slavery. That defeat and the
protracting of the war has prepared the people for events which have taken
place. The turning attention to the able-bodied colored men, the enrolling of
them, collecting them into regiments, the drilling and discipline which they
must necessarily acquire, is a schooling of the very best kind, and which they
will especially need before they can become a nation. It will prepare them to
exert a controlling and governing influence over the lawless tribes, to systema
tize and lay foundations for their own nationality. It is one of the remarka
ble prophetic intimations of God's word, that " Ethiopia is stretching out her
hands unto God." God led and trained Israel in Egypt, at the Red Sea, in the
wilderness forty years before he brought them into Canaan, and then not those
who came out of Egypt, but their children.
The slave power has iu great measure, for many years, controlled national
and state legislation — the press — politicians — and ministers who act upon the
principles of the community in which they live. Like the mortar by which
the monarchies of Europe have been builded and cemented, ignoring the rights
of God and man, so this slave power by its arrogance has been considered
essential to our national existence.
Dr. Owen in 1649 said, the anti-christian mortar must be shaken out of the
nations to prepare them for the kingdom of God's dear Son. This slave
power of selfishness, and aristocracy c imbined with politics and irreligion,
could not come to an end without some great concussion. By this war God
has shaken the political heavens. That power is gone in the State of Mary
land — will soon be gone, yea — is it not gone in the nation ? The New York
World a few days since, said slavery is now dead — the party must no longer
chain itself to a cast off dead carcass. Wonderful words for those allied to
slavery since the days of Calhoun. Beh .Id what God hath wrought I Who
but God' could have brought about such an event ?
Potsherds of the earth may strive. Is. 45; 9. Kings and rulers of the earth
counsel together. Ps. 2 : 2. But he will laugh at them, while he breaks them
with a rod of iron, and dashes them in pieces like a potter's vessel, 9 v. To
his Son upon the holy hill of Zion he has given the kingdoms of this world.
Prom the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the sam% my name
shall be graat among the gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered
unto my name, a id a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the
heathen, saith the Lord- of Hosts. Malachi 1 : 11.
God holds back that hidden and reserved power, which in the fullness of
time he will manifest, when his Spirit is poured from on high upon the na
tions of the earth. The christian unity and benevolence which has operated
through the Christian Commission since the beginning of this war, shows how
easily he can cause his people to see eye to eye, and unite heart and hand in
the advancement of the kingdom of his Son. So while he makes desolations
in the earth, He also maketh wars1 to cease unto the ends of the earth
Ps. 46: 9.

any State. We commend the Governor of Pennsylvania for his personal at
tention after every battle to the condition of the wounded and dying from his
Stato. &
We print extracts from the last letters written by Lieutenant Robert A. Wil
son, in which he gives a view of the religious exercises in the army. They
were written one five the other two days before the order to march to Hatcher's
Run, and without any expectation of going farther than to his wife. When
attending his' funeral and the Colonel s, we saw them, and have taken the liberty
of publishing this much :
"Camp IstMd. Vet. Vols., near Weldon R. R., Va., 1
January 31, 1865. j
"I have a great deal to-day, to make me thankful. We dedicated the church
to-day, so we have a place to worship God in. It is a very plain building.
The roof is covered with canvass, and a fine, large stove, in it, and what causes
me to rejoice more, is the interest that the Colonel, officers and men take in
the building of it. It is built of logs and daubed in with mortar of mud, and
will hold about three hundred men. The seats' are made by driving posts in
the ground, and then laying poles on them. A substitute for flooring is pine
¦boxes broke up and laid all over the ground, which makes it comfortable un
der foot. The pulpit is decorated with evergreens. The door is in one end,
and the pulpit in the other. Right behind the pulpit, fastened on the gable
end of the house, are the old regimental flags, and on each side are the new ones,
which are stuck in the horns or corners of the pulpit, and one of United States
flag decorated the front of the pulpit.
" We had a beautiful meeting last night. Seven men came forward to be
pr lyed for. O dear, how my soul rejoice 1 to see so many in attendance, and
what pleases me most is to see what interest the Colonel takes in the meeting.
After I got my supper last evening, I stepped over to the Colonel's. In the
meantime the drum beat for church. The Colonel said to me, will you take a
walk up to the church ? I said certainly, that is where I am going, and is
what we want, for the officers to take the lead, as little Jimmy said iu his
prayer — the men will follow. In short, the Spirit of God is in the army.
The church is full every night. 1 saw the time when there would not be more
than ten or twelve go to meeting, now it appears that the whole regiment
goes."

