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fceltaimtf. * v *
THE RELIiiIOCS SOLDIER:
An Interesting Nat rative taken from
THE CHMtshjM OBSERVER*
We have received the following
communication from a correspon
dent on whose fidelity and accu
racy we place such implicit reli
ance. that we have no hesitation
in vouching for the truth of the
narrative.
Sir,
m t situation as minister of a
parish» in a part of the kingdom
where a great many soldiers have
been successively quartered during
the late war, has afforded me much
opportunity of observing and en
quiring into the state of religion a*
mongst that class of men. Although
for the most part, the character and
conduct of the military presents a
picture of impiety and licentiousness
from which the mind of the serious
turns with mingled abhorrence and
pity, yet I feel much satisfaction in
being able tp bear testimony to seve* ;
ral instances of genuine piety, even,
tinder all the difficulties and disad-i
wantages which are attached to the
life and habits of the soldier. 1
have spent many hours in the course
of the last five years, in very profita
ble and edifying communication
With men of this description, who
have withstood the temptations and>
opposition which the present state of
the militaiy calling presents; and
v’’o have unremittingly preserved in.,
tke protbttWQO and practice of r l gi
c notwithstanding the influence &
persuasion of evil companion*, nay,
too often the threats and persecution
of their officers The trials l to
which those, who *re more than u
suiliy co- certvtd for tne welfare of.
their souls, are exposed to from the
ill-will and derision of the world is
well known, but few, if any, are plac
ed under more trying circumstances
than the religious soldier. The ha
tred, s^orn,'and persecution, which
he general!v meets with, is far great-’
er than that which usually falls to the
lot of religious people of the lowet
classes, who are placet! in other si
tuations of life.
Shortly after the return es
Duke of York from Holland, one of
the regiments which had suffered ve
h rv materially in the different engage*
incuts, was quartered in my parish.
A private soldier called upon me one
evening after divine service*, with a
request that-1 would explain a par
ticular part cf my discourse* which
he had just heard, expressing, at the
time, much interest in the general
subject of it. I found him to be u
very well informed man, *of distin
guished piety* and much religions
knowledge. * His language and ad*
dress betrayed evident marks of
strong natural sense* aided by an
unnsu.aV acqy Aintance with the word
of God, and the operations of his
grace upon the heart.
From this man 1 received & most
interesting detail of circumstances
which occurred during the campaign
in Holland, including a particular
Recount of the temper and behavi
our of many individuals before and
during the heat of battle, buch a*
neodotes, from a sensible and pious
man I consider as Very valuable ;
for although we are at no loss in
obtaining minute details of military
operations from various quarters,
both public and private, yet the re
ligious history of a battle is one not
always to be procured. I may pos
sibly take soirte future opportunity
of communicating to you this good
man's remarks on the
comrades during that awful suspense
between life and death which a bat
tle occasions. * > k j
He frequently called upon me dur
ing the continuance of the regiment
in my neighborhood and every suc
ceeding interview gave me fresh
pt oofs of his religious attainments.
At that time he was the only pian in
the regiment who made any profess
•ion 6f religion, and on that account
was ridiculed and despised by the
greater part of his companions. , . ‘**
At length tne regiment having
pearly’ repaired* by fresh recruits,
the loss , sustained in Holland, was
•rdered to join a camp then forming,
for the purpose of collecting troop* ,
for the Egyptian expedition under
the command 6f Sir Ralph Aber
crombie. A lew day* be tore the de
parture* W—-, for that Was hfa
irame, brought with him another
private of the same regiment, who
had expressed a particular desire to
•peak ‘Utah tae, but of whom be
knew very little, except that in some
of the engagements in Holland he
had been observed voluntarily* tb seek
danger, and needlessly to hazai and his
pci son, as if with a desperate
lotion of rjdding himself of hfe.—
being introduced to meabnt, the
■y^ranger said, tltat he hoped I should
||mt»e the liberty he had taken of*
jk fcg’O request that i would ♦pui
he baa
brought, tn order to enable him to’
supply himself ‘with a few necessa
ries preparatory to his voyage to E
gypt, as he had no other means of
raising a little money. <■ He’ was a
tall young man. * of a dark ,sun-burnt
countenance, having something in
his *aspect, ‘ speech, * and address,
which struck me above his
present appearance. On opening
his parcel, which he did not do with
out some confusion, it proved'to con
sist of some clergyman's bands, one
or two religious books, and some
manuscript sermons. 4 Sir’, said he,
• you will hear with surprize, and, I
cannot mention it without some un
easiness, what I have for a long time
concealed from every one around
me, that fr am in reality la brother
clergyman, though now disguised in
the habit of a common soldier.—My
father is a clergyman in Wales : he
educated me himself for the church,
and procured me ordination, with a
title to a curacy at—in the coun
ty of W——: my name is E ‘¥*mi
l continued upon that cure three
years, during which time, I am sor
ry to say, through much imprudence
and inattention to the decorum which
suited xhy character, I contracted
several debts, which I had neither
means nor prospect of paying.—
Fearing disgrace and
and knowing my father's inability to
assist me, t quitted the town, and
formed the resolution of enlisting ast.
