For each question, answer the question completely using proper English and make sure to proofread! You must also respond to at least one other student post to receive full credit.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Chapter Four: Naming "The Significant Word Unkown"
What were some similarities and differences between the Christian and Sanitary commissions? Which commission do you believe was more effective during the Civil War? Why?
There were a few significant similarities and differences between the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission. They both served as “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107), and their main duty “came to regard communication with families” (107). While they had different ways of approaching this, they both were successful in achieving what they wanted.
The Christian Commission viewed their work as a service of god and “was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence” (110). The Christian Commission provided a far superior sensitivity and sentimentality than that of the Sanitary Commission, by working with and caring for soldiers and their families. They distributed notebooks to keep records of soldiers, provided soldiers with paper to write home and when needed wrote on their behalf, transferred letters home, ensured the preservation of identities of the dead, and worked with families by organizing “the Individual Relief Department, designed to respond to inquires about the fate of individual soldiers.” (108). The Christian Commission served as a very sincere, sympathetic group, even though they may have been less influential than the Sanitary Commission.
While the Sanitary Commission was far less affectionate than the Christian Commission, they “attained a size and financial strength, as well as public influence that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission. (111). Because of its stature, this commission was able to provide help to a broader range of people. However, the commission’s size may have also hurt it, because “it was soon overwhelmed with requests for information.” (111). Due to this, they only “successfully answered 70 percent of requests for information. Soon, the Special Relief Service was formed, providing immediate necessities for soldiers, such as food and clothing. Eventually the Sanitary Commission “became humanitarians and sentimentalists in spite of themselves.” (116).
I believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War, mainly because of their public influence and wealth. They believed efficiency outweighed compassion and because of this they were able to help more people. However, the Christian Commission was clearly very effective also, and I believe both played a profound role in aiding the grief of soldiers and families.
While the Christian and Sanitary Commissions embodied many of the same ideas and intentions, both commissions possessed distinct values and maintained their own procedures concerning the execution of their intentions. The Christian Commission operated under the pretence of a religiously influenced organization, and “was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence” (110). The Sanitary Commission on the other hand, attempted to disregard the emotional aspect of their services in an attempt to operate using “the hard-headed realism and order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war.”(110). The Sanitary Commission’s size and influence also exceeded that of the Christian Commission. Yet both commissions became known as “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107). When it came to “communication with families,” (107), both commissions delivered similar information. This led to the public image that The Sanitary and Christian Commission could both be trusted to answer families’ questions concerning soldiers.
I believe, like C.J., that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War. While both commissions aided many people, the Sanitary Commission operated on a larger scale, due to its wealth and public influence. Also, their systematic, calculated approach allowed them to be more effective when dealing with emotionally difficult issues than their counterpart, the Christian Commission.
Although both the Christian and the Sanitary Commissions’ harbored the same ideals, they were composed and functioned differently. In the beginning, the Christian commission supplied "24,000 quires of paper and envelopes to the army of the Potomac, and in days after large battles it transported hundreds of letters from military hospitals and camps to near by post offices."(107) "In the case of the gravely ill or dying, commission delegates-the unpaid volunteers upon whom the work of the commission rested-wrote in their behalf, composing letters "for soldiers still lingering" or to "carry last words."" (107)These delegates actively sought to identify fallen soldiers so that they could send word home to their families. As time passes, the commission developed lists of which that "provided columns for names, units, dates of death, and "particulars" and "remarks" that usually included an assessment of the deceased's religious state, as well as descriptions about the disposition of his body." The commission wanted to convey, when possible, that the soldier had died a "good death". The Sanitary Commission took a more non religious systematic approach to naming the dead. "While the Christian Commission was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence, the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism and the order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war. Working through a system of paid agents, the Sanitary Commission derided the amateurishness inherent in the volunteer efforts of the Christian Commission."(110-1) They believed relied efforts were not as important as "establishment of rules of military organization that would maximize prevention of disease and effective management of wounds".(111) Realizing that a vast amount of suffering would occur before the revolution of science and prevention, the commission created a "Special Relief Program" early in the war. This Program completed actions such as "distributing extra clothing, procuring special food for the sick, helping discharged soldiers find their way home, distributing reading matter, and answering inquiries about missing soldiers." (111) Both Commissions released lists of the fallen, but while the Christian Commission took a faith based approach, the Sanitary Commission took a science based path.
I also concur with Nick and C.J., that the Sanitary Commission was the most effective of the two during the Civil War. The Size and wealth greatly helped the Sanitary Commission to accomplish this. I agree with Burns in that the "systematic, calculated approach allowed them to be more effective when dealing emotionally difficult issues", as they would not have a urge or need to involve religion, as the Christian Commission would.
Similarities between the sanitarian and Christian Commission were; that they both were looking to help families find out the fate of their loved ones, They were the first of wartime charities,also they both chose no sides.
First both of the charities were looking to help families. Many families were writing to find out the fate of their loved ones but could not find anything. So these comissions helped find the true facts about the missing loved ones.
Second, Both were the first wartime charity efforts. Even though their tasks in my opinion should of been done by the government. They helped relieve the anxiety of those waiting at home which played a huge part in keeping the war going.
Thirdly, they never chose sides. this was very important because the south had no organized government to handle all of the deaths and families wondering about loved ones.
I believe the Sanitarian commision got more done. Because it had more reach,more money and more support from the people. They did more by using this they got a lot more done for the families at home.
During the Civil war there were two commissions, the Christian and the Sanitary. These two commissions shared many ideas such as; they were the two most significant Union wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war. Both of the commissions’ goals were to regard information with the families of soldiers. Even though both commissions had different perspectives on the situation, both of their methods seemed to work. The Christian commission viewed their methods as something that would be a service of god. This commission work had worked with the soldiers and their families. In order to keep the system fairly sufficient, they distributed notebooks in order to keep records of the men. When soldiers wanted to write home to their families, the commission would provide the pen, paper, a method of transportation, and even preserved the identities of the fallen. The commission was also very fond of working with the families to create another department called, the Individual Relief Department. The department was designed to respond to the fate of many soldiers. While the Christian commission was working with the families, the Sanitary had different plans. The Sanitary did not have as much affectionate for the soldiers as the Christian did but they were bigger and had a lot more money than the Christian. The Sanitary also had a better stronghold on the public than the Christian. Because of this commission’s size, they were able to help more people than the Christian. However with the commission’s vast size, more people demanded information, therefore overwhelming the Sanitary with requests. Because of this setback in their plan, the commission was only able to accurately answer 70 percent of the publics’ questions. Because the commission was being overwhelmed, they formed an additional group called the Special Relief Service. This particular service was meant to provide soldiers with essential items such as clothing, food, etc. I believe that the sanitary commission was the commission that was the better of the two. The main reason I believe this is because of how they had a better influence on the public and was a lot wealthier than the Christian commission. I agree with Jordan, Nick, and C J on this matter because we had all agreed that the Sanitary commission was the more superior one of the two.
Although t he Christian and Sanitary Commissions both personified many of the same intentions and beliefs, they also differed from each other greatly. Both were on the Union side of the war and became major commissions during the war, but their perspectives were far diverse. The Christian Commission was "motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence.” This particular commission worked to provide support and comfort for soldiers and their families. This commission also worked exclusively on forming connections between the families and their soldiers, as well as simply providing identification for the dead. They believed that this was a "spiritual consolation". The Sanitary Commission was far less caring, as they "sought to bring dispassionate principles of science efficiency to bear on the national crisis." This commission endeavored to "attempt to operate using “the hard-headed realism and order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war.” The Sanitary Commission's size and power outweighed the other commission. Both commissions were helpful and well needed in the civil war. However I do believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective. Due to its size and perspective, this particular commission was able to offer assistance to more people. The Christian Commission, however, was still helpful as it provided “comfort to the survivors and demonstrated appropriate respect for the dead". These two commissions were both very effective in their own ways, beliefs, and actions.
Both the Christian and the Sanitary Commissions were effective volunteer groups that both “came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts.” (107). The two different commissions seemed to both help the soldiers, but the help was focused on different things. The Christian Commission focused mainly on the emotional and spiritual state of the soldier. “Christian Commission had come to recognize that its pastoral duties, its concern for ‘spiritual consolation’ and its commitment to Christian souls also involved a commitment to Christian bodies and to the individual identity of the immortal self.” (110). They provided paper and envelopes for the soldier to send home, and they kept records of those that had fallen in notebooks so that they could inform the family. It “usually included an assessment of the deceased’s religious state, as well as details about the disposition of his body.” (109). The “commission’s desire…was to provide, where possible, the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died a Good Death.” (109). They also worked to “ensure the preservation of the identities of the dead.” (110). This commission’s main concern was for the morale of the soldiers. The Sanitary Commission on the other hand was mostly concerned about the physical conditions that the soldiers were living with and in. “Rules” and “military organization” that would prevent disease were more important than relief efforts to this organization. The “size, financial strength… and public influence far exceeded that of the Christian Commission.” (111). The Special Relief Service “distributed clothing, procured special foods for the sick, helped discharged soldiers find their way home…” (111). They provided for the physical needs of the soldiers In my opinion, as all of the others said before me, the Sanitary Commission was the most effective during the war. The organization of the commission, such as the bureaus, made the finding and keeping of information more accurate and possible with so many dead. More than a “million names” were recorded. They also had much more money and power that helped make them more effective. In the end, the Sanitarian Commission also provided for the emotional needs of the soldiers. “They became humanitarians and sentimentalists in spite of themselves.”(116). I do think that the Christian Commission was important for the soldier’s spiritual and emotional needs, but the order, organization, and financial stability it had made it very effective.
Erin, I agree with what you said that “These two commissions were both very effective in their own ways, beliefs, and actions.” I think that both of the commissions were needed to effectively help the soldiers and the families. Where the Christian Commission lacked in funds, volunteers, influence and organization, the Sanitary Commission was able to take over that. Also, where the Sanitary Commission didn’t provide for the emotional and especially spiritual condition of the soldiers and families, the Christian Commission was able to help more with that.
Christian and Sanitary commissions were equivalent to each other in ways, but also different. Both were part of the North, but other fundamental ideas were distinct.
Sanitary commissions mainly focused on raising money, staffing hospitals, and educating the soldiers & government on aspects of sanitation. "The Sanitary Commission attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission."(111) "the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard headed realism and the order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war."(110) The Sanitary Commission took a more bureaucratic view on naming the dead. They seemed more intent on the health of the camps.
Christian Commissions were opposites, concentrating on relief and support. The Christian commission was intent on forming bonds between families and their loved ones, while also taking the names of the dead. "Christian commission representatives became increasingly involved not just in providing information to the families but in working too ensure the preservation of the identities." (110).
Although both of these committees were important in the destruction of the Civil War, I found that the Sanitary Commission was more important. As mentioned in the first chapter, Typhoid, Malaria, measles, mumps, diarrhea, and dysentery were all at work at the camps. "Twice as many soldiers died from disease as of battle wounds." (4). Sanitation was a major issue. And even though it was important to know the names of those who died, health is still important. Both rivaled each other in ideas and practices, but both had a purpose.
I agree with what you posted. The Sanitary was by far the better committee. Their Bureaucratic views on process helped them to become some of the most effective of the time. They revolutionized a new way of naming and recording. The Christian Committee lacked the number of people to do what the Sanitary did. A good point that you made was how the Sanitary Committee changed. They became "humanitarians". The Sanitary may have lacked the religious outlooks but where important in Naming.
The two commissions in the Civil War, Sanitary and Christian, were very alike and yet different. They were both "a great medium of intercommunication between the people and the Army."(111) Both of these Union commissions delivered letters from soldiers to their families, regarding their health, wounds, or death. They became very popular and many families requested for information although they both had a different way to help.
