Our Civil War, the most terrible then known, gave birth early to two giant forces for soldier amelioration—the Sanitary Commision, seeking his physical needs cheifly, and the Christian, aiming, and oft through these, at his spiritual. Each did a great work, and was ably managed & supported—the Xn. by the evangelical public, the other by the more liberal. Geo. H. Stewart, Phila.—a live wire physically, mentally, spiritually—was chairman of the Xn., with a board of such men as W^m E. Dodge, N.Y., Bishop Simpson & our own John P. Crozer, Phila., with Dr. Lemuel Moss, treasurer,—father  of C. H. Morse, D.D. our late recent Malden pastor, I believe. It had 3 lines of action—camp, hospital, battlefield. Each delegate pledged obedience to both army & Comⁿ. rules. Necessary expenses were paid to & on the field. Its single aim was spiritual— / saving sinners, reclaiming backsliders, cheering & comforting the sick & aflicted, ministering to the dying, & giving Xn. burial to the dead when possible. A supply of bibles & testaments, tracts & religious papers, with sometimes simple medicines for malaria & dysentery and perhaps socks & hankerchiefs and the "comfort bag" simply subserved this higher purpose. The work was thus somewhat different from that of the Y.M.C.A. in the Wl'd War, whose hands were so tied by Gov't., as to open the door to distribution by its agents, not only of chocolates & pleasant amusements, but of the cigarette, whose injurious use seems the habit of almost every soldier boy—such use of tobacco being unknown in the Civil War.

 

            On Feb 3^d, 1865, my last yr. at Newton, by steamer via Chesapeake Bay & James River to City Point & thence by army wagon I reached New Market Station & my tent, 3^d Divⁿ, Gen. Devens, 5^th Corp, Gen. Meade, Army of the Potomac, 7 ms. from Richmond, whose bells we heard each eve, & whose shells came oft, & sometimes oftener, even in these winter months of concerted quiet. Four of us delegates occupied an army tent & army cots, ate chiefly army food, and had an army colored cook.

 

            I went at once to work. Chairman Stewart's instructions said no mere visitors wanted, nor would-be slackers on Easy St. So that eve found me in the tent Chapel, where preaching was given each eve by one of us delegates or some chaplain, with a chance for personal work afterward. Next A.M. with bibles & papers I began my tent work. This, to give time to soldiers for meals, chores &c, had to be limited—about 10-12 in A.M., & 2-6 in P.M.—evenings being generally free. Tents were generally arranged in avenues, & we could take a regiment by companies. We met the men just as it happened—all a tent corps, or perhaps only one or two. This work was of course closely personal, and / called for tact, sympathy, faith in Xt. and His word & work, prayer, and a vital & practical Xn. experience, with good common sense. War men live in the atmosphere of reality, & only men of real business piety can reach them. I would aim always through papers & conversation to scripture & prayer, as God led. Special cases I would seek again. The men, as a rule welcomed us, & more so after acquaintance. The officers, too, were generally respectful & often sympathetic, often too calling at our tent. Gen. Harris of the 3^d Div. was such. He was a strong temperance man, & would not allow the commissary to sell his men liquor save strictly as medicine. He disapproved strongly of the Sunday reviews—sometimes with 10,000 men. As to Xt., he said—"Never does Jesus seem more precious, than in actual action." In one battle his division was ordered to take the key post on the right, at fearful risk. To inspire his men he galloped along behind the breastworks cheering them. "Shells fell thick & fast," said he, "before, behind & overhead, while bullets whistled all about, yet / never did Jesus appear more precious, and never did I feel less fear & more at home." One whole eve I listened intently in his own tent, while he described the wonderful battle of Winchester, & expressed this same confidence in Xt., as his division bravely took a fort from which two division had each been repulsed. I met numerous officers, of different grades, evincing this same noble soul & Xn. character.

 

            This tent work was very varied, generally pleasant, & often full of rich & blessed Xn. experience both to me & the men & of course almost endless.

