Liberty Day History Display from 2011--pt. 13

How Do We See God’s Providential Hand in the Midst of the Civil War?

• God’s salvation comes to the President of the United States "When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son — the severest trial of my life — I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg, and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.” (Abraham Lincoln)
• God builds His army from the soldiers in North and South “The best estimates of conversions in the Union forces place the figure between 100,000 and 200,000 men - about 5-10 percent of all individuals engaged in the conflict. In the smaller Confederate armies, at least 100,000 were converted.” (taken from Dr. Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr., author of A Shield and Hiding Place: The Religious Life of the Civil War Armies)
• God brings the “Great Revival” to forces of Robert E. Lee From fall 1863 through the winter of 1864, a spiritual awakening took place in the Confederate camp that was headed by General Lee with an estimated 7,000 soldier conversions.
• God sparks a spiritual hunger in the Union camp There were times on the Union side that preaching and praying continued all day and night. Chapels were insufficient in size to hold the soldiers who wanted to get inside.