a soldier. Which l shortly afterwards
did, and'Was soon sent on the expe
dition to Holland, whence I lately ,
returned, that you may have no
doubts as to the truth of my story,
which may possibly induce you to
sympathize with a brother clergy
man in distress, I will shbw you se
veral letters and papers which, when
you have: read, I trust you Will give
me credit for the truth of my relav
tioti.* He also wrote some senten
ces in my presence, which proved
his hand writing to be the same with
rhat of the manuscript sermons he j
had requested the to purchase. On I
examiugthe letters, some of which j
were from hi* father,.expostulating j
with him on his extravagance ; and j
putting a variety of questions to him j
l felt fully satisfied as tfr the truth of
his story* ,4
I was greatly concerned at what
he had related, and began to enter
into a close and friendly expostula
tion with him on the inconsistency
of his present situation with the sa
cred profession to which he Was
bound by ties the most indissoluble.
I urged the duty of his endeavoring
to return, if possible, to the discharge
of his ministerial duties, with a mind
influenced and improved by the ex
perience of past hardships and mis*
fortunes.: As he did not appear dis
posed to follow this advice, Ibrodght
forward, with much earnestness, e
very argument Watch scripture Or
t'easpn suggested to my mind-on the
subject, and begged that he wdhld
permit me toendearor tO procure his
discharge from the arriVy, by a reV
presentation oi his case to the -Duke' 1
of Vork. Although he spoke to me
with much civility, and thanked me
for my advice, and the offer I had
made, yet I was sorry to perceive a
great reluctance oh his part to avail
himself of my counsel, and but little
appearance of remorse, fdr what had
past ; he talked like a man weary of
the world, who had no desire td
continue in it, arid no hope of sus
taining a respectable character in it;
it was plain that no impression of a
religious kind, had been made upon
his mitidT The peculiarity of his
situation, and tlie occasion of His
coming,- led*him, at the same time
to pay attention to what I had said.-* ’
I entered into a*long conversation
with him on the nature and design
of Christianity iri general, as well as
of the pastoral office in particular.
! examined him as to his views of the
doctrines of the gospel, and explain
ed my ’ own to him very fully ; I
entreated him to take what I had
said’in good part, and urged him, by
every sabred consideration, to act the
part which it appeared tome his du
ty and iaterest to adopt. *He said
little in reply, and almost de
clined Saying any more. I there
fore purchased his little parcel,gave
him a coupie books, and dismissed
him with a blessing, once more en
treating him to lay to heart what I
had said. In two days the regiment
went away, nor did I see either W
—, or Mr. E ijSifc before their de
. parturc.
A circumstance of so singular a
l nature frequently occupied my tho'ts
! afterwards, and whenever! wore the
bands which J had purchased from
Mr. E——, 1 felt an encrcased inte
rest in his behalf,From that time
till the return of our troops from E
gypt* 1 hac * oppermmity of hear
ing any thing respecing him, except
that a clergyman of name had
officiated at the town phich he had
a few years since: this I
learned from a native of the place. ,
in June last,’ niy old acquaintance
,W . - - called upon me and said he
wa % J U6I ved from Egypt, and
great tieul to aajr lo .ins—
With thfe same excellence of heart
and head, as he had testified on eve
ry former occasion* he entered into
tt clear and satisfactory accoOflt of
the events of the Egyptian expedi
tion, describing in a ve**y affecting
manner, the outwardYiardships and
dangers he had encountered, as well
as the inward consolation and sup
port which he had derived from the
power of religion on his mind* ;
‘ I have now/ continued he, c a
story to relate which l am certain
vdu will feel a deep concern in.-
You, without doubt, remember that
young clergyman whom I brought
to your house the year before last,
the Rev. Mr. E . At that time
I knew very little of him ; he, how
ever, shortly after we had left you*
observed with some emotion, that
what you said to him had more im
pression upon his mind than any
thing he had ever heard in the course
of his life, fle/tlien made me also
acquainted with his history, to which
I was before a stranger. From that
day I was confined “in the hospital
with a fever* and did not see him a*
gain before our departure for Egypt.
We embarked on board of different
ships ; it was not, therefore, till our
arrival at Maita that we, met toge
hter., M. E—— took an immediate
opportunity of saying, W— I.have
long wished to see you, 1 want to
tell you how greatly indebted I feel
to that dear friend of yours at—l
can never forget him* his words
made a deep impression bn my heart
and I trust, by the blessing of God,
they ‘will yet make a still deeper.’
k I found on conversing with him,
that since I saw him he had become
affected with a deep sense of his spi
ritual danger, and by meditation and
secret prayer during the voyage,
had acquired much insight into re
legion. .He showed strong murks of
penitence, and gave a favorable hope
of ah important change having ta
ken place in his views and disposi- *
tions. I was also happy to find, on
the reassembling of the regiment afi*
ter the voyage, that among the re
cruits were a few very seriously dis
posed. Mr. E—— and myself soon
formed a little religious society a
mongst them, which gradually in
creased to the number of twenty
four. We met as often as possible
to .read the Bible together, converse
on the concerns* of eternity, and fi
nite m prayer to Almighty God for
his blessing on our endeavors. We
derived hrnich ben-fir frorii these
meetings. Mr. E ■a, in particu
lar, expressed himself highly de
lighted by such a profitable mode 6f
passing those hours whic.<i, in our
line of life, are too generally devot
ed to drinking, debauchery, and pro
faneness. In his confidential con
versations .with mej he frequently
mentioned your name, and showed
me -the substance of your friendly
advice to him, which ne had from
Ihemory committed to paper.*
‘ When we arrived on the 003,510?
