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2 (G02) THJ
The Great Revival in t
UY KEV. H. 1
ItEMUlOUS UiEKAIl ICE.
Another important help to the work ui' the
preachers was the religious newspapers and
tracts which were distributed among the men.
The publishers of religious paper.s sent many
copies i rc2 to the Armies, ami the different
churches sent noi only tlicir denominational
papers tree, but tliey published great quantities
ol' tracts. And on the campaign in Ceorgiu from
(Chattanooga to Atlanta the general in command
of the army designated a chaplain, liev. 6. M.
Cherry, of the Methodist Church, to have charge
ol' this special work, and assigned quarters for
mm for receiving and distributing religious literature.
To show ihe interest the people felt in
this work, Jet me say that while my regiment was
in Mobile toward the elose of the war, when we
were eut oil from the publishing points in the
East, 1 proposed, to a tew Presbyterians to start
a paper 111 Mobile; in a few hours 1 had ^10,000
subscribed lor a start. The surrender of General
Lee put a stop to the enterprise for a time.
But in a few moutns these gentlemen started the
Presbyterian Index, which was afterwards combined
with some one of the older papers.
METHODS OF WOKK.
In giving account of the methods of work for
the spiritual btneiit of the men, L will eonline
myself' to my own experience and observation
with the Army of Tennessee in lMi3-?t>4 from
Dalton to Atlanta, Georgia, for tihat will give a
fair idea of the way in which we ail tried to
bring the soldier's to Christ. Although my work
was also at Fort Donalsoii, at Fort Hudson,
uround vieKsDurg, in .Moone, 111 Georgia, and at
last i'or the last two months as Post Chaplain at
Tuscaloosa, Ala. At Dal ton. after the disaster
of Missionary Ilidge in November, lHlid, the
Army was encamped tor several months, and tlie
Chaplains had opportunity to hold services continuously.
Generally, the service was in the
open with the big lires burning at the gathering
place. In some places the men built rude chapels
of logs, with big lire places, whore men could
cumc alii vruyrr una iiimi ucuuu.
After the sermon there was a number of songs
and prayers and rhose who were interested in
the matter of their personal salvation were asked
to come forward and kneel at a designated spot.
When Christians would kneel or sit by tliem and
instruct and pray with them. It was after the
old camp meeting style, and there were many instances
of deep conviction of sin, and of joyful
conversion. I remember a tragedy at one of
lliese meetings. It was at night, and many penitents
were kneeling by a big log. Nearby was a
large tree that had caught tire, anil had been
slowly 'burning lor several days, suddenly it
I'ell with a crash right on the kneeling soldiers,
hilling eleven, I think, and wounding others.
My own method was to ask those who were interested
to stand up. and after the service 1 and
some of niy helpers went to them to instruct and
pray with them. In some of the divisions there
were organizations which the converts joined,
and which gave certificates, on which they might
unite with their home churches. I took the
name of the convert, to report to his home
church as soon as possible. During that winter
Plio Aloinc Vinlrl urnolr I ir numl in tVii? Proa.
uiv Vyii?i|/iaiuo iiviu n wni v ax* i/?u m. *
byterian church of T>alton to discuss their work,
report progress and form plans for the coining
week. These meeting were delightful interchanges
of thought and experience, and were
very harmonious and helpful.
WORK DIJKtNG ACTIVF CAMPAIGN.
It might be supposed that during the progress
of a campaign with frequent hit ties, religious
2 PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SO
he Confederate Armies
Vt 'MilLliY, 1). i>.
soi VK-Crt iUiU intcrcal would I'civii. in lai^yo incus
in*.-. J.U. mo iou^ siiruggic iruiu muiion 10
ninta, and in the siege el the latter city it was
a I ii lust u continuous butt it, us tile l'eiieials slowJy
advanced and ttie Confederates retired. But
the chaplains were always on hand, watch tul lor
an opportunity to preach Christ, and to minister
to the wounded and tin. dying, and during a lull
in the active cunliict many soldiers would gather
hi some protected spot to listen to preaelimg and
many wore converted in these rather 1impromptu
services ofthe chaplains.
JN ATI i A N'T A.
It was during tue live ur six weeks' siege oi
Atlanta that we were able to do some oi' our most
elt'eetive service, i'erliaps 1 can give the best
idea oi' that work by recounting one day oi my
experience, which was a lair sample oi many
other days oi myself and other Chaplains. We
occupied trenches behind heavy embankments oi
earth. 1 stayed with the Assistant Surgeon in a
hole which we dug out in the side oi a ravine,
just in the rear oi our lines. Thus protected i
had a chance to study my Bible, and memorize
iiiy Scripture lesson ior my next sermon. Early
in the morning 1 went with the doctors along the
lines to notice if there hud been casualties during
the night, and who were unlit ior duty because
of sickness. At mid-day there was generally a
mil in ike activities of both Armies. When 1
went to the held infirmary, some distance in the
rear of our line, where the wounded were brought
tor necessary operations, and to be sent to hospitals
in the country south of us. There 1 wrote
letters for the wounded, and could speak to
them about their spiritual interests. When night
came 1 was back again at the trenches, and nearly
every night we had a religious service. We
could not make a light, being especially exposed
to sharp shooters on our part of the line. So I
memorized my Scripture lessons during the day.
