History Behind the Hymn

This song was written in 1873 by Horatio G. Spafford, an attorney in Chicago, Illinois. In November of 1873, amidst stress caused by economic and emotional hardship due to the Chicago Fire of 1871, Spafford decided to travel to Europe with his wife and four daughters. Kept in New York by business, he sent them ahead on the French ocean liner Ville du Havre. On November 22, 1873, the Ville du Havre crashed into another ship and quickly sank. All four of Spafford’s daughter were killed, and his wife was found unconscious among the wreckage. When she finally made it to Europe, she cabled her husband two words: “Saved Alone.”

Devastated by his loss, Spafford booked passage to join his wife in Europe. While on the ship, the captain called him aside one night and tnew him, “I believe we are now passing the place where the Ville du Havre went down.” Unable to sleep, Horatio said to himself, “It is well; the will of God be done.” Those words formed the basis of this now classic hymn.

The music for this hymn was composed by famed hymn writer and evangelical song leader Philip P. Bliss, who titled the melody “Ville du Havre”, in memory of the tragedy that engendered the lyrics.

Sources:

Morgan, R. J. (2011). Then Sings My Soul (1st ed., Vol. 1). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.