The Christian Commission was smaller and more religious. They worked to provide, "pastorial duties, concerns for 'spiritual consolation', and commitment to Christian souls also involved a commitment to Christian bodies and to the individual identity of the immortal self."(110) They wanted to inform the families but also comfort them and demonstrate respect for the dead. They connected with the families. They took pride in every letter and believed "each one of whom was a candidate for divine salvation."(110)
The Sanitary Commission had much more people and was larger. It worked much more efficiently and helped many more families. They built bureaus over the eastern U.S.A. and had "a Hospital Directory through which it hoped to 'supply a greatly needed want.'"(112) This is why I believe the Sanitarian Commission was more effective. They were not as religious or caring as the Christian Commission but they got more done. They had more letters to more families that had what the families desperately wanted to know-the condition of their loved ones.
The Sanitary and Christian Commissions were formed to "fill the void left by the failure of military and governmental officials to provide information to families" (107). The purpose of both volunteer organizations was to promote and assure communication between the battlefield and home front. Their focus was preserving the identity of the dead and giving families details of their soldier's death. Both groups worked tirelessly to assist families and soldiers which earned them the titles of "humanitarians and sentimentalists" (116).
Although both groups focused on helping the war efforts and those involved, they had different ways of accomplishing their task. The Christian Commission believed in "spiritual consolation" (116), the "service they performed both to comfort the survivors and to demonstrate appropriate respect for the dead, each of whom was a candidate for divine salvation" (116). This group wanted to assure families that their kin died a Good Death by providing letters detailing their last moments and attempts at salvation. They used the hope of reunion in the afterlife to soothe the grieving families. The Christian Commission's work was based strictly off of "religious benevolence" (110) and sympathy for the families of the dead.
The Sanitary Commission was considered "unduly sentimental" (110) and "sought to bring dispassionate principles of science and efficiency to bear on the national crisis" (111). Its focus was on quality care of the injured, attempt at prevention of disease in camps, and providing adequate necessities to soldiers in battle. This group used the war "as a kind of natural scientific experiment" (111) The Sanitarians had more public influence and power than the Christian Commission.
I believe that the Sanitarian Commission had more effect than the Christian Commission. Although sympathy could assist the broken hearts of mourning family members, the main focus should be of those still fighting rather than those sacrificed for the cause. The Sanitarians realized the importance of keeping camps in good condition for the living while still informing those at home of casualties. This group seemed to have both a practical and religious affect on the war by honoring the dead and helping the living survive to fight in the war.
Your mention that "twice as many soldiers died from disease as of battle wounds" was a very good point. I agree that health in camps to protect the living soldiers was just as important as identifying the dead. The Sanitarian's focus on both of these important war factors made this group a bigger influence on the Civil War than its fellow volunteer group, the Christian Commission. Very good wording Sarah.
I agree with you that the Sanitarian commission was more effective. You said, "They believed efficiency outweighed compassion and because of this they were able to help more people." That is a very good point. While The Christian Commission tried to greatly please very family with religious benefits, the Sanitarians just told the family what happened. This was much faster and made them the better Commission. It would be nice to put in everything the Christian Commission did, but to do that for every family would be impossible. The Sanitarian Commission knew that it would be best to leave as little families in the dark as possible.
There were a couple of similarities and differences between the Christian and Sanitary commissions. They both were “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war,” (107). They both also would communicate to the families of soldiers. The Christian Commission would “search battlefields and burying grounds around Petersburg and Richmond, locating, recording, and protecting soldiers’ graves. They were also motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence. The Sanitary Commission approached the work of naming the dead. They would also “regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism”.
I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War. They were more effective because they had a big size of work, their wealth, and their public influence. They were more important because they found out the names of the dead soldiers and I believe that this was a very good thing to do. That would help let their families know that their loved one has fallen.
I agree with what you said. I like that you used many quotation in your answer. That was a good touch. What you said was the difference and the similarities of the Christian and Sanitary commissions were very good points and right. I agree with you when you said that the Sanitary commissions were more effective that the Christian commissions. I liked the reasons of their public influence and wealth. Good job.
hank hammond The Christian and Sanitary commissions were very alike, yet very familiar in many various different ways. They both fulfilled their purposes in helping the wounded and the dead, getting financial aid, and overall making the war a little bit better place to be at.
The Sanitary commission was a very effective and efficient organized group in the Union side of the battle field. From a financial standpoint, their income was almost overwhelming. With this, they were able to establish field hospitals and give out supplies. They were a highly successful group that in everyway helped the army.
The Christian commission was also very successful, especially in terms of sentimental value. They did not do as good as the Sanitary group financially, but in the hearts of every soldier out there, they still made their difference.
I believe that the Christian commission made a better impact on the dead and wounded soldiers. The main reason why I say this is that the "dying" chapter clearly stated that the soldiers wanted their death to be as good as possibly. As the Christian commission took the field armed with bibles, it may have put the soldiers at ease, which could of help the soldiers performance on the battle field. This is why I believe that the Christian commission was more effective on and off the battle field.
I think that you have made some very good and intellectual points about the Sanitary commission. However, these soldiers were ready to die in the first place. In a way, most of them would rather die here serving their country than any other place on the globe. And besides, if there were to be a man or woman coming to your home to tell you that a loved one had died, wouldn't you want to know that he or she was in good hands?
There were many differences and some similarities of the two Commissions. First, the Christian Commission consisted of a number of volunteers, where as the Sanitary Commission paid their agents to help the Civil War. Also, the Christian Commission organized "the Individual Relief Department, designed to respond to inquiries about the fate of individual soldiers."(108). Therefore you can conclude that the Christian Commission was more focused on the helping individual soldiers. The Sanitarians sought to help the war in the long run, by wanting to "...maximize prevention of disease and effective management of wounds." (111). It is correct to say that the Sanitary Commission wished to help out the greatest quantity of people. Also, the Sanitarians established a Special Relief Service, which distributed extra clothing, food for the sick, helping discharged soldiers find their way home and distributing reading matter.
In agreement to my peers, the Sanitary Commission was more efficient than the Christian Commission. Yes, helping individuals can be equally successful and appreciated but, it did not have the public influence and financial strength that the Sanitarians achieved. Although, both commissions helped a lot throughout the war, the Sanitary Commission was more effective to the Civil War efforts.
The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission shared the same purpose, and this was to provide communication with families. However, each commission had a different way of doing this. The Christian Commission was much more compassionate with their work. They were good about keeping records of soldiers in notebooks. They provided soldiers with supplies to write home. If a soldier lost the ability to do this task, the Christian Commission would write home for them. If a soldier died, their identity was always safe and they provided families with much needed information. The Christian Commission was always sincere.
The Sanitary Commission did the task a little differently. They were more interested in science and efficiency. They were much greater in size and were financially sound. For this reason, more people benefited from their services. Only about 70 percent of people got responses though because of the great size. The commission was not able to give everybody equal attention.
Although the Sanitary Commission may have been able to help more people, I think that the Christian Commission was able to provide a greater percentage of their soldiers’ families with information due to their smaller size. Also, they appeared to care more about the soldiers and their families. They didn’t see their job as just work. I think that anyone who went to the Christian Commission could expect a response, where the Sanitary Commission was not always as consistent. The Sanitary Commission was better about creating ways to prevent disease and death though. So, they may have been more effective through the entire course of the war.
I agree with what you have said about both Commissions being effective in their own ways. Although the Sanitary Commission was a larger public influence, the Christian Commission was more compassionate. The Sanitary Commission was able to provide a little bit more to the community, but they were both pretty effective.
The similarites between the Christian commission and the Sanitary commission were that neither one choose sides and mostly they were both there to provide communication with families. The Christian Commmission though had a much more gentle and compasssionate way about their work. The Christian Commission gave soldiers the materials to write their families home and when when the opportunity to write home wasn't there the Commission wrote the letters for them.
The Sanitary Commison wasn't more concerned with the feelings of the families but with the mass size of their operation. The families only sometimes got letters back in response and some families got more response then others.
I believe the the Christian Commison was better because they provided all of their families with equal attention and more percentage of people got responses through the Chriatian Commision rather then the Sanitary Commision, who got back to only some of the war families.
I disagree with Danielle Sheehan when she said," the Sanitary Commission was more effective to the Civil War efforts."I do not agree with this statement because I measure efficiancy in this situtation with how many people are helped and are continually taken care off instead of given news and then never hearing about their family members again unless luck is in their favor.
Though both the christian and sanitary commissions had the same purpose they had very different ways of exicuting it. They both were started with the purpose of communication between soldiers and their families. THe christian comission used a much more compassionate and heart felt aproche. They would supply soldiers with the supplies to write. If they couldnt they would write it for them. They gave alot more persinal attention. The sanitary comition on the other hand was much more interested in the profits of their buisness. They were able to spread to alot more people because they did not give persinal attention. I think that the christian comision was better because people need more compassion and the knowlege that people care in tough times like the one that they were in.
Throughout the Civil War, two commissions were present in the North: the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission. They were the most significant charitable commissions during the war. Each commission “came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts.”(107) Both groups helped soldiers find relief from the harsh realities of war through writing letters home. This way the public would be able to communicate with the soldiers. Though the ideas and fundamentals of both of these groups were similar, their overall process and outcome greatly differed.
The Christian Commission regarded itself as being a service to God. The commission’s main purpose was to successfully record the deaths of soldiers in battle and inform the families of their death. This was of vital importance to the group’s overall objective. Agents from the commission would travel to every battle and record the number of deaths and injuries. If a soldier had died, an agent would write the family of his passing and try to make a “Good Death” possible even though it might not have been otherwise. An agent’s job was to “carry the last words” (107) of a soldier. This method of providing a way to inform families was highly significant and worked really well in making the harsh realities of war a little more bearable.
The Sanitary Commission, on the other hand, was more concerned with the sanitation and well-being of the soldiers. They were focused on the prevention of spreading disease. “Twice as many Civil War soldiers died of disease as of battle wounds.” (4) Unlike the Christian Commission, the Sanitary Commission had a strong public influence and was particularly wealthy. A lot of the money spent during the war was put into improving the sanitation of the hospitals and the soldiers themselves.
I personally believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the war. They were able to achieve more due to their high public influence and large amounts of money. Even though the Christian Commission helped soldiers and their families, the Sanitary Commission was able to help people on a much grander scale. Either way it is looked at, both groups strongly aided in the war effort.
Very well stated. Both commissions aided the war, just in different ways. The Sanitary Commission focused more on helping the community, where as the Christian Commission was more personal and helped with individuals. Each group had pros and cons, but the fact that they helped out in the war made all the difference.
Both the Christian and Sanitary Commissions "came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts."(107). However, each organization had different ways of achieving that goal. The Christian Commission provided families with "names, units dates of death," (109) and, "an assessment of the deceased's religious state, as well as details about the disposition of his body," (109). This gave families the information to know if their soldier had died a Good Death. Also, volunteers from the Christian Commission would write letters home on behalf of soldiers who were dying or very sick. The Sanitary Commission created a system that would “supply a greatly needed want by centralizing information on the name and condition of every soldier admitted to a Union military hospital,” (112). Sanitarians also would go to battlefields and make lists of dead and wounded soldiers. Besides helping soldier’s families, the Sanitary Commission also wanted to stop the spread of disease.
The two commissions were also run differently. The Christian Commission, "was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence," (110) The Sanitary Commission disagreed with that approach saying it was "unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism and the order and discipline necessarily to a modern age and modern war." (110). Another difference was the workers of the Christian Commission were volunteers, while the Sanitary Commission employed paid agents.
I believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective because had a “size and financial strength as, well as a public influence and reach, that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission,” (111). This helped the commission accomplish many of their goals. However, I still think the Christian Commission helped many families on a more personal level than the Sanitary Commission.
The Christian and Sanitary commission both had one main similarity, which was aiding the Union forces. Each were trying to Record those who have died and inform the soldier's family of their death. Also both were trying to locate burial grounds in order to bury the massing dead and protect the graves of many fallen soldiers from scavengers. But both of these comissions had a few differences even though both were helping the Union. The Sanitary commission was very large and was strong financialy wise. They also would go on to the battlefield after the fighting ceased to record the dead and aid the wounded. The Christian commission was smaller than the sanitary commission and didn't have a strong budget either. Also the Christian commission was made up of mostly volunteers who wanted to help the war efforts by informing fallen soldiers' families but it took them awhile to get word out do to their commission size.
