Triumph Amidst Bloodshed

Civil War Soldiers' Spiritual Victories

TRIUMPH AMIDST BLOODSHED: Civil War Soldiers’ Spiritual Victories gives eye witness accounts about hundreds of Union soldiers during those fateful days. An organization, called the United States Christian Commission, sprang forth from the Y.M.C.A. to care for soldiers throughout the duration of the war. More than 5,000 pastors and Christian laypeople contributed their time and thousands more donated resources to the effort. At the conclusion of the war, these “delegates,” as they were called, submitted around 10,000 stories, of which more than 500 were selected for publication in the book, Incidents of the U.S. Christian Commission (1869). This present book is an updated version of the earlier in both language and writing style and gives the reader an amazing glimpse into the tragedy and triumph of the times. Simply put, the book presents men coming to Christ, coming back to Christ, or going to Christ. It shows how God used this incredible, yet largely unknown, ministry.

Inasmuch as possible, TRIUMPH is well-documented in terms of timeframes and battles, names of participants and the eye witnesses who provided these stories. The major contribution of this edition is the reference index which makes the stories highly accessible. This illustrative material is well-suited for pastors and other communication professionals. The book is equally inspiring for history or military buffs, seekers of truth, workers in Christian ministry, and those who want to see some “high intensity” Christianity (revival) in action. The moving stories fall in the range from interesting to gut-wrenching—with a little humor thrown in as well. The editors wish for this book to be a fitting contribution to the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War with its accounts of the soldiers, many of whom gave their limbs while still others gave “their last full measure of devotion.”