" Camp 1st Md. Regt., Weldon R. R., Va., )
February 2, 1865. J
" My Dear Loving Wife : — I am happy, and my soul is filled, with the love
of God this morning — to have the pleasure of answering your letter of the
19th in answer to mine of the 12th, which I thought was lost. I received
that as I went to the company. The company has to be reported to the Colo-
npl three times a day, and there has to be a commissioned officer present at roll
call to see that all the men are present. I am glad that you got your money.
i am sorry that  and old Mrs. — are so unwell, for Mrs.  I feel for
her. I want to write to J  . I am glad to hear that the children are well.
God bless their little souls is the prayer of their pap. I do all, feeling and
knowing if you or I or any of us shall be cut off from seeing each other on
earth, that we will meet in heaven, where parting will be no more forever.
O if I know any thing about my own heart, it is to serve my God. I feel a
great responsibility resting on me. 0, my heart leaps for joy within me to
see how the Spirit of God is at work in the army. O, dear love, what pleas
ant, beautiful and holy meetings we do have here. There are three or four get
converted every night. When the men get there they appear to hate to leave.
•0, what pleasant moments I have enjoyed since I have been in the way ofthe
Lord. O, how pleasant it is to have the love of God shed abroad in one's
heart,.

" The Colonel has gone to deliver a lecture ou military tactics and the duty of
officers, non-cqmmissiohed officers and privates, this evening,
"Dear, your sweet and encouraging letter help3 me, especially in the meeting.
0, 1 pray that my light may so shine before men that they may see by my
good works and glorify the Lord. As 1 told them in meeting the uther night,.
that religion is worth having if nothing else but ta-make t'^em the better "sol
diers and better officers for the country. Yet, dear, I am surrounded by wicked*
and ungodly men, but I hope and trust that His grace may ever be sufficient
for me amid them all. It is religion that sustains us.
" Heaven ia the land where tioubles cease,
Where toils and tears are o'er,
The blissful clime of rest and peace,
Where cares distract rio more.
And not a shadow of distress
Dims its unsullied blessedness."
' " There is some talk about a movement in the army. No more at present.
but pray for me that I with you may hold out to the last and meet you with
all the redeemed ones of Israel in heaven."
" I close with my love and with a thankful heart. May God bless you all.
Dear, my heart is full. to-day. God be praised. Your husband."
The Christian Commission furnished in addition to tents and chapels at all
their stations, canvass coverings for the log chapels of the regiments, as far
as needed, and in this way gave privileges, comforts and blessings to our men
during the winter.
The one to which Lieutenant Wilson refers is only one out of hundreds, and
from it may be seen what 'fields for usefulness were opened to chaplains and
de'egates of the Ct mmis sion. >
On February 4th, about seven ' o'clock, the Maryland brigade received the-
order to move at four o'clock the next morning, for what proved to be the se
vere battle of Hatcher's Run, just as their evening meeting commenced. The
house was crowded. No one seemed willing to leave. They continued, pray
ing, singing and exhorting one auother until two" o'clock, and then adjourned
to be ready to march. This was the last meeting many of them attended on
earth. What comfort to many of their friends is the fact, that there their
hearts and voices were engaged in .preparing for the hour which was so near
at hand, when they should be called into the presence of Him whom they were
worshiping here.
What Christian is there that does not rejoice in having contributed to help-
such men to Gospel blessings, and to have prepared them for the perils of the
battle-field ? Each incident of this kind comes home to the Christian heart
as a rich compensation for the cup of cold water contributed to our brave sol
diers when they were deprived of home privileges and comforts.
In what church at home, holding 300 persons, would be found that many
men, or as many as could get ip, from night to night? Surely, nothing but
the Spirit of the Lqrd, poured out from on Mgli, could make such changes,
-that where seldom 10 to 12 were wont to meet, nearly the whole regiment
would press in. and be unwilling to go away. God be praised for this grace.

YALE UNIVERSITY