Civil War Surgeon Finds Faith After Encounter with Dying Soldier

Dr. Max Rossvally, a Jewish army surgeon during the American Civil War, experienced a profound spiritual transformation after treating a young drummer boy named Charlie Coulson at the Battle of Gettysburg. Rossvally recounted that he was deeply moved by the teenager’s refusal of pain relief during a double amputation, as the boy chose instead to rely on his faith in Jesus. Before passing away, Coulson urged the doctor to consider Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, a concept Rossvally had previously been taught to reject.

Years later, Rossvally’s journey continued when a barber in New York shared the gospel with him, followed by his attendance at a revival service in Washington. Despite the internal conflict regarding his Jewish heritage and community expectations, Rossvally began studying Old Testament prophecies, including those in Genesis, Micah, and Isaiah. He describes praying for a divine revelation of Jesus’ identity, which he says eventually led him to a state of joy and the conviction that Jesus is the promised Messiah and Emmanuel.