The Christian Commission; Grace At Gettysburg

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
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" US Christian Commission ", painted signs identify their hospital at Gettysburg, a ' snip ' taken from a larger, LoC photograph

Boy are there endless treasures in Hathi Trust. History's players, long frozen on yellowed pages are all there and continue their loops through the war - taking us with them. Tech meets Time, really. Like the best, giant, first interactive bio ever, War's ugliest and War's unlikely, graceful faces await.

Medical care during the war? Noticed, reading Bull Run accounts it was like someone decided to hold a war but forgot to bring bandaids. By 1863 this crazy deficiency had not been addressed Each great battle found governments wildly unprepared. Citizens wasted little time complaining. There was no time. A groundswell of compassion for wounded men resulted in massive organizations capable of nursing, feeding, clothing, housing, comforting and frequently burying. The Christian Commission was one of them, their motive? God told them. So in July, 1863, The Christian Commission, God forgivably in tow, went to Gettysburg, Adams County, PA.

Who They Were
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What They Saw

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Meade's HQ, described above, where men lay dying among horse carcasses
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Separate incidents affected relief workers profoundly. One related here got to me, too- so tracked him down. Mrs. Susan G. Miller steps from Time towards all of us.

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Susan's Husband, Col. Hugh ( Reid ) Miller, 42nd Mississippi. Susan and her son, George made the long journey home; Col Miller is laid to rest at home.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Miller&GSiman=1&GScty=80080&GRid=19043566&


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This search for relatives did not go unnoticed. You would have to imagine what lay behind this finite order as time went on.
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The army did send nurses and some help but being the army was impeded by direction from Washington- hence this need for the Christian and Sanitary Commissions, ladies and church and state organizations and single boxes arriving from homes.

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25 to 30 Confederate hospitals! Did we know that? No reason to doubt the author- he was there.

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And here it is, both on site and viewed from below, in the town

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Scattering of white up on the hill overlooking Gettysburg is the General Hospital

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These awful stories of men allowed to remain unburied at Gettysburg are numerous. The town was simply overwhelmed and , through the war, it does not seem as if the government was ever prepared to deal with high casualties- or low.

Too large and long a story not to continue.
 

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I'm finding it difficult, presenting massive efforts like those of The Christian Commission in any kind of a truncated format. Even confining their work to Gettysburg's aftermath, it's just impossible to convey how important a role was played by them, and the Sanitary Commission- and dozens of other relief organizations.

Long threads can be daunting and ok, boring. But boy, tough sometimes, being Time's guest. Introductions to everyone in the room are awfully important.
 
What haunting scenes are those painted by the pen, the words a true and tragic monument to the past. Indeed, no glory... none.
 
I'm finding it difficult, presenting massive efforts like those of The Christian Commission in any kind of a truncated format. Even confining their work to Gettysburg's aftermath, it's just impossible to convey how important a role was played by them, and the Sanitary Commission- and dozens of other relief organizations.

Long threads can be daunting and ok, boring. But boy, tough sometimes, being Time's guest. Introductions to everyone in the room are awfully important.
By all means, @JPK Huson 1863 , do not truncate your thread. The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission are examples of people doing the right things for the right reasons and should be celebrated and honored with the full treatment.
 
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