 

            But God seemed to lay upon my heart a special burden. Nearby was a stockade made by setting cedar posts in the ground & tying them close together. It enclosed perhaps 1/8 acre, & was well guarded night & day called the "Bull Pen". In it were about 100 men, all prisoners—some awaiting sentenced death, others the finding of court-marcial, while others were still untried. All were on half rations, & utterly unsheltered from bad weather, save as one dug a hole in the ground a couple of feet & then one sidewise into which he might push part of his body— and this in Feb. & Mch. cold. Yet to this wretched place & these needy, suffering men there seemed to have come no helper. God seemed to say to me "Go," & after earnest prayer, & official permission, I went. It was an awful company—hungry men, cursing men, men trembling before expected death—but souls Xt. could save. The men received me respectfully & often gladly, with no reading matter, the tracts & papers were quite acceptable. Many nationalities were here, & many P[?], Romanists, Jews, &c. but the majority were of Protestant belief. Every day I visited them, often bringing in some little gifts, as socks, hankerchiefs & "Comfort Bags". I had many close personal talks with them & short prayers. There were some cursing God for putting them there, but others burdened with sin & ready to receive the truth—& still others ready to accept Js. Xt as Savior. God's blessing was evident—though it did command tact, patience, faith & prayer. I talked & prayed with nine of these men, whom I saw shot or hung, six of whom I fully expect to meet among the redeemed 'over there'.

 

            Never can I forget my first death scene in one of these men— / outside the lines, as always. Gen. Deven's Div. the 3^d, stood drawn up in 2 parellel lines 2 deep 80 yds. apart. As the white army wagon drew near, the condemed man got out, and the procession started down the lines to the grave placed (dug) about midway & crosswise, band playing the Dead March the man & his chaplain, coffin carried by 4 soldiers the detail of 10 men to shoot, & his Co.—on, on, with firm tread & erect form, in perfect time with the music, when reaching the coffin, he sat thereon facing us, the court-martial finding was read, his eyes bandaged & hands tied behind, the sword of the officer in charge, raised, told the detail of 5 men to aim, and, falling, to shoot, & instantly, like a flash of lightning, the body fell back across the coffin dead, & the soul of James H. Sharp stood before its Maker. To me the shock was terrible. I had seen men die, but not thus. Yet my belief in his faith in Christ, & my joy in answered prayer, gave blessed comfort.

 