I think the Sanitary commission was more productive than the Christian commission because they were larger and get more work done at a faster rate. Also financialy wise they could support their workers and if you don't have any workers you won't get much done.
I agree with your statement and opinion. I thought that it was a good idea for you to refer to certain qoutes of the chapter to stregthen your statement. I also agree that the sanitary commission was more effective due to their size, money, and influence to the public.
I liked how you said that the Christian Commission was a service of God. I agree with you one hundred percent, because they were volunteers working for God. Although the Sanitary helped a greater number of people, I think it is still important to recognize the great service work the Christian Commission did during the Civil War.
I feel your post does a great job of exemplifying the key differences between the commissions. You identified how both the Sanitary and the Christian Commissions operated and were able to express their differences effectively and in a way that is easy to comprehend. While I personally believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective, you presented a strong argument to suggest otherwise.
The Christian and Sanitary Commissions were very similar in their objectives but they went about it in very distinctive ways. They “came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts.” In 1864, the Individual Relief Department was established by the Christian commission, it was “designed to respond to inquiries about the fate of individual soldiers.” They worked to gather information about the fallen by “(distributing) printed notebooks to enable delegates in the field to keep records of soldiers whom they assisted.” The Sanitary Commission came to regard itself as a “great medium of intercommunication between the people and the army.” They created a Hospital Directory which “centralized information on the name and condition of every soldier admitted to a Union military hospital.” In the end, “the Sanitarians became humanitarians and sentimentalists in spite of themselves.
In my opinion the Sanitary Commission was much more effective for a few reasons. “The Sanitary commission attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach, that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission.” Maybe even more important is the fact that the commission estimated it had successfully provided 70% of requests for information.
The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission both had the same basic purpose, but at the same time, had different ways of executing it. While both the organizations were for helping the Union, the Christian Commission was volunteer and the Sanitary Commission paid workers. Both commissions went onto the battlefield to help deceased and injured soldiers after battle ceased. They identified the dead, and made lists of the wounded.
The Christian Commission was religious and kept track if soldiers had a "good death." It's commitment to Christian souls also involved a commitment to Christian bodies and to the individual identity of the immortal self." and the Sanitary Commission checked on the soldiers health, living, and physical conditions.
Both of the commissions provided for the soldiers at war, but in different ways. The Christian Commission provided paper, envelopes, desks, and rented rooms so the soldiers can write letters home. At the same time, the Sanitary Commission provided clothes, food for the sick soldiers, reading matter, and helped discherged soldiers get home.
I believe both of these Civil War Commissions were very effective in their own way, but I think that the Sanitary Commission made more of an impact. It "attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach, that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission." It seemed to have the well-being of every Union soldier and their families always in mind.
I thought your post was put together and flowed very nicely. You did a good job in contrasted the similarities and differences between the two commissions. This shows how equally they were similar and different. you make a great point that since the Sanitary Commission was larger, they could get more work done at a faster rate.
During the Civil War there were several differences and similarities between the Christian and Sanitary Commissions. Both provided as the first two Union-wide charitable efforts to take action in the war, and fought to help the families of the men risking their lives on the battle field. The Christian Commission worked under religious influence and felt that the organization was to be “motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence” (110). However the Sanitary Commission worked with the realism of the situation and disregarded the emotions and sensitivity of the "modern war." (110). Despite having less regard for the emotions of the families forced to struggle with the death of loved ones, the Sanitary Commission quickly became far more influential and wealthy then the Christian Commission. Yet in this dark time the two became “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107). Each fought to do what was right for the most deserving of people and provide for the familes of the lost in the best way they new how.
Like many others have said before I also believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective because they were able to achieve more during the Civil War. While each of these organizations worked incredibly hard to help the families of the dead it is clear that one was able to achieve more simply because they didn’t spend time on the emotional aspects of the war. While I do feel that the Christian Commission went about their efforts in the right way, the Sanitary Commission was more effective when it came to achieving more in a shorter amount of time.
You said it very well, and I agree completely with you about how each organization aided the efforts of the civil war. Each went about their efforts very well, but in different ways. The Christian Commission focused on helping the person cope through the pain of the loss, and the Sanitary Commission just focused on getting the job done. While I still feel that the Sanitary Commission was more effective at the time, you certainly bring up strong arguments otherwise.
“The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission [were] the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107). They were created on account of the incompetence of the other existing methods. One confederate disclosed how he had “known so many instances where families have been held in agonised suspense for days . . .” (106) However different the systems of the Christian and Sanitary Commissions were, they both put forth an enormous effort in their quest to relay some sort of information to the family members of Civil War soldiers.
Unlike the United States Sanitary Commission, USSC, which worked “through a system of paid agents,” (110) the United States Christian Commission, USCC, consisted of five thousand delegates, all of which were “unpaid volunteers” (107). The Christian Commission took after its name and held a greater focus on the “assessment of the deceased’s religious state” and “the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths” (109) than condition of a soldier’s corpse. It was designed to give religious support to men and their families during the conflict. However, since there were scores of men engaged in a massive bloodbath just outside the publics’ front doors, it did publish certain “details about the disposition of [a soldier’s] body” (109). The Sanitary Commission was much more secular in their methods and “sought to bring dispassionate principles of science and efficiency to bear on the national crisis . . .” (111) It used the war as “a kind of natural scientific experiment” (111). Dissimilar to the USCC who “was compelled by the demands of war to redirect its focus to this world from the next”, the USSC was “caught up in the pressing human needs of the moment.” (111) The USCC was aware of the bigger picture even though the Sanitary Commission had “a public influence and reach that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission” (111). Both commissions contributed a great deal to the war efforts. Despite the variation in tactics, both commissions were “great medium[s] of intercommunication between the people and the Army” (111).
I believe that the United States Christian Commission was more successful during the Civil War. Despite the fact that the Sanitary Commission was superior in numbers, “size and financial strength”, and perhaps overall answers to the inquiries made by soldiers’ kin, it was not comparable with what the USCC did for the nineteenth century American. The Christian Commission did not just do its best at providing the names, units, and dates of death of soldiers, it did not simply “ensure the preservation of the identities of the dead” (110), and it did not only do its very best at “locating, recording, and protecting soldiers’ graves” (110), it provided the crucial “particulars” and “remarks” to a soldier’s death that the USSC did not. The Christian Commission presented the “reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths” (109). It gave “an assessment of the deceased’s religious state” (109). All the Sanitary Commission did was bequeathed dreadful news on the family members of soldiers. A mother would sooner hear how her son had died revealing his faith to the nurses rather than how he died of an awful infection in a dreary hospital somewhere in Virginia. The USCC went beyond the basic “he died in combat” and “he has already been buried” to “he was a Christian ready to die” and “he had many loving friends at his deathbed.” The Christian Commission was superior because they recognized that a man’s religious state at his time of death holds a greater importance than where his deceased body is hidden.
RE: Erin Great job on breaking things down and showing every part of both the Sanitary and Christian Commissions. As I tried to show that they both did an excellent job on aiding the naming process of the war, I think that you tried to as well. I like how you have something good to say about both of them in your ending paragraph. “Due to its size and perspective, this particular commission was able to offer assistance to more people.” This statement shows of the USSC quite nicely. “The Christian Commission, however, was still helpful as it provided “‘comfort to the survivors and demonstrated appropriate respect for the dead’”. I believe that the Christian Commission was more effective and I really admire this quote you found. Well said.
I agree with you when you said that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War because they operated on a larger scale. Your statement about dealing with emotionally difficult situations also made a great point.
The Christian and Sanitary commissions during the Civil War both did a great job of notifying families about soldiers' fates, and in ways they were similar. "Like the Christian Commission, the Sanitary Commission came to regard itself as a 'great medium of entercommunication between the people and the Army" (page 111), and the Sanitary and Christian commissions tried "ultimately to enhance stae power and responsibility" (page 136). However, it is easy to see the differences between the two Commissions. The Christian Commission was more emotionally centered, doing their best to provide the familiese with "the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths" (page 109). The Sanitary Commission was less emotionally centered and focused more on effectively notifying the families about the status and health of their loved ones. A big difference between the two is that "While the Christian Commission was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence, the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism and the order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war." (page 110). The "prevention of disease and effective management of wounds" (page 111) was more important to the Sanitary Commission than relief efforts; they "sought to bring dispassionate principles of science and efficiency to bear on the national crisis" (page 111). One more difference between the two is that the Christian commission was made up of volunteers, while the Sanitary Commission was made up of people who had been hired.
Although I do think that both commissions did an amazing job during the Civil War to notify families, I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective. I think this because they "attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach, taht far exceeded that of the Christian Commission" (page 111). Their definitely helped them reach out to more people. Also, like Nick said, I think that the Sanitary Commission did a better job of handling emotionally difficult situations.
Both the Christian and the Sanitary commissions thought of themselves as “the great medium of intercommunication between the people and the Army,” (111). They were both created to provide statistics regarding each individual soldier’s well being. The Christian Commission had a Death Register that included information such as the soldier’s name, date of death, and religious state at time of death. One of their many goals was “to provide, where possible, the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths,” (109). This Commission allowed soldiers to write home to their families in a hasty fashion. It was made up of volunteers who served as delegates. A delegate had many responsibilities. If a soldier were ill, delegates would write home on behalf of the sickened soldier. Delegates also identified the dead, with the help of friends and military superiors, “in order to be able to send news to loved ones.” (107). The Christian Commission had a spiritual approach to the duty of helping the soldiers. “While the Christian Commission was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence, the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental,” (110) the Sanitary Commission preferred to take a scientific approach to their cause. This commission paid their agents, instead of having them volunteer like the Christian Commission did. Some of the things the Sanitary Commission’s Special Relief Service undertook were providing clothing, food, transportation, and reading material as well as responding to questions about missing soldiers. In my view, the Sanitary Commission was much more effective from a logical perspective. It seems that the Christian Commission stirred up emotions and religious beliefs in an already emotional situation. I admire all that both Commissions did for the weary soldiers.
In response to Jacob A: I believe your statement "the Sanitary Commission was more effective when it came to achieving more in a shorter amount of time," to be very true. If the Christian Commission had spent less time dealing with all the emotional aspects of the war, they would have been very efficient. Approaching the situation in a non-emotional way freed up their time greatly as well as increased their statistics by a great amount. The Sanitary Commission was, overall, more efficient.
There are a few similarities and differences between Christian and Sanitary Commissions. They both thought of themselves as helping the people and the soldiers. They were also "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war, came regard communication with families as central to there efforts" (107). One big difference was that the Christian Commission was religious. The Sanitary was not. The Santitary commission had a stronger foundation. They were bigger and had more money than the Christian Commission.
I believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War because they helped more people. The reason for that was what I simply stated earlier. They were bigger and had more money.
I agree with Amy Bowman. The Sanitary Commission was much more effective. I also agree when she said,"It seems that the Christian Commission stirred up emotions and religious beliefs in an already emotional situation." That is true, religion sometime just makes thing more complicated. Although the Christian Commission was much smaller too.
Both the christian and sanitary commission did a good job with letting families know how their soldiers were doing. Although they were both doing the same things, they had a different way of going about it. The christian comission was smaller, more religious, and more sentimental. Where as the Santitary commission was larger, payed little attention to the emotions, and concentrated more on just getting the job done.
I think that the sanitary commision was more effective beacause they spent less time on emmotional things and by doing that were able to help many more families.
I agree that having money was a very important reason for why the sanitary commission was more effective. If the Christian commission would have had more money, they probably could have bee much more effective.
