The National tribune., 1903-04-23

| in June, 1861, which had an immense cir
cuiatiOn.
THE GOVERNMENT GAVE EVERY FACILITY
in the use of the mails for the distribu-
| ton of this army literature. All that the
military mail-bags would hold, over what
was required for the letters, were filled
with it. and they were sent to every part
of the army for a single cent. They were
called Soldiers rations or Gospel ratlons.
The entire Army of the Potomac was
reached once n week with the packages.
In every tent. distribution was made on
Sunday morning.
During the year 1862 alone %. las, 49j
pages were distributed, representing cost
of $4,000.
| LABORS OF ONE MAN.
The American Tract Society reported
that it distributed in Washington alone:
Bibles i........... o!'6oa
Hymn books LOW
| Library books ........-.....-.. 1,OJU
| Magazines 800
| Religious newspapers ........ .oOt ,495
| Tracts-pages ......... ........ 1oNUO
Rev. O.P. Pitchers work included the
distribution of: s..1s - ,s.u
Scriptures in English, German, =
French, Italian and Spanish. 2I,1Il
Religious papers 1.y,oyS
Books aud pamphlets ......... 1l,S93
| Pages OF tracts Il, ho,.oi
Religious services held ......... 1,49S
Visits, exclusive Of meetings. 49, l,lSl
Miles Travelled o,-iV
These were the labors of one man, and
| in the District Of Columbia and neighbor-
| hood.
Rev. c. P. Lyford, Missionary, of the
Washington Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation, reported in March. 1863, a distri-
button of 10000 books and 1,459,520 pages
of tracts, and that he had held 2G5 serv-
| ices and Travelled $50 miles in six months.
Besides at the regular camps, services
were held and books and papers were dis
tributed to Transfers and ambulance driy-
ers in their encampment at the head
quarters on Twentieth Street; to the Quar-
tcrmaster's men in the dining-room of the
carpenters mess-house on q near Dist
Street; in Nixons ampitheater, at Camp
Barry, northeast of city; at the Soldiers
Rest: and the Quartermaster's Hospital
Oh 18th near NJ Street.
The Washington City Young Mems
| Christian Association took an active and
continuous part in the great work for the
soldiers of the Republic, rendered espe-
cially necessary from its location at the
Capital, and the large numbers of SOL
diers called for its protection. There were
more than 100000 soldiers in Camp Dis
| tribution on Arlin ,ton flights, and 100000
| soldiers occupied the Soldiers Rest near
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad station
during n single year.
A conference of Mr.. V. Colyer, Mr.
Mitchell II. Miller, the President of the
Washington Association and Mr.. William
| Ballantyne resulted in the issuing of q
| call for q Special Convention of the
Young Mems Christian Association of the
United States, which was held in the
| rooms of the New York Association on
Nov. 14-1G, 1861. The delegates from
Washington were Richard T. Morsell and
William Ballantyne, the latter being
chosen as a Secretary of the Convention.
A Christian Commission of II members
was then organized with Mr.. George II.
Stuart. of Philadelphia, as Chairman, and
Mr.. Mitchell ii. Miller the President of
the Washington Young Mems Christian
Association, as a member.
THE COMMISSION ENCOUNTERED PECULIAR
DIFFICULTIES
in Washington. A large portion of the
population, especially in the earlier stages
of the war, was in sympathy with the
Southern cause and a practical indiffer-
| ence characterized many others The So
Journers there, always numerous, in pur-
suit mainly of political or personal ends,
did not care to identify themselves with
any benevolent, least of all with any reli-
gious. movement. That there were active
Christian workers n all these classes it
is gratifying to testify, and they increased
alike in numbers and activity as the So
ciety at the Capital became purged of dis
loyalty.
| The Commission at first seems to have
been regarded by the public with general
indifference. There were numerous appli-
cants for favor in the Tract, Publication,
\ and Sunday School Societies, the Sanitary
Commission, and the various local socie-
| ties that started up all over the country
] which proposed looking after the troops
from their several States or communities.
Opposition and Indifference gradually gave
way to confidence and aid.
1t was distinctly seen that there was a
great opportunity and necessity for
TEMPORAL AND SPIRITUAL MINIsTRATIoN
to the soldiers, and there was an earnest
Christian and patriotic desire to be of
service to the army and the Nation but
there was an absence of that practical
knowledge which could only come through
actual experience.
While some of the officers of the army
and some Government officials were indif-
ferent or antagonistic, the Commission
had the support Of the President and
many of the leading men, and gradually
oyercame all opposition.
President Lincoln said in letter OF
Dec. IL, 1861: Your Christian and benev-
olent undertaking for the benefit of the