ABSTRACT
The United States Christian Commission was a large Northern relief organization during the Civil War. It differed in a number of important ways from its competitor, the United States Sanitary Commission. The Christian Commission was established by members of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) from seven states and Washington, DC, meeting in New York City on November 14, 1861. They intended to minister to soldiers spiritually (through prayer meetings, worship services, and the distribution of tracts, Bibles, and other religious literature) as well as physically (through supplies and nursing). Although local YMCAs had been ministering since the war began, the commission wanted to organize and consolidate the efforts.