The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission shared several similarities and had some differences, as well. One notable difference was that the Sanitary Commission consisted of all paid agents while the Christian Commission worked with countless volunteers to take on their difficult mission. Another difference was that the Sanitary Commission worked off of science rather than religion or any other spiritual beliefs while the Christian Commission was a strictly religious commission which ensured the families of those fallen in action that their loved ones had died the Good Death and would surely move on to a better life. The similarities that were shared by both commissions were that neither the Christian Commission nor the Sanitary Commission chose any sides when doing their work and instead served the troops that most needed their help disregarding what side they fought on. The overall mission of both commissions, which was to inform the families of those wounded and killed in battle, was also a huge similarity.
I believe that the Christian Commission was slightly more effective than the Sanitary Commission because of the way they carried out their duties. It seems that this Commission tried to inform the families of the tragedy with a bit more sympathy and consideration than the Sanitary Commission, and during those times such kindness really made a difference. The Santiray Commission also did a good job letting the families know of their wounded or dead relatives but they seemed to do it with less gentleness than the Christian Commission. The Sanitary Commission also didn't spend much time finding out whether or not the men killed had died the Good Death, or if they had received proper burial.
I agree with you on the fact that the Christian Commission “didn’t see their job as just work”. This Commission definitely did appear to care much about the well-being of the men killed in action and their families as well. They worked hard to show the families of those dead that they had died the Good Death and would move on to a better life. I also think that this Commission expressed much interest in responding to anyone who sought help or news of their loved ones and were more “consistent” with this than the Sanitary Commission, but the Sanitary Commission spent much time working to end the immense numbers of deaths due to disease and also got a lot done throughout the war so it is not clear which Commission was of greater help.
There were a couple similarities between the Christian and Sanitary Commissions. One similarity was that they were both, "Voluntary organizations worked to fill the void left by the failure of military and government officials to provide information to families."(107) Also, they were "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of war, came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts."(107)
The Christian Commission was unique in several ways. The Christian commission stated their commitment at the top of each paper they would send, "The U.S. Christian Commission send this sheet as a messenger between the soldier and his home. Let it hasten to those who wait for tidings."(107) The Christian Commission helped more families of deceased soldiers and soldiers who were "lingering". In 1864 the commission organized the individual relief department, made for families to ask for information on specific soldiers.
The Sanitary Commission was also unique in its own ways. The sanitary commission was much less sentimental than the Christian commission. While the Christian Commission would send condolences and their best wishes, the sanitary commission was more along the lines of, "Sergeant John Doe has passed away in the battle of Manassas" Clearly, much less sympathetic. The Sanitary commission’s main focus was actually on the living soldiers. They wished to avoid spreading disease through uncleanly living environments. This is shown on page 111, "relief efforts, while necessary, seemed less important than the establishment of rules of military organization that would maximize prevention of disease and effective management of wounds."
In the Civil war, I believe the Sanitary Commission was more important. Although informing families of their dearly departed is important, having to inform fewer families that their loved ones had died was more important. The Civil War had some of the least cleanly conditions out of any war involving The United States. Disease spread like wildfire and containment of disease and prevention of more diseases being spread should have been number one priority.
Great post, I agree that “both rivaled each other in ideas and practices, but both had a purpose.” And especially that “Sanitary Commission took a more bureaucratic view on naming the dead.” While the Sanitary Commission was more systematic and in my opinion more effective at informing families, it was also more detached from the citizens it was working for. This prohibited it from- as you said, “forming bonds between families and their loved ones.” It seems that the Sanitary Commission gave less help to more people, while the Christian Commission gave more help to fewer people.
The Christian and Sanitary Commissions shared some similarities such as, they were both voluntary organizations, and they were "the two most significant Union wide charitable efforts to grow out war." One of the main differences between them was that the Christian Commission was religious, while the Sanitary Commission was not.
During the Civil War, I feel that the Sanitary Commission was more effective because they spent more time on helping families, than emotional things.
The Christian and Sanitary Commissions had some similarities. They were "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts togrow out of the war." The Christian Commission "proclaimed its commitment in words printed on the top of the page." The Christian Commission seemed to reach out more to families of soldiers and were more personal.
The Sanitary Commission on the other hand reached out to the soldiers who were alive, and their living conditions. If they sent letters to families, it was simply to let them know that one of their family members had passed away; a more 'professional' letter. The Sanitary Commission wanted to help stop the spreading of diseases among the camp and soldiers.
Of the two commissions, i think that the Sanitary Commission was more important. The families definitely had a right to know when a loved on had passed away, but the nurses or other soldiers wrote them letters. Keeping soldiers alive was very important during the Civil War because of the high death tolls and many of the deaths were from disease or the unsanitary living conditions.
During the Civil War, many families did not know the fate of their loved ones or how they were doing. Because of this problem, two major organizations rose up: the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Comission. Both of these commissions helped families locate or become aware of the state of their loved one.
The Christian Commission, obviously, was based on religion. The members of this commission were more compassionate and caring when dealing with families. It seems like they understood what each family was going through.
The Sanitary Commission, on the other hand, was more straight-forward and, I think, more efficient in giving families the news of their loved one. Although they did not come off as caring as the Christian Commission, overall it seems that they were able to give more families relief.
So the question now is; quality or quantity? Certainly, the Christian Commission provided a better way to enlighten families of bad news; however, the Sanitary Commission was able to provide news for more families. This leads me to believe that the Sanitary Commission was more important. Families have each other for sympathy and support. Therefore, the quantity of families informed would be more important, which makes the Sanitary Commission more important to me.
You pose a very good point when you say that families desperately wanted to know the condition of their loved ones. I think it was more important to them to know the condition rather than getting compassion from a Commission.
The Christian and Sanitary commissions were both designed to tell families of a soldiers state of living. This would be accomplished by going to hospitals and battlefields. The Christian commission “compos[ed] letters ‘for soldiers still lingering’ or ‘to carry last words’, to the soldier’s families. (p. 107). The sanitary commission had much more resources and supplies to accomplish what they needed to. The Sanitary Commission helped with relief efforts and even distributed extra clothing and food for the sick or wounded soldiers.
I believe both commissions were effective in their own ways. Each accomplished to help the soldiers during the war.
The Chritian and Sanitary commissions both had their differences and similarities. They were both declared as "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war."(170) The Christian commision wanted to inform families yet also demonstrate respect for the deciesed and comfort them. They, however, were a smaller and more religous group. The Sanitary commissions had worked more efficiently and helped out many more families. They were also much larger but not as religous. The fact that the Sanitary commission had more people and got more done is why I believe that they were much more effective.
The Christian and Sanitary Commissions both aided in the identification of the status of soldiers as well as informing family members of missing or dead loved ones. The Christian Commission was, like the name indicates, based on religion and focused more on the emotional aspect involved with the deaths of soldiers. The Sanitary Commission had a better system of management and was better set up, as well as sticking more to reality rather than focusing on the emotions of death. I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more successful mainly due to its management and economic backing, but the Christian Commission could be seen as "better" simply because of their moral roots.
Kurt, I agree with your perspective on how the Sanitary Commission was better simply due to its size and manpower. This was important back then due to the large number of missing and dead. Whereas the Christian Commission was made to help cope more with the loss of soldiers, they simply did not have the backing that the Sanitary Commission had.
I agree with you when you said, "I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more successful mainly due to its management and economic backing, but the Christian Commission could be seen as "better" simply because of their moral roots." I feel the Sanitary Commission helped more people, but the Christian Commission helped people on a more personal level.
In response to Mary Harris- I agree with you that they both did a great job in helping out the families! The Christian Commision was small and religious while the Sanitary was large and focused on completing the job. I agree that the Sanitary commision was more succesful as they were able to help more families by supressing emotion and working to finish a job.
I disagree with your statement that the Christian Commission made a better impact. Although, the Christian Commission may have comforted the soldiers, the Sanitary Commission was much more effective at helping both families and soldiers during the war.
Brian- Though what you said made sense, "I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more successful mainly due to its management and economic backing, but the Christian Commission could be seen as "better" simply because of their moral roots." I think that the word "better" should be switched with more admirable. It was admirable that the Christian commission had a moral background, but does that make them a better commission?
Emily- I also think that the families wanted to know the cponditions of their loved ones, but it would also be horrific to know. I think that a letter of condolance would also be very nice to recieve because its from someone else, and kind of lets you know that someone was there and cares.
Some similarities between the Christian and Sanitary commissions were both helped and cared for soldiers and thought of themselves as an important communication between the Army and the people. The Christian Commission used volunteers and focused more on individual soldiers, letters home, and death records. The Sanitary Commission had paid agents and focused more on the prevention of disease and effective management of wounds.
I believe the Christian Commission was more effective during the Civil War because they seemed to care more about individual soldiers and getting information out to families. It was a more personalized approach.
During the Civil War, the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission both worked hard to communicate information of the war to the families at home waiting to hear news of their loved ones at battle. Although they worked for a similar purpose, each had different methods of communicating. The Christian Commission was very religiously influenced, and addressed more of the emotional side, whereas the Sanitary Commission was very strong, both in numbers and financial background, and got straight to the point with their information.
I personally believe that the Sanitary Commission had a more effective way of informing families at home of the events of the war, because they were stronger in numbers and financial background, and therefore were able to send more information. Although I think the comfort and support provided by the Christian Commission was very important, I think that it was also very important for the information to be given to as many families as possible.
In response to Golight I agree with what you said that the Sanitary commissions were more effective. I think that since it was strictly work, they got it done swiftly and effectively. But, the Christian commissions did still have some effect.
I completely agree with what you stated in your post, especially that "both of these Civil War Commissions were very effective in their own way, but I think that the Sanitary Commission made more of an impact", because I feel the same way, I think that both Commissions were very helpful in different ways.
The Sanitary Commision and the Cristian Commision both worked hard to communicate information to families during the time of the Civil War. The Sanitary Commision had great wealth and was much larger than the Cristian Commision. It had provided many nessisaties to the soliders and helped answer families questions of their loved ones that where either hurt or serverly injured and on their way to the next world. The Cristian Commision had provied much more to the soliders than the Sanitary Commision had. They helped to make sure that the soliders were able to write to loved ones and wrote for the ones who could not. They also had sent the letters to home and kept keeping of their records. The Critian Commision was much more compastionate towards the soliders and were smaller in size and wealth.
I believe that the Sanitary Commision was more effective during the war, but was less compastionate. The Sanitary Commision had much more business because of their size. This also had an effect because they did not respond to all letters they had recieved. They had a much better finacial situtation and manegment. I do think that compassion for the soliders was more important than the effeicantcy because when you are in pain and are suffering you want someone to be able to help you and care for you on much more of a loving status.
With this being said I agree with Heidi because the support was very much needed but then again the information being sent to the families was also important. Both commisons were very important and helpful in two different ways.
Although the Christian and Sanitary commissions had the same ideas they were still very different. The similarities were first of all that they were both the first war charities ever. Second they both had communication with families as a central to their efforts. There were of course, much more differences between them. Christens were more about the care of the soldier and his family. On every piece of stationary distributed to soldiers, the Christian commissions would paint “The U.S. Christen commission send this sheet as a messenger between the soldier and his home. Let it hasten to those who wait for tidings.” Also the different commissions had different ways of naming the dead. Humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence motivated the Christens. The sanitarians thought of this as lacking honor and discipline. The sanitarians were more rules first, religion second oriented. The sanitarians were far less affectionate than their counterpart; even so I think they were much more effective during the civil war because of their wealth and public popularity. Although the commissions were different they both still played a big part in the war.
CJ I believe like CJ that the sanitarians were more affective because of their public influence and money and that the fact that efficiency was more effective than compassion. I also agree that over the entire war both commissions helped numerous families with the grief of war
There were a few significant similarities and differences between the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission. They both served as “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107), and their main duty “came to regard communication with families” (107). While they had different ways of approaching this, they both were successful in achieving what they wanted.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Commission viewed their work as a service of god and “was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence” (110). The Christian Commission provided a far superior sensitivity and sentimentality than that of the Sanitary Commission, by working with and caring for soldiers and their families. They distributed notebooks to keep records of soldiers, provided soldiers with paper to write home and when needed wrote on their behalf, transferred letters home, ensured the preservation of identities of the dead, and worked with families by organizing “the Individual Relief Department, designed to respond to inquires about the fate of individual soldiers.” (108). The Christian Commission served as a very sincere, sympathetic group, even though they may have been less influential than the Sanitary Commission.