I had a hie stuinn inst kick of the line For a
pulpit. One of my 'helpers was a giant whose
voice corresponded with his size lie was a tine
ginger, ;uul he had in memory a great many of
the familiar hymns, and he was a devout Methodist.
He would take his place at my stump
and begin to sing, when the men would come out
of the trenches, and gather about us, leaving
their guns in the trench, and ready to spring
back into place at the lirst intimation of attack.
The sermon emphasized the fundamentals of the
gospel and was insistent on immediate acceptance
of Christ as a Saviour. The congregation
would number probably a thousand, and when 1
i'O.illnil fV?l* 41 ltotit ifiwdof ion of {niniiAnf V\i* tlin
iwi a j ii<111 11 rom 11i/u ui luicitoi uj iiiu
unconverted, as many as two hundred would
rise, or raise their hands. 1 had my helpers
scattered through the congregation, and they
would get the names of those who were interested,
so that we might see them personally the following
day. Often numbers would remain after
the service for prayer and instruction.
There were occasional tragedies in these meetings.
The enemy's sharpshooters kept up a
desultory firing through the embrasures of a
battery -winch our brigade was supporting, and
occasionally a stray shot Avould strike some one
in the congregation. One evening, just as I
began to read or recite the Scripture lesson, a
bullet from one of thoose sharpshooters struck
a man standing near me, passed through his
brain, killing him, and entered the breast of
a comrade standing by, wounding him severely.
It only interfered with the service for a few
minutes, the wounded men were removed, and
directly all went on as usual.
On another occasion, just before I began
>UTH [July 2, 1913
preaching, a squad of soldiers, on their way out
lo t'ue picket line, stopped a lew luouients to
listen to the singing. The officer in command
was a young Lieutenant Fay of Alabama, lie
was a candidate for the ministry, and 1 had given
him some assistance, as he tried to do some study
in camp. We had a little chat about his studies,
mid he hade me goodnight. Before the service
closed he wa-> brought back dead?killed on the
picket line. Again it was only a temporary
interruption. Docs this seem heartless 1 Let
me give an explanation which is given by Dr.
John Brown in his story of "ltab and his
Friends." He is excusing the young students
of medicine for their levity at a serious surgical
operation on the ground that familiarity with
jjlltForinir viul il.-nlii .lulls: tin. vntislhililinu II.
says tliat pity as an emotion, ending in teal's
lessens, while pity as a motive, prompting to
action is quickened. "The tirst time i saw a
man shot down, 1 was almost paralyzed with
grief and horror. Hut alter a while, 1 got used
to it, and cuuld jook on the dying man with
apparent indifference; yet the very lirst and
strongest impulse was to spring at once to Ins
help. Hity as an t motion was seemingly dead,
but pity as a motive was intensely alive, urging
me to iinaneidate action."
THE Willi; EXTENT OF THE WORE.
The interest in religion began to manifest itself
in almost the beginning of the war. While
iiit'ii- w<io muuu i?iuuumjumil uiai wt'iii uuu jl
lightly, yet there was amoug all classes a deep
feeling of the gravity of the crisis; and a sense
of duty to God and home impelled them to enlist.
And they realized that they were dependent
on God for success. .So in the fail of 1-Stil
there were encouraging reports from various
camps of revivals. During the following three
years the interest deepened. And there wus
scarcely a post or camp, however small, but had
its revival. And duripg the most strenuous
famnnirms in tlnit lull nl? mi>n
x?-o 'j "
together around little bivouac liivs to engage
in prayer. Generals Lee and Jackson, and Gordon
often stopped a while at these prayer meetings.
In the Army of Tennessee the highest
ullieers encouraged these meetings. 1 heard that
die sauie spirit pervaded the troops west of the
Mississippi liiver. The frequent calls of the
1'resident lor days of lasting and prayer, and
of thanksgiving indicate the depth and extent
of tihe religious spirit.
And even in the Northern prisons, I was told
of the preaching of the gospel. A relative of.
mine, an artillery captain, told me that at Jolinsnn's
IkI.uiiI whpfrt orr*??t mmiilwis: nl' Rnnthftni
officers were confined, Dr. Jolui L. Girardeau
was a prisoner. lie was a preacher of great
power. Every uight he would preach in oue
of the circles or squares iu which the streets
of the barracks couverged; and the circle and
every street, as far as he could be heard, were
packed with Confederates and Federals, listening
with rapt attention; and many dated their
conversion from those services.
RESULTS.
It would be impossible to put in figures, or
in tabular form, all the results of this great
work of grace extending over so wide a territory
and continuing bo long. Thousands of those
who professed conversion were slain in battle,
thousands also died of wounds and disease in
hospitals. " And of the twenty-six thousand who
died in .Northern prisons, a large number were
converts in this great revival. Of course, out of
such a multitude there were a great many spurious
professions. But I am confident that a
large part of those who escaped the fatalities
of war, and lived to return home became consistent
and active members of the churches.
Another result might-be called the aftermath of
(Continued on page 5.)