Daniel Webster Whittle was born on November 22nd, 1840, in Chicopee Falls, MA. He was named for the statesman his father greatly admired – Daniel Webster. Before the Civil War, he and his three brothers moved West to Chicago, where Whittle worked as a cashier at the Wells Fargo Bank. It was here that he committed his life to Christ. One night he was the night watchman. At midnight he says: “I went into the vault and in the dead silence of that quietest of places I gave my life to my Heavenly Father to use as He would.”
After this, he became active in the Tabernacle Sunday School – the largest in Chicago. Here he rose to be its superintendent, and through this work, he met his future wife, Abbie Hanson – a fellow New Englander. He enlisted in military service in 1861 but was not called to ship out until the following year. He and Abbie were privately wed the night before his regiment left (August 22nd, 1862). They would not meet again for over a year.
Before his service ended, he rose to the rank of Major, a title he retained for the remainder of his life. He was wounded at the battle of Vicksburg when he was shot as he led a charge in the place of his wounded captain. Returning to Abbie in Chicago, he worked as treasurer for the Elgin Watch Company until he was persuaded by his friend D. L. Moody to enter full-time ministry work.
Whittle’s evangelistic ministry was immensely successful. His associate, Phillip P. Bliss would travel with him to provide song leading and special music for the services. After Bliss’ untimely death in the disaster at Ashtabula, Ohio, James McGranahan was persuaded by Whittle to take Bliss’ place and join him in full-time ministry. This association proved fruitful for them both as they traveled extensively throughout the United States and Great Britain. Their labours were crowned with success both in music and evangelism as the majority of the 200 songs written by Whittle had tunes composed by McGranahan. Whittle preferred to pen his songs under the name “El Nathan,” though some composed toward the end of his life were written under his actual name.
Of his hymns, he said, “I hope that I will never write a hymn that does not contain a message–there are too many hymns that are just a meaningless jingle of words; to do good a hymn must be founded on God’s word and carry the message of God’s love.” D.L. Moody said, “I think Major Whittle has written some of the best hymns of this century.” Major Daniel Whittle passed on to his reward on March 4th, 1901, in Northfield, MA.
Fierce and wild the storm is raging
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