While the Sanitary Commission was far less affectionate than the Christian Commission, they “attained a size and financial strength, as well as public influence that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission. (111). Because of its stature, this commission was able to provide help to a broader range of people. However, the commission’s size may have also hurt it, because “it was soon overwhelmed with requests for information.” (111). Due to this, they only “successfully answered 70 percent of requests for information. Soon, the Special Relief Service was formed, providing immediate necessities for soldiers, such as food and clothing. Eventually the Sanitary Commission “became humanitarians and sentimentalists in spite of themselves.” (116).
I believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War, mainly because of their public influence and wealth. They believed efficiency outweighed compassion and because of this they were able to help more people. However, the Christian Commission was clearly very effective also, and I believe both played a profound role in aiding the grief of soldiers and families.
While the Christian and Sanitary Commissions embodied many of the same ideas and intentions, both commissions possessed distinct values and maintained their own procedures concerning the execution of their intentions. The Christian Commission operated under the pretence of a religiously influenced organization, and “was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence” (110). The Sanitary Commission on the other hand, attempted to disregard the emotional aspect of their services in an attempt to operate using “the hard-headed realism and order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war.”(110). The Sanitary Commission’s size and influence also exceeded that of the Christian Commission. Yet both commissions became known as “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107). When it came to “communication with families,” (107), both commissions delivered similar information. This led to the public image that The Sanitary and Christian Commission could both be trusted to answer families’ questions concerning soldiers.
ReplyDeleteI believe, like C.J., that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War. While both commissions aided many people, the Sanitary Commission operated on a larger scale, due to its wealth and public influence. Also, their systematic, calculated approach allowed them to be more effective when dealing with emotionally difficult issues than their counterpart, the Christian Commission.
Although both the Christian and the Sanitary Commissions’ harbored the same ideals, they were composed and functioned differently. In the beginning, the Christian commission supplied "24,000 quires of paper and envelopes to the army of the Potomac, and in days after large battles it transported hundreds of letters from military hospitals and camps to near by post offices."(107) "In the case of the gravely ill or dying, commission delegates-the unpaid volunteers upon whom the work of the commission rested-wrote in their behalf, composing letters "for soldiers still lingering" or to "carry last words."" (107)These delegates actively sought to identify fallen soldiers so that they could send word home to their families. As time passes, the commission developed lists of which that "provided columns for names, units, dates of death, and "particulars" and "remarks" that usually included an assessment of the deceased's religious state, as well as descriptions about the disposition of his body." The commission wanted to convey, when possible, that the soldier had died a "good death". The Sanitary Commission took a more non religious systematic approach to naming the dead. "While the Christian Commission was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence, the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism and the order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war. Working through a system of paid agents, the Sanitary Commission derided the amateurishness inherent in the volunteer efforts of the Christian Commission."(110-1) They believed relied efforts were not as important as "establishment of rules of military organization that would maximize prevention of disease and effective management of wounds".(111) Realizing that a vast amount of suffering would occur before the revolution of science and prevention, the commission created a "Special Relief Program" early in the war. This Program completed actions such as "distributing extra clothing, procuring special food for the sick, helping discharged soldiers find their way home, distributing reading matter, and answering inquiries about missing soldiers." (111) Both Commissions released lists of the fallen, but while the Christian Commission took a faith based approach, the Sanitary Commission took a science based path.
ReplyDeleteI also concur with Nick and C.J., that the Sanitary Commission was the most effective of the two during the Civil War. The Size and wealth greatly helped the Sanitary Commission to accomplish this. I agree with Burns in that the "systematic, calculated approach allowed them to be more effective when dealing emotionally difficult issues", as they would not have a urge or need to involve religion, as the Christian Commission would.
Similarities between the sanitarian and Christian Commission were; that they both were looking to help families find out the fate of their loved ones, They were the first of wartime charities,also they both chose no sides.
ReplyDeleteFirst both of the charities were looking to help families. Many families were writing to find out the fate of their loved ones but could not find anything. So these comissions helped find the true facts about the missing loved ones.
Second, Both were the first wartime charity efforts. Even though their tasks in my opinion should of been done by the government. They helped relieve the anxiety of those waiting at home which played a huge part in keeping the war going.
Thirdly, they never chose sides. this was very important because the south had no organized government to handle all of the deaths and families wondering about loved ones.
I believe the Sanitarian commision got more done. Because it had more reach,more money and more support from the people. They did more by using this they got a lot more done for the families at home.
During the Civil war there were two commissions, the Christian and the Sanitary. These two commissions shared many ideas such as; they were the two most significant Union wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war. Both of the commissions’ goals were to regard information with the families of soldiers. Even though both commissions had different perspectives on the situation, both of their methods seemed to work.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian commission viewed their methods as something that would be a service of god. This commission work had worked with the soldiers and their families. In order to keep the system fairly sufficient, they distributed notebooks in order to keep records of the men. When soldiers wanted to write home to their families, the commission would provide the pen, paper, a method of transportation, and even preserved the identities of the fallen. The commission was also very fond of working with the families to create another department called, the Individual Relief Department. The department was designed to respond to the fate of many soldiers.
While the Christian commission was working with the families, the Sanitary had different plans. The Sanitary did not have as much affectionate for the soldiers as the Christian did but they were bigger and had a lot more money than the Christian. The Sanitary also had a better stronghold on the public than the Christian. Because of this commission’s size, they were able to help more people than the Christian. However with the commission’s vast size, more people demanded information, therefore overwhelming the Sanitary with requests. Because of this setback in their plan, the commission was only able to accurately answer 70 percent of the publics’ questions. Because the commission was being overwhelmed, they formed an additional group called the Special Relief Service. This particular service was meant to provide soldiers with essential items such as clothing, food, etc.
I believe that the sanitary commission was the commission that was the better of the two. The main reason I believe this is because of how they had a better influence on the public and was a lot wealthier than the Christian commission.
I agree with Jordan, Nick, and C J on this matter because we had all agreed that the Sanitary commission was the more superior one of the two.
Although t he Christian and Sanitary Commissions both personified many of the same intentions and beliefs, they also differed from each other greatly. Both were on the Union side of the war and became major commissions during the war, but their perspectives were far diverse.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Commission was "motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence.” This particular commission worked to provide support and comfort for soldiers and their families. This commission also worked exclusively on forming connections between the families and their soldiers, as well as simply providing identification for the dead. They believed that this was a "spiritual consolation".
The Sanitary Commission was far less caring, as they "sought to bring dispassionate principles of science efficiency to bear on the national crisis." This commission endeavored to "attempt to operate using “the hard-headed realism and order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war.” The Sanitary Commission's size and power outweighed the other commission.
Both commissions were helpful and well needed in the civil war. However I do believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective. Due to its size and perspective, this particular commission was able to offer assistance to more people. The Christian Commission, however, was still helpful as it provided “comfort to the survivors and demonstrated appropriate respect for the dead". These two commissions were both very effective in their own ways, beliefs, and actions.
Both the Christian and the Sanitary Commissions were effective volunteer groups that both “came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts.” (107). The two different commissions seemed to both help the soldiers, but the help was focused on different things. The Christian Commission focused mainly on the emotional and spiritual state of the soldier. “Christian Commission had come to recognize that its pastoral duties, its concern for ‘spiritual consolation’ and its commitment to Christian souls also involved a commitment to Christian bodies and to the individual identity of the immortal self.” (110). They provided paper and envelopes for the soldier to send home, and they kept records of those that had fallen in notebooks so that they could inform the family. It “usually included an assessment of the deceased’s religious state, as well as details about the disposition of his body.” (109). The “commission’s desire…was to provide, where possible, the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died a Good Death.” (109). They also worked to “ensure the preservation of the identities of the dead.” (110). This commission’s main concern was for the morale of the soldiers.
ReplyDeleteThe Sanitary Commission on the other hand was mostly concerned about the physical conditions that the soldiers were living with and in. “Rules” and “military organization” that would prevent disease were more important than relief efforts to this organization. The “size, financial strength… and public influence far exceeded that of the Christian Commission.” (111). The Special Relief Service “distributed clothing, procured special foods for the sick, helped discharged soldiers find their way home…” (111). They provided for the physical needs of the soldiers
In my opinion, as all of the others said before me, the Sanitary Commission was the most effective during the war. The organization of the commission, such as the bureaus, made the finding and keeping of information more accurate and possible with so many dead. More than a “million names” were recorded. They also had much more money and power that helped make them more effective. In the end, the Sanitarian Commission also provided for the emotional needs of the soldiers. “They became humanitarians and sentimentalists in spite of themselves.”(116). I do think that the Christian Commission was important for the soldier’s spiritual and emotional needs, but the order, organization, and financial stability it had made it very effective.
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said that “These two commissions were both very effective in their own ways, beliefs, and actions.” I think that both of the commissions were needed to effectively help the soldiers and the families. Where the Christian Commission lacked in funds, volunteers, influence and organization, the Sanitary Commission was able to take over that. Also, where the Sanitary Commission didn’t provide for the emotional and especially spiritual condition of the soldiers and families, the Christian Commission was able to help more with that.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChristian and Sanitary commissions were equivalent to each other in ways, but also different. Both were part of the North, but other fundamental ideas were distinct.
ReplyDeleteSanitary commissions mainly focused on raising money, staffing hospitals, and educating the soldiers & government on aspects of sanitation. "The Sanitary Commission attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission."(111) "the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard headed realism and the order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war."(110) The Sanitary Commission took a more bureaucratic view on naming the dead. They seemed more intent on the health of the camps.
Christian Commissions were opposites, concentrating on relief and support. The Christian commission was intent on forming bonds between families and their loved ones, while also taking the names of the dead. "Christian commission representatives became increasingly involved not just in providing information to the families but in working too ensure the preservation of the identities." (110).
Although both of these committees were important in the destruction of the Civil War, I found that the Sanitary Commission was more important. As mentioned in the first chapter, Typhoid, Malaria, measles, mumps, diarrhea, and dysentery were all at work at the camps. "Twice as many soldiers died from disease as of battle wounds." (4). Sanitation was a major issue. And even though it was important to know the names of those who died, health is still important. Both rivaled each other in ideas and practices, but both had a purpose.
Mikayla
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you posted. The Sanitary was by far the better committee. Their Bureaucratic views on process helped them to become some of the most effective of the time. They revolutionized a new way of naming and recording. The Christian Committee lacked the number of people to do what the Sanitary did. A good point that you made was how the Sanitary Committee changed. They became "humanitarians". The Sanitary may have lacked the religious outlooks but where important in Naming.
The two commissions in the Civil War, Sanitary and Christian, were very alike and yet different. They were both "a great medium of intercommunication between the people and the Army."(111) Both of these Union commissions delivered letters from soldiers to their families, regarding their health, wounds, or death. They became very popular and many families requested for information although they both had a different way to help.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Commission was smaller and more religious. They worked to provide, "pastorial duties, concerns for 'spiritual consolation', and commitment to Christian souls also involved a commitment to Christian bodies and to the individual identity of the immortal self."(110) They wanted to inform the families but also comfort them and demonstrate respect for the dead. They connected with the families. They took pride in every letter and believed "each one of whom was a candidate for divine salvation."(110)
The Sanitary Commission had much more people and was larger. It worked much more efficiently and helped many more families. They built bureaus over the eastern U.S.A. and had "a Hospital Directory through which it hoped to 'supply a greatly needed want.'"(112) This is why I believe the Sanitarian Commission was more effective. They were not as religious or caring as the Christian Commission but they got more done. They had more letters to more families that had what the families desperately wanted to know-the condition of their loved ones.
The Sanitary and Christian Commissions were formed to "fill the void left by the failure of military and governmental officials to provide information to families" (107). The purpose of both volunteer organizations was to promote and assure communication between the battlefield and home front. Their focus was preserving the identity of the dead and giving families details of their soldier's death. Both groups worked tirelessly to assist families and soldiers which earned them the titles of "humanitarians and sentimentalists" (116).