            There were many interesting cases in this "Bull Pen". Charles Jackson, an Englishman, brought up in the church normally but not a Xn. tho' he said he truly wanted to be & well, for his / condemnation meant death any day. I had many talks with him—& short prayers. He seemed at length to grasp the how to be saved, & Xts. power & willingness, but to yield & trust? I approached him in this hesitation. Was it not a sin much more than a wrong thus to distrust a loving G., & Xt. who had died to save him? He must take G. absolutely at His word—in implicit confidence. As he had honestly asked, so Xt. had truly heard. Deeply touched by this thought, he presently burst into tears, saying, "Excuse me Sir, I never before shed a tear, save when, in my 10^th yr., my father died, but I couldn't help it now". A blessed interview followed, and I was persuaded he had accepted Xt. A delightful interview the next day, when his faith seemed clear & strong. As I bade him farewell on the day of his death a little before the execution, he grasped my hand, and, with tearful eyes, thanked me for my kindness to him & G. for thus using me, expressing his faith we should meet again beyond the River. I was present at his death, & believe he walked walked literally with his Savior to the very end. / Among others I must especially mention John McElroy—the first one I really noticed on entering the "Bull Pen" the first time. He was a young Scotchman, age 22, hatless, shoes worn through over the toes, handcuffs on wrists & fetters on his ankles. Guilty of robbery, murder & attempted desersion, and full of oaths—cursing G., if there were one, the church & everything good—and by confession to me having jumped 5 bounties—he seemed indeed a hard—almost hopeless case. Yet there was intelligence there, & something in the very boldness of his wickedness that drew me to him—and I knew, as with Paul, that the great God-man Redeemer could save even a "chief of sinners" like him. He was condemned to be hung, and with him another man equally guilty by court martial, but not so much of a man, & withal a Romanist. In my first interview John professed utter atheism, cursing G. & everything good. I seemed to have no infuence. But prayerfully & in faith I daily met him. Gradually his oaths & opposition slackened. Slo'ly I gained his confidence / by little acts of kindness—carrying in socks for his exposed feet, hankerchief, &c., and a neat little testament. I began to see signs of breaking allusions to mother. Finally one day after a long talk, I said, "Was your mother a Xn., John?"—banking on her probable scotch presbyterianism. Looking me straight in the eye as if to see what I really meant, very soberly but with emphasis he repied, "Yes, if ever anybody was a Xn., my Mother is". I saw an arrow had gone to a vital part, and without another word I left him. I found him henceforth more tractable, still a good ways off, but I prayed on. At length, while I was out in the tents one day, our cook found me at about 11 o'clock, telling me that John & Thomas had been put in the death house, & were to be hung at 4 P.M. Deeply moved, and feeling that John's salvation seemed to rest perhaps entirely upon me, I started at once for the place, but walking twice as far communing with my Savior, and praying I might be led by the Holy Spirit in presenting the truth & John in receiving it—& as I went on my faith seemed to grow until almost an assurance. As I neared the place a plain one room log hut with only a doorway, I saw John standing as if awaiting me. "Well, John, here you / are at last"—"Yes", at once said he, "and G. have mercy on my poor soul". Really, about what  my faith expected. I saw at once my mission—to guide & help an anxious & penitant sinner to a loving & waiting Xt. So I repeated many precious promises, and scripture passages, showing the ability & the willingness of Xt. to save. "Oh! but I've been so wicked! Such a great sinner". The story of the thief on the cross seemed to touch him & be a great help. At length, fully admitting that Xt was able & willing to save, and that salvation depended on his own submission & personal faith, he said, "Let me pray", and, leaning his head on his ironed hands on the side of the wall, such a prayer:—"O God, thou knowest that in a little while I shall be launched into Eternity. It's a dreadful thing to think of, but O God, be merciful to me a poor miserable sinner—and Oh! bless my poor soul, and forgive my sins". Just then Chaplain H. C. Trumbal of John's regiment came to the door way, and I spoke with him briefly. On turning back John was evidently pleading with Thomas to yield. As he faced me his whole look plainly was different. "John do you feel that G. has heard your prayer?" I asked. / "Oh! yes!" said he, with emphasis, and then in a moment asked—"Can't you sing something?" so strange a request here—& yet after all natural. "What shall I sing, John?" "Sing 'Rest for the Weary'." Well, with trembling voice I started it, in which he joined with firm tone & confident trust. We sang 2 or 3 other hymns. He had learned these in the Five Points Mission, N.Y. Well, for nearly 2 hours we talked, read scripture & prayed. And really never had I then, nor have I since, seen faith grow up more quickly & more strongly. And all this time his mate, Thomas, was walking up & down the cell, groaning & cursing—no priest to help him—and I of course could not administer extreme unction. At last the death hour came. The plain board coffins were placed in the covered army wagon, John & Thomas sat on them & I also between them, &, the band leading playing the Dead March, & their Co., following, we marched to the gallows outside the lines. All the way John was calm & confident, comforting himself with some promise he thought of or I suggested, & a short prayer. His mate was just the opposite, cursing, and anon joking with the Co. men behind, and when I said, "Why do you do so, Thomas? you know you feel differently". "I know it, Sir, / but I must do something to keep my spirits up". On reaching the gallows, at John's request we stepped aside to the grave, on looking into which, he said, "A poor place for a man's body, but I shan't be there". Then, at the foot of the gallows, after mutual prayers, in which he seemed assured, & expressing deep gratitude to me & the hope of our meeting hereafter, saying—"It's  a good thing to die even, when the soul is saved", looking me straight in the eye he said, "Tell my Mother I die happy". He then ascended the gallows, where Thomas already was, the caps were adjusted, & both men swung off into eternity—John literally with poeans of praise to G. on his lips, & Thomas with actual oaths.

 

            For this peculiar & positive experience in attempting to help these poor, sinful men to Xt., I have ever since thanked God. Bringing out as in bas-relief sin, & the awful sin of rejecting Js. Xt.—the tender pleadings of the Holy Spirit in conviction—the love & power of the God-man Redeemer, waiting to save—the glow & fervor of new-found faith & love—& the value & joy of earnest personal effort—I am sure I have been much helped in the more than half century since in presenting the blessed Xt. & His gospel to needy & sinful men.

 

            The nine men of the "Bull Pen" whom I thus labored with & saw die have often stood before me—& especially the six who, I believe, accepted Xt. as their Savior, & whom I expect to meet 'over there'—but one ever stands as at the front—John McElroy, the Scotch boy, black by sin but white by Xts righteousness & sometimes by faith have I seen him standing joyfully to welcome me as I entered the pearly gates. /

 

A Glimpse of the Christian Commission

work in our Civil War, read recently before

the Boston Baptist Ministers' Conference,

by Rev. Luther G. Barrett, Melrose, Mass.

 

Abreviations

Xn = Christian

Comⁿ = Commission

Wl'd = World

Gov't = Government

Co = Company

tho' = though

 

[first page verso]

 

Read before Bapt. Ministers' Conference

            April 10, 1922

SOURCES