JAC Online

The Invasion of Winnipeg
Canadian War Cry, 1885

The Salvation Army began advertising for its ‘Bombardment of Manitoba’ in the April 11th, 1885 (Vol. 3, no. 24) issue of the Canadian War Cry Magazine.[1]

They ran the (right) pictured advertisement again on 18 April 1885 and 25 April 1885, issues number 25 and 26. Staff-Captain Young, Lieutenant Archer, Captain Hackett, Captain Harrison, and cadets Teirney and Graham answered the call to ‘bombard Manitoba’ and, in 1886, “on the 10th day of December, at –430 below zero The Salvation Army opened fire in Winnipeg.” [2] This is how the Army reported about its initial success:

ar has been declared, and not only declared but the battle has commenced… Although there was no public announcement on Saturday that there would be meetings on Sunday (in fact a notice to the contrary) as we did not know that we could have the hall until late on Saturday…there was a very fair attendance. Our faith ran high, and in the afternoon we had a big crowd, very deep in interest and intense curiosity. The night meeting fairly eclipsed the others. It seemed as if we could never close the meeting. The people poured in on every hand, and had the hall been large enough to hold hundreds more, it would have been packed.” [3]

The Army was not the only one acknowledging this amazing beginning in Winnipeg. The Salvation Army’s claims of success were supported by articles in the Manitoba Daily Free Press. Pertaining to the Salvation Army’s arrival in town, it had this to say:

“the same afternoon the largest hall in the city (Victoria Hall) had been rented; and the agents were seen scattered along Main Street and industriously engaged in selling the War Cry.  Yesterday the campaign was begun in earnest, services being held in the hall morning, afternoon and evening, besides open-air meetings and street parade. Thus it will be seen that the soldiers cannot be denied credit for enterprise and activity, whatever may be thought of some other features of their work. By the time of the evening meeting the news had spread so widely that the hall was packed before the time announced for the service, hundreds having been waiting for fully half an hour….Announcement was made that services would be held every night during the week at 8 o’clock, and four times on Sunday next.”[4]

Further, it was not only the adults that the Salvation Army had significantly impacted. Children, as well, were clamouring for an opportunity to attend the Salvation Army meetings in this town. “A ‘little soldiers’’ meeting is to be held regularly in the future on Saturday afternoons from 2 to 3 o’clock. This is a meeting for children and will no doubt meet the wants of those who have been excluded in the past for want of room. It is a common thing to see a group of boys standing at the outside door beseeching adults who are unaccompanied by children to take them into the service.”[5]

            This quickly established and ever-increasing popularity extended rapidly throughout the Winnipeg community. By March The Salvation Army reported that, though Victoria Hall could comfortably fit 800 people, somehow it fit 1200 people into the meetings and still was forced to turn many more people away.[6]

There was always ample prayer and the Salvation Army certainly had its own style and that appealed to Winnipeggers. The Free Press reported on December 27th, 1886, a number of reasons why the typical Manitoban might want to attend their meetings:

“The Salvation Army has had considerable success during the two weeks of its campaign here, the number of members and recent converts being more than double that of the forces at the first muster. The attractions of the street parades have been increased by the beating of drums which are also used in the hall, together with the playing of a cornet and other instruments…The ‘War Cry ‘ appears to meet with an extensive patronage, and it is very industriously circulated. The spirited signing, with the music of the various instruments accompanying it, is a feature which many people confess to enjoying. A feature of the speaking and praying, which is favourably commented on, is that no one person takes up very much time. When testimonies are called for, every one of thirty or more people on the stage speaks; and the exercise, with a number of hymns interspersed, occupies probably less than half an hour.”

The services were quick, lively, and appealed to the common person. They were entertaining. People wanted to come and see the Salvation Army. The plethora of testimonies was extremely important, as the Reverend Silcox remarked, “it was impossible for any Christian to sit by and hear the converts one after another tell of what God had done for them without feeling that the Army was an institution of God, without feeling that they were doing God’s work.” [7] The Army was being blessed in its earnest endeavours to do the Lord’s work and these early successes - as shown by reports in both the Winnipeg newspaper and the Salvation Army’s own periodical - were impressive indeed.