ReplyDeleteAlthough both groups focused on helping the war efforts and those involved, they had different ways of accomplishing their task. The Christian Commission believed in "spiritual consolation" (116), the "service they performed both to comfort the survivors and to demonstrate appropriate respect for the dead, each of whom was a candidate for divine salvation" (116). This group wanted to assure families that their kin died a Good Death by providing letters detailing their last moments and attempts at salvation. They used the hope of reunion in the afterlife to soothe the grieving families. The Christian Commission's work was based strictly off of "religious benevolence" (110) and sympathy for the families of the dead.
The Sanitary Commission was considered "unduly sentimental" (110) and "sought to bring dispassionate principles of science and efficiency to bear on the national crisis" (111). Its focus was on quality care of the injured, attempt at prevention of disease in camps, and providing adequate necessities to soldiers in battle. This group used the war "as a kind of natural scientific experiment" (111) The Sanitarians had more public influence and power than the Christian Commission.
I believe that the Sanitarian Commission had more effect than the Christian Commission. Although sympathy could assist the broken hearts of mourning family members, the main focus should be of those still fighting rather than those sacrificed for the cause. The Sanitarians realized the importance of keeping camps in good condition for the living while still informing those at home of casualties. This group seemed to have both a practical and religious affect on the war by honoring the dead and helping the living survive to fight in the war.
Sarah-
ReplyDeleteYour mention that "twice as many soldiers died from disease as of battle wounds" was a very good point. I agree that health in camps to protect the living soldiers was just as important as identifying the dead. The Sanitarian's focus on both of these important war factors made this group a bigger influence on the Civil War than its fellow volunteer group, the Christian Commission. Very good wording Sarah.
C.J.,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the Sanitarian commission was more effective. You said, "They believed efficiency outweighed compassion and because of this they were able to help more people." That is a very good point. While The Christian Commission tried to greatly please very family with religious benefits, the Sanitarians just told the family what happened. This was much faster and made them the better Commission. It would be nice to put in everything the Christian Commission did, but to do that for every family would be impossible. The Sanitarian Commission knew that it would be best to leave as little families in the dark as possible.
There were a couple of similarities and differences between the Christian and Sanitary commissions. They both were “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war,” (107). They both also would communicate to the families of soldiers. The Christian Commission would “search battlefields and burying grounds around Petersburg and Richmond, locating, recording, and protecting soldiers’ graves. They were also motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence. The Sanitary Commission approached the work of naming the dead. They would also “regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism”.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War. They were more effective because they had a big size of work, their wealth, and their public influence. They were more important because they found out the names of the dead soldiers and I believe that this was a very good thing to do. That would help let their families know that their loved one has fallen.
CJ,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said. I like that you used many quotation in your answer. That was a good touch. What you said was the difference and the similarities of the Christian and Sanitary commissions were very good points and right. I agree with you when you said that the Sanitary commissions were more effective that the Christian commissions. I liked the reasons of their public influence and wealth. Good job.
hank hammond
ReplyDeleteThe Christian and Sanitary commissions were very alike, yet very familiar in many various different ways. They both fulfilled their purposes in helping the wounded and the dead, getting financial aid, and overall making the war a little bit better place to be at.
The Sanitary commission was a very effective and efficient organized group in the Union side of the battle field. From a financial standpoint, their income was almost overwhelming. With this, they were able to establish field hospitals and give out supplies. They were a highly successful group that in everyway helped the army.
The Christian commission was also very successful, especially in terms of sentimental value. They did not do as good as the Sanitary group financially, but in the hearts of every soldier out there, they still made their difference.
I believe that the Christian commission made a better impact on the dead and wounded soldiers. The main reason why I say this is that the "dying" chapter clearly stated that the soldiers wanted their death to be as good as possibly. As the Christian commission took the field armed with bibles, it may have put the soldiers at ease, which could of help the soldiers performance on the battle field. This is why I believe that the Christian commission was more effective on and off the battle field.
hank hammond
ReplyDeleteIn response to Sarah Welton
I think that you have made some very good and intellectual points about the Sanitary commission. However, these soldiers were ready to die in the first place. In a way, most of them would rather die here serving their country than any other place on the globe. And besides, if there were to be a man or woman coming to your home to tell you that a loved one had died, wouldn't you want to know that he or she was in good hands?
There were many differences and some similarities of the two Commissions. First, the Christian Commission consisted of a number of volunteers, where as the Sanitary Commission paid their agents to help the Civil War. Also, the Christian Commission organized "the Individual Relief Department, designed to respond to inquiries about the fate of individual soldiers."(108). Therefore you can conclude that the Christian Commission was more focused on the helping individual soldiers. The Sanitarians sought to help the war in the long run, by wanting to "...maximize prevention of disease and effective management of wounds." (111). It is correct to say that the Sanitary Commission wished to help out the greatest quantity of people. Also, the Sanitarians established a Special Relief Service, which distributed extra clothing, food for the sick, helping discharged soldiers find their way home and distributing reading matter.
ReplyDeleteIn agreement to my peers, the Sanitary Commission was more efficient than the Christian Commission. Yes, helping individuals can be equally successful and appreciated but, it did not have the public influence and financial strength that the Sanitarians achieved. Although, both commissions helped a lot throughout the war, the Sanitary Commission was more effective to the Civil War efforts.
The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission shared the same purpose, and this was to provide communication with families. However, each commission had a different way of doing this. The Christian Commission was much more compassionate with their work. They were good about keeping records of soldiers in notebooks. They provided soldiers with supplies to write home. If a soldier lost the ability to do this task, the Christian Commission would write home for them. If a soldier died, their identity was always safe and they provided families with much needed information. The Christian Commission was always sincere.
ReplyDeleteThe Sanitary Commission did the task a little differently. They were more interested in science and efficiency. They were much greater in size and were financially sound. For this reason, more people benefited from their services. Only about 70 percent of people got responses though because of the great size. The commission was not able to give everybody equal attention.
Although the Sanitary Commission may have been able to help more people, I think that the Christian Commission was able to provide a greater percentage of their soldiers’ families with information due to their smaller size. Also, they appeared to care more about the soldiers and their families. They didn’t see their job as just work. I think that anyone who went to the Christian Commission could expect a response, where the Sanitary Commission was not always as consistent. The Sanitary Commission was better about creating ways to prevent disease and death though. So, they may have been more effective through the entire course of the war.
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have said about both Commissions being effective in their own ways. Although the Sanitary Commission was a larger public influence, the Christian Commission was more compassionate. The Sanitary Commission was able to provide a little bit more to the community, but they were both pretty effective.
The similarites between the Christian commission and the Sanitary commission were that neither one choose sides and mostly they were both there to provide communication with families. The Christian Commmission though had a much more gentle and compasssionate way about their work. The Christian Commission gave soldiers the materials to write their families home and when when the opportunity to write home wasn't there the Commission wrote the letters for them.
ReplyDeleteThe Sanitary Commison wasn't more concerned with the feelings of the families but with the mass size of their operation. The families only sometimes got letters back in response and some families got more response then others.
I believe the the Christian Commison was better because they provided all of their families with equal attention and more percentage of people got responses through the Chriatian Commision rather then the Sanitary Commision, who got back to only some of the war families.
I disagree with Danielle Sheehan when she said," the Sanitary Commission was more effective to the Civil War efforts."I do not agree with this statement because I measure efficiancy in this situtation with how many people are helped and are continually taken care off instead of given news and then never hearing about their family members again unless luck is in their favor.
ReplyDeleteThough both the christian and sanitary commissions had the same purpose they had very different ways of exicuting it. They both were started with the purpose of communication between soldiers and their families. THe christian comission used a much more compassionate and heart felt aproche. They would supply soldiers with the supplies to write. If they couldnt they would write it for them. They gave alot more persinal attention. The sanitary comition on the other hand was much more interested in the profits of their buisness. They were able to spread to alot more people because they did not give persinal attention. I think that the christian comision was better because people need more compassion and the knowlege that people care in tough times like the one that they were in.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the Civil War, two commissions were present in the North: the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission. They were the most significant charitable commissions during the war. Each commission “came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts.”(107) Both groups helped soldiers find relief from the harsh realities of war through writing letters home. This way the public would be able to communicate with the soldiers. Though the ideas and fundamentals of both of these groups were similar, their overall process and outcome greatly differed.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Commission regarded itself as being a service to God. The commission’s main purpose was to successfully record the deaths of soldiers in battle and inform the families of their death. This was of vital importance to the group’s overall objective. Agents from the commission would travel to every battle and record the number of deaths and injuries. If a soldier had died, an agent would write the family of his passing and try to make a “Good Death” possible even though it might not have been otherwise. An agent’s job was to “carry the last words” (107) of a soldier. This method of providing a way to inform families was highly significant and worked really well in making the harsh realities of war a little more bearable.
The Sanitary Commission, on the other hand, was more concerned with the sanitation and well-being of the soldiers. They were focused on the prevention of spreading disease. “Twice as many Civil War soldiers died of disease as of battle wounds.” (4) Unlike the Christian Commission, the Sanitary Commission had a strong public influence and was particularly wealthy. A lot of the money spent during the war was put into improving the sanitation of the hospitals and the soldiers themselves.
I personally believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the war. They were able to achieve more due to their high public influence and large amounts of money. Even though the Christian Commission helped soldiers and their families, the Sanitary Commission was able to help people on a much grander scale. Either way it is looked at, both groups strongly aided in the war effort.
Re: hank hammond
ReplyDeleteVery well stated. Both commissions aided the war, just in different ways. The Sanitary Commission focused more on helping the community, where as the Christian Commission was more personal and helped with individuals. Each group had pros and cons, but the fact that they helped out in the war made all the difference.
Both the Christian and Sanitary Commissions "came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts."(107). However, each organization had different ways of achieving that goal. The Christian Commission provided families with "names, units dates of death," (109) and, "an assessment of the deceased's religious state, as well as details about the disposition of his body," (109). This gave families the information to know if their soldier had died a Good Death. Also, volunteers from the Christian Commission would write letters home on behalf of soldiers who were dying or very sick. The Sanitary Commission created a system that would “supply a greatly needed want by centralizing information on the name and condition of every soldier admitted to a Union military hospital,” (112). Sanitarians also would go to battlefields and make lists of dead and wounded soldiers. Besides helping soldier’s families, the Sanitary Commission also wanted to stop the spread of disease.
ReplyDeleteThe two commissions were also run differently. The Christian Commission, "was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence," (110) The Sanitary Commission disagreed with that approach saying it was "unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism and the order and discipline necessarily to a modern age and modern war." (110). Another difference was the workers of the Christian Commission were volunteers, while the Sanitary Commission employed paid agents.
I believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective because had a “size and financial strength as, well as a public influence and reach, that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission,” (111). This helped the commission accomplish many of their goals. However, I still think the Christian Commission helped many families on a more personal level than the Sanitary Commission.
The Christian and Sanitary commission both had one main similarity, which was aiding the Union forces. Each were trying to Record those who have died and inform the soldier's family of their death. Also both were trying to locate burial grounds in order to bury the massing dead and protect the graves of many fallen soldiers from scavengers. But both of these comissions had a few differences even though both were helping the Union. The Sanitary commission was very large and was strong financialy wise. They also would go on to the battlefield after the fighting ceased to record the dead and aid the wounded. The Christian commission was smaller than the sanitary commission and didn't have a strong budget either. Also the Christian commission was made up of mostly volunteers who wanted to help the war efforts by informing fallen soldiers' families but it took them awhile to get word out do to their commission size.
ReplyDeleteI think the Sanitary commission was more productive than the Christian commission because they were larger and get more work done at a faster rate. Also financialy wise they could support their workers and if you don't have any workers you won't get much done.
In response to Nick Burns
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement and opinion. I thought that it was a good idea for you to refer to certain qoutes of the chapter to stregthen your statement. I also agree that the sanitary commission was more effective due to their size, money, and influence to the public.
Mark Coen,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you said that the Christian Commission was a service of God. I agree with you one hundred percent, because they were volunteers working for God. Although the Sanitary helped a greater number of people, I think it is still important to recognize the great service work the Christian Commission did during the Civil War.
Kendra
ReplyDeleteI feel your post does a great job of exemplifying the key differences between the commissions. You identified how both the Sanitary and the Christian Commissions operated and were able to express their differences effectively and in a way that is easy to comprehend. While I personally believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective, you presented a strong argument to suggest otherwise.
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ReplyDeleteThe Christian and Sanitary Commissions were very similar in their objectives but they went about it in very distinctive ways. They “came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts.” In 1864, the Individual Relief Department was established by the Christian commission, it was “designed to respond to inquiries about the fate of individual soldiers.” They worked to gather information about the fallen by “(distributing) printed notebooks to enable delegates in the field to keep records of soldiers whom they assisted.” The Sanitary Commission came to regard itself as a “great medium of intercommunication between the people and the army.” They created a Hospital Directory which “centralized information on the name and condition of every soldier admitted to a Union military hospital.” In the end, “the Sanitarians became humanitarians and sentimentalists in spite of themselves.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the Sanitary Commission was much more effective for a few reasons. “The Sanitary commission attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach, that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission.” Maybe even more important is the fact that the commission estimated it had successfully provided 70% of requests for information.
The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission both had the same basic purpose, but at the same time, had different ways of executing it. While both the organizations were for helping the Union, the Christian Commission was volunteer and the Sanitary Commission paid workers. Both commissions went onto the battlefield to help deceased and injured soldiers after battle ceased. They identified the dead, and made lists of the wounded.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Commission was religious and kept track if soldiers had a "good death." It's commitment to Christian souls also involved a commitment to Christian bodies and to the individual identity of the immortal self." and the Sanitary Commission checked on the soldiers health, living, and physical conditions.
Both of the commissions provided for the soldiers at war, but in different ways. The Christian Commission provided paper, envelopes, desks, and rented rooms so the soldiers can write letters home. At the same time, the Sanitary Commission provided clothes, food for the sick soldiers, reading matter, and helped discherged soldiers get home.
I believe both of these Civil War Commissions were very effective in their own way, but I think that the Sanitary Commission made more of an impact. It "attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach, that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission." It seemed to have the well-being of every Union soldier and their families always in mind.
Mark Miller,
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was put together and flowed very nicely. You did a good job in contrasted the similarities and differences between the two commissions. This shows how equally they were similar and different. you make a great point that since the Sanitary Commission was larger, they could get more work done at a faster rate.
During the Civil War there were several differences and similarities between the Christian and Sanitary Commissions. Both provided as the first two Union-wide charitable efforts to take action in the war, and fought to help the families of the men risking their lives on the battle field. The Christian Commission worked under religious influence and felt that the organization was to be “motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence” (110). However the Sanitary Commission worked with the realism of the situation and disregarded the emotions and sensitivity of the "modern war." (110). Despite having less regard for the emotions of the families forced to struggle with the death of loved ones, the Sanitary Commission quickly became far more influential and wealthy then the Christian Commission. Yet in this dark time the two became “the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107). Each fought to do what was right for the most deserving of people and provide for the familes of the lost in the best way they new how.
ReplyDeleteLike many others have said before I also believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective because they were able to achieve more during the Civil War. While each of these organizations worked incredibly hard to help the families of the dead it is clear that one was able to achieve more simply because they didn’t spend time on the emotional aspects of the war. While I do feel that the Christian Commission went about their efforts in the right way, the Sanitary Commission was more effective when it came to achieving more in a shorter amount of time.
In Response to Hank
ReplyDeleteYou said it very well, and I agree completely with you about how each organization aided the efforts of the civil war. Each went about their efforts very well, but in different ways. The Christian Commission focused on helping the person cope through the pain of the loss, and the Sanitary Commission just focused on getting the job done. While I still feel that the Sanitary Commission was more effective at the time, you certainly bring up strong arguments otherwise.
“The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission [were] the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war” (107). They were created on account of the incompetence of the other existing methods. One confederate disclosed how he had “known so many instances where families have been held in agonised suspense for days . . .” (106) However different the systems of the Christian and Sanitary Commissions were, they both put forth an enormous effort in their quest to relay some sort of information to the family members of Civil War soldiers.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the United States Sanitary Commission, USSC, which worked “through a system of paid agents,” (110) the United States Christian Commission, USCC, consisted of five thousand delegates, all of which were “unpaid volunteers” (107). The Christian Commission took after its name and held a greater focus on the “assessment of the deceased’s religious state” and “the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths” (109) than condition of a soldier’s corpse. It was designed to give religious support to men and their families during the conflict. However, since there were scores of men engaged in a massive bloodbath just outside the publics’ front doors, it did publish certain “details about the disposition of [a soldier’s] body” (109). The Sanitary Commission was much more secular in their methods and “sought to bring dispassionate principles of science and efficiency to bear on the national crisis . . .” (111) It used the war as “a kind of natural scientific experiment” (111). Dissimilar to the USCC who “was compelled by the demands of war to redirect its focus to this world from the next”, the USSC was “caught up in the pressing human needs of the moment.” (111) The USCC was aware of the bigger picture even though the Sanitary Commission had “a public influence and reach that far exceeded that of the Christian Commission” (111). Both commissions contributed a great deal to the war efforts. Despite the variation in tactics, both commissions were “great medium[s] of intercommunication between the people and the Army” (111).
I believe that the United States Christian Commission was more successful during the Civil War. Despite the fact that the Sanitary Commission was superior in numbers, “size and financial strength”, and perhaps overall answers to the inquiries made by soldiers’ kin, it was not comparable with what the USCC did for the nineteenth century American. The Christian Commission did not just do its best at providing the names, units, and dates of death of soldiers, it did not simply “ensure the preservation of the identities of the dead” (110), and it did not only do its very best at “locating, recording, and protecting soldiers’ graves” (110), it provided the crucial “particulars” and “remarks” to a soldier’s death that the USSC did not. The Christian Commission presented the “reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths” (109). It gave “an assessment of the deceased’s religious state” (109). All the Sanitary Commission did was bequeathed dreadful news on the family members of soldiers. A mother would sooner hear how her son had died revealing his faith to the nurses rather than how he died of an awful infection in a dreary hospital somewhere in Virginia. The USCC went beyond the basic “he died in combat” and “he has already been buried” to “he was a Christian ready to die” and “he had many loving friends at his deathbed.” The Christian Commission was superior because they recognized that a man’s religious state at his time of death holds a greater importance than where his deceased body is hidden.
RE: Erin
ReplyDeleteGreat job on breaking things down and showing every part of both the Sanitary and Christian Commissions. As I tried to show that they both did an excellent job on aiding the naming process of the war, I think that you tried to as well. I like how you have something good to say about both of them in your ending paragraph. “Due to its size and perspective, this particular commission was able to offer assistance to more people.” This statement shows of the USSC quite nicely. “The Christian Commission, however, was still helpful as it provided “‘comfort to the survivors and demonstrated appropriate respect for the dead’”. I believe that the Christian Commission was more effective and I really admire this quote you found. Well said.
Nick-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you said that the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War because they operated on a larger scale. Your statement about dealing with emotionally difficult situations also made a great point.
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ReplyDeleteThe Christian and Sanitary commissions during the Civil War both did a great job of notifying families about soldiers' fates, and in ways they were similar. "Like the Christian Commission, the Sanitary Commission came to regard itself as a 'great medium of entercommunication between the people and the Army" (page 111), and the Sanitary and Christian commissions tried "ultimately to enhance stae power and responsibility" (page 136). However, it is easy to see the differences between the two Commissions. The Christian Commission was more emotionally centered, doing their best to provide the familiese with "the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths" (page 109). The Sanitary Commission was less emotionally centered and focused more on effectively notifying the families about the status and health of their loved ones. A big difference between the two is that "While the Christian Commission was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence, the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental, lacking the hard-headed realism and the order and discipline necessary to a modern age and a modern war." (page 110). The "prevention of disease and effective management of wounds" (page 111) was more important to the Sanitary Commission than relief efforts; they "sought to bring dispassionate principles of science and efficiency to bear on the national crisis" (page 111). One more difference between the two is that the Christian commission was made up of volunteers, while the Sanitary Commission was made up of people who had been hired.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do think that both commissions did an amazing job during the Civil War to notify families, I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more effective. I think this because they "attained a size and financial strength, as well as a public influence and reach, taht far exceeded that of the Christian Commission" (page 111). Their definitely helped them reach out to more people. Also, like Nick said, I think that the Sanitary Commission did a better job of handling emotionally difficult situations.
Both the Christian and the Sanitary commissions thought of themselves as “the great medium of intercommunication between the people and the Army,” (111). They were both created to provide statistics regarding each individual soldier’s well being. The Christian Commission had a Death Register that included information such as the soldier’s name, date of death, and religious state at time of death. One of their many goals was “to provide, where possible, the reassurance that many of these soldiers had indeed died Good Deaths,” (109). This Commission allowed soldiers to write home to their families in a hasty fashion. It was made up of volunteers who served as delegates. A delegate had many responsibilities. If a soldier were ill, delegates would write home on behalf of the sickened soldier. Delegates also identified the dead, with the help of friends and military superiors, “in order to be able to send news to loved ones.” (107). The Christian Commission had a spiritual approach to the duty of helping the soldiers. “While the Christian Commission was motivated by humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence, the Sanitarians regarded such an approach as unduly sentimental,” (110) the Sanitary Commission preferred to take a scientific approach to their cause. This commission paid their agents, instead of having them volunteer like the Christian Commission did. Some of the things the Sanitary Commission’s Special Relief Service undertook were providing clothing, food, transportation, and reading material as well as responding to questions about missing soldiers.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, the Sanitary Commission was much more effective from a logical perspective. It seems that the Christian Commission stirred up emotions and religious beliefs in an already emotional situation. I admire all that both Commissions did for the weary soldiers.
In response to Jacob A:
ReplyDeleteI believe your statement "the Sanitary Commission was more effective when it came to achieving more in a shorter amount of time," to be very true. If the Christian Commission had spent less time dealing with all the emotional aspects of the war, they would have been very efficient. Approaching the situation in a non-emotional way freed up their time greatly as well as increased their statistics by a great amount. The Sanitary Commission was, overall, more efficient.
There are a few similarities and differences between Christian and Sanitary Commissions. They both thought of themselves as helping the people and the soldiers. They were also "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war, came regard communication with families as central to there efforts" (107). One big difference was that the Christian Commission was religious. The Sanitary was not. The Santitary commission had a stronger foundation. They were bigger and had more money than the Christian Commission.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Sanitary Commission was more effective during the Civil War because they helped more people. The reason for that was what I simply stated earlier. They were bigger and had more money.
I agree with Amy Bowman. The Sanitary Commission was much more effective. I also agree when she said,"It seems that the Christian Commission stirred up emotions and religious beliefs in an already emotional situation." That is true, religion sometime just makes thing more complicated. Although the Christian Commission was much smaller too.
ReplyDeleteBoth the christian and sanitary commission did a good job with letting families know how their soldiers were doing. Although they were both doing the same things, they had a different way of going about it. The christian comission was smaller, more religious, and more sentimental. Where as the Santitary commission was larger, payed little attention to the emotions, and concentrated more on just getting the job done.
ReplyDeleteI think that the sanitary commision was more effective beacause they spent less time on emmotional things and by doing that were able to help many more families.
In response to Chandler Cerveny
ReplyDeleteI agree that having money was a very important reason for why the sanitary commission was more effective. If the Christian commission would have had more money, they probably could have bee much more effective.
The Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission shared several similarities and had some differences, as well. One notable difference was that the Sanitary Commission consisted of all paid agents while the Christian Commission worked with countless volunteers to take on their difficult mission. Another difference was that the Sanitary Commission worked off of science rather than religion or any other spiritual beliefs while the Christian Commission was a strictly religious commission which ensured the families of those fallen in action that their loved ones had died the Good Death and would surely move on to a better life. The similarities that were shared by both commissions were that neither the Christian Commission nor the Sanitary Commission chose any sides when doing their work and instead served the troops that most needed their help disregarding what side they fought on. The overall mission of both commissions, which was to inform the families of those wounded and killed in battle, was also a huge similarity.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Christian Commission was slightly more effective than the Sanitary Commission because of the way they carried out their duties. It seems that this Commission tried to inform the families of the tragedy with a bit more sympathy and consideration than the Sanitary Commission, and during those times such kindness really made a difference. The Santiray Commission also did a good job letting the families know of their wounded or dead relatives but they seemed to do it with less gentleness than the Christian Commission. The Sanitary Commission also didn't spend much time finding out whether or not the men killed had died the Good Death, or if they had received proper burial.
Kendra,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the fact that the Christian Commission “didn’t see their job as just work”. This Commission definitely did appear to care much about the well-being of the men killed in action and their families as well. They worked hard to show the families of those dead that they had died the Good Death and would move on to a better life. I also think that this Commission expressed much interest in responding to anyone who sought help or news of their loved ones and were more “consistent” with this than the Sanitary Commission, but the Sanitary Commission spent much time working to end the immense numbers of deaths due to disease and also got a lot done throughout the war so it is not clear which Commission was of greater help.
There were a couple similarities between the Christian and Sanitary Commissions. One similarity was that they were both, "Voluntary organizations worked to fill the void left by the failure of military and government officials to provide information to families."(107) Also, they were "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of war, came to regard communication with families as central to their efforts."(107)
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Commission was unique in several ways. The Christian commission stated their commitment at the top of each paper they would send, "The U.S. Christian Commission send this sheet as a messenger between the soldier and his home. Let it hasten to those who wait for tidings."(107) The Christian Commission helped more families of deceased soldiers and soldiers who were "lingering". In 1864 the commission organized the individual relief department, made for families to ask for information on specific soldiers.
The Sanitary Commission was also unique in its own ways. The sanitary commission was much less sentimental than the Christian commission. While the Christian Commission would send condolences and their best wishes, the sanitary commission was more along the lines of, "Sergeant John Doe has passed away in the battle of Manassas" Clearly, much less sympathetic. The Sanitary commission’s main focus was actually on the living soldiers. They wished to avoid spreading disease through uncleanly living environments. This is shown on page 111, "relief efforts, while necessary, seemed less important than the establishment of rules of military organization that would maximize prevention of disease and effective management of wounds."
In the Civil war, I believe the Sanitary Commission was more important. Although informing families of their dearly departed is important, having to inform fewer families that their loved ones had died was more important. The Civil War had some of the least cleanly conditions out of any war involving The United States. Disease spread like wildfire and containment of disease and prevention of more diseases being spread should have been number one priority.
In response to Sarah,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I agree that “both rivaled each other in ideas and practices, but both had a purpose.” And especially that “Sanitary Commission took a more bureaucratic view on naming the dead.” While the Sanitary Commission was more systematic and in my opinion more effective at informing families, it was also more detached from the citizens it was working for. This prohibited it from- as you said, “forming bonds between families and their loved ones.” It seems that the Sanitary Commission gave less help to more people, while the Christian Commission gave more help to fewer people.
The Christian and Sanitary Commissions shared some similarities such as, they were both voluntary organizations, and they were "the two most significant Union wide charitable efforts to grow out war." One of the main differences between them was that the Christian Commission was religious, while the Sanitary Commission was not.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Civil War, I feel that the Sanitary Commission was more effective because they spent more time on helping families, than emotional things.
Sevan-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you saying that the Sanitary Commission was more important by informing fewer families of their loved ones deaths.
The Christian and Sanitary Commissions had some similarities. They were "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts togrow out of the war." The Christian Commission "proclaimed its commitment in words printed on the top of the page." The Christian Commission seemed to reach out more to families of soldiers and were more personal.
ReplyDeleteThe Sanitary Commission on the other hand reached out to the soldiers who were alive, and their living conditions. If they sent letters to families, it was simply to let them know that one of their family members had passed away; a more 'professional' letter. The Sanitary Commission wanted to help stop the spreading of diseases among the camp and soldiers.
Of the two commissions, i think that the Sanitary Commission was more important. The families definitely had a right to know when a loved on had passed away, but the nurses or other soldiers wrote them letters. Keeping soldiers alive was very important during the Civil War because of the high death tolls and many of the deaths were from disease or the unsanitary living conditions.
During the Civil War, many families did not know the fate of their loved ones or how they were doing. Because of this problem, two major organizations rose up: the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Comission. Both of these commissions helped families locate or become aware of the state of their loved one.
ReplyDeleteThe Christian Commission, obviously, was based on religion. The members of this commission were more compassionate and caring when dealing with families. It seems like they understood what each family was going through.
The Sanitary Commission, on the other hand, was more straight-forward and, I think, more efficient in giving families the news of their loved one. Although they did not come off as caring as the Christian Commission, overall it seems that they were able to give more families relief.
So the question now is; quality or quantity? Certainly, the Christian Commission provided a better way to enlighten families of bad news; however, the Sanitary Commission was able to provide news for more families. This leads me to believe that the Sanitary Commission was more important. Families have each other for sympathy and support. Therefore, the quantity of families informed would be more important, which makes the Sanitary Commission more important to me.
Tanner Corah
ReplyDeleteYou pose a very good point when you say that families desperately wanted to know the condition of their loved ones. I think it was more important to them to know the condition rather than getting compassion from a Commission.
The Christian and Sanitary commissions were both designed to tell families of a soldiers state of living. This would be accomplished by going to hospitals and battlefields. The Christian commission “compos[ed] letters ‘for soldiers still lingering’ or ‘to carry last words’, to the soldier’s families. (p. 107). The sanitary commission had much more resources and supplies to accomplish what they needed to. The Sanitary Commission helped with relief efforts and even distributed extra clothing and food for the sick or wounded soldiers.
ReplyDeleteI believe both commissions were effective in their own ways. Each accomplished to help the soldiers during the war.
The Chritian and Sanitary commissions both had their differences and similarities. They were both declared as "the two most significant Union-wide charitable efforts to grow out of the war."(170)
ReplyDeleteThe Christian commision wanted to inform families yet also demonstrate respect for the deciesed and comfort them. They, however, were a smaller and more religous group. The Sanitary commissions had worked more efficiently and helped out many more families. They were also much larger but not as religous. The fact that the Sanitary commission had more people and got more done is why I believe that they were much more effective.
The Christian and Sanitary Commissions both aided in the identification of the status of soldiers as well as informing family members of missing or dead loved ones. The Christian Commission was, like the name indicates, based on religion and focused more on the emotional aspect involved with the deaths of soldiers. The Sanitary Commission had a better system of management and was better set up, as well as sticking more to reality rather than focusing on the emotions of death. I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more successful mainly due to its management and economic backing, but the Christian Commission could be seen as "better" simply because of their moral roots.
ReplyDeleteKurt,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your perspective on how the Sanitary Commission was better simply due to its size and manpower. This was important back then due to the large number of missing and dead. Whereas the Christian Commission was made to help cope more with the loss of soldiers, they simply did not have the backing that the Sanitary Commission had.
In response to Brian Bower
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you said, "I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more successful mainly due to its management and economic backing, but the Christian Commission could be seen as "better" simply because of their moral roots." I feel the Sanitary Commission helped more people, but the Christian Commission helped people on a more personal level.
In response to Mary Harris-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that they both did a great job in helping out the families! The Christian Commision was small and religious while the Sanitary was large and focused on completing the job. I agree that the Sanitary commision was more succesful as they were able to help more families by supressing emotion and working to finish a job.
In response to Hank
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your statement that the Christian Commission made a better impact. Although, the Christian Commission may have comforted the soldiers, the Sanitary Commission was much more effective at helping both families and soldiers during the war.
Brian-
ReplyDeleteThough what you said made sense, "I believe that the Sanitary Commission was more successful mainly due to its management and economic backing, but the Christian Commission could be seen as "better" simply because of their moral roots." I think that the word "better" should be switched with more admirable. It was admirable that the Christian commission had a moral background, but does that make them a better commission?
Emily-
ReplyDeleteI also think that the families wanted to know the cponditions of their loved ones, but it would also be horrific to know. I think that a letter of condolance would also be very nice to recieve because its from someone else, and kind of lets you know that someone was there and cares.
Some similarities between the Christian and Sanitary commissions were both helped and cared for soldiers and thought of themselves as an important communication between the Army and the people. The Christian Commission used volunteers and focused more on individual soldiers, letters home, and death records. The Sanitary Commission had paid agents and focused more on the prevention of disease and effective management of wounds.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Christian Commission was more effective during the Civil War because they seemed to care more about individual soldiers and getting information out to families. It was a more personalized approach.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Civil War, the Christian Commission and the Sanitary Commission both worked hard to communicate information of the war to the families at home waiting to hear news of their loved ones at battle. Although they worked for a similar purpose, each had different methods of communicating. The Christian Commission was very religiously influenced, and addressed more of the emotional side, whereas the Sanitary Commission was very strong, both in numbers and financial background, and got straight to the point with their information.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the Sanitary Commission had a more effective way of informing families at home of the events of the war, because they were stronger in numbers and financial background, and therefore were able to send more information. Although I think the comfort and support provided by the Christian Commission was very important, I think that it was also very important for the information to be given to as many families as possible.
In response to Golight
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said that the Sanitary commissions were more effective. I think that since it was strictly work, they got it done swiftly and effectively. But, the Christian commissions did still have some effect.
In response to Kristine Ayre-
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you stated in your post, especially that "both of these Civil War Commissions were very effective in their own way, but I think that the Sanitary Commission made more of an impact", because I feel the same way, I think that both Commissions were very helpful in different ways.
The Sanitary Commision and the Cristian Commision both worked hard to communicate information to families during the time of the Civil War. The Sanitary Commision had great wealth and was much larger than the Cristian Commision. It had provided many nessisaties to the soliders and helped answer families questions of their loved ones that where either hurt or serverly injured and on their way to the next world. The Cristian Commision had provied much more to the soliders than the Sanitary Commision had. They helped to make sure that the soliders were able to write to loved ones and wrote for the ones who could not. They also had sent the letters to home and kept keeping of their records. The Critian Commision was much more compastionate towards the soliders and were smaller in size and wealth.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Sanitary Commision was more effective during the war, but was less compastionate. The Sanitary Commision had much more business because of their size. This also had an effect because they did not respond to all letters they had recieved. They had a much better finacial situtation and manegment. I do think that compassion for the soliders was more important than the effeicantcy because when you are in pain and are suffering you want someone to be able to help you and care for you on much more of a loving status.
With this being said I agree with Heidi because the support was very much needed but then again the information being sent to the families was also important. Both commisons were very important and helpful in two different ways.
Although the Christian and Sanitary commissions had the same ideas they were still very different. The similarities were first of all that they were both the first war charities ever. Second they both had communication with families as a central to their efforts. There were of course, much more differences between them. Christens were more about the care of the soldier and his family. On every piece of stationary distributed to soldiers, the Christian commissions would paint “The U.S. Christen commission send this sheet as a messenger between the soldier and his home. Let it hasten to those who wait for tidings.” Also the different commissions had different ways of naming the dead. Humanitarian sympathy and religious benevolence motivated the Christens. The sanitarians thought of this as lacking honor and discipline. The sanitarians were more rules first, religion second oriented. The sanitarians were far less affectionate than their counterpart; even so I think they were much more effective during the civil war because of their wealth and public popularity. Although the commissions were different they both still played a big part in the war.
ReplyDeleteCJ
ReplyDeleteI believe like CJ that the sanitarians were more affective because of their public influence and money and that the fact that efficiency was more effective than compassion. I also agree that over the entire war both commissions helped numerous families with the grief of war