Africa, Mr. E-p- and myself Were
in the Vape boat at the time of ofir
landing at Aboukir. Throughout
the whole of the tremendous fire
Jhich, fdr a considerable time, the
French artillery kept upon u», I ob
served great coolness and patient
fortitude in his countenance. His
deportment was very different from
what I had- seen when W served to*
gether in Holland. .At that time he
always appeared desperate and care
less ; now I thought 1 co^lid per
ceive a courage blended with humil
ity/which evidently j>roceeded front
a much more exalted source; We
both, byVhe mercy of God, escaped
unhurt on that day. Our little soci
ety continued its meetings as regu
larly as the tryirig circumstances of
bur situation would permit. Mr. E
was three or four . tinted engaged
with the enertiy afterwards, and al
ways behaved both before and during
the battle with much steady, and I
may call it, godly courage.
* On the evening preceding the
21st of March, our wiiole society
met together* v Mr. E— said in
the presence of the rest, k 1 cannot
account for the strong impression
IWhich has seized tny mind, that I
shall not survive the event of to
morrows engagement? no* .such
prepossession ever occupied my
thoughts on anyibrraer occasion, I
feel, therefore, strongly affected by
this ; but if it be thy will, O God,
thy will be done l We then united
in prayer together for him, for our
selves, and for our brethren in arms,
beseeching God to prepare us for the
awful trial, and give its grace either
vto meet death with joyful hope, or
to receive his sparing mercy, if oui 4
lif es? should* be preserved, with
titude. Knowing the importance of
the next day's battle, and the little
chance we stood of all meeting a
gain in this world, we embraced .each
, other with peculiar attachment, and
L mutual recommendation tQ the Gqd
of battle and preserver of souls.-
Oh, Sir! it was a happy, but a. try ing
: season to us ! I Saw Mr. E —'an
hour before the horrors of that bloo
dy day. commenced ; his words were
‘ pray earnestly for me, and if i am
} killed and you should he spared, give’
my lxnt blessing to our Worthy and
Hear friend at » -•-« ; tell Mr.——,*
continued he. * that I owe him more
than worlds can repays he first o
p ied ray heart to conviction, and
Gol has blessed it to repentance :
through the unspeakable mercies of
Christ I cm die with comfort/ v
- 4 After the severe engagement
which followed, wherein the brave
Abercrombie fell, according to a
greement, our little society met.—
Every life was spared, except that of
poor Mr. E whose head was
taken off by a cannon ball at an ear*
ly period of the action. Such was.
the will of God* Whilst, therefore,
we i returned hearty thanks for our
preservation, wfe blessed God's good
ness for sparing the life of our de
parted brother, till by a lively exer
cise of faith ahd repentence, as we
had every reason to trust, God had
made him his own. I now also
bless God, that I have had this op
portunity of Seeing and relating to
you a story, which I know you re
joice to hear.*
Without further comment, Mr.
Editor, I sei\d you the above rela- j
tion, which I have committed to
writing with as much faithfulness |
and accuracy as I am able*
ADMINISTRA I'OR s SALE.
On Thursday the Jlsf of April next at
the late dwelling house of Garret
W, Park , * r ‘
WILL BE SOLD
ALL the personal property of said t
deceased, consisting of horses, cat- j
tie, hogs, a still, a waggon, black- >
smith's tools, household and kitchen 1
furniture and other articles »
too tedious to mention. Conditions’
made known on the day of sale.
iRUbSEL JONES,
JOHN ESPY, - ,
Administrators.
Jackson county, March 9, 1814.
_
R. ts JLjIN’G
I
* s
HAS LATELY RECEIVED A SUPPLY Os
BOOKS
‘* ; ; >■ f , r.y
A'*’ ■ ‘ v; *r ‘>.
FfoUk ’Fht ladel'phib) which he wiil dis - -
of on moderate terms for cash ,
among them are the following
Afflicted Man's Companion
Atheists confuted . ‘
Pilgrim’s Progress
Come and Welcome
Village Dialogues *
Village Sermons
| Blaif/s Lectures AbridgtJ
j Rise and Progress
[ Glad Tididgs
r Brown’s concordance
Baptist confession of faith /
Baptist cathechisms
jCcelebs in Search of, a
,Cstse of cohscieqce * ‘
i Religion of the Fashionable World
I Hymns of Dobell
! Derveys Meditations K
l Life of Christ
1 School Testaments ’ r/y-. * "\f' ! 1
School Bibles / “
Pocket Bibles
‘Alfred and Galba
History of Mechamsfit
JBeauties of Sterne
Broad Grins
British Cicero
Columbian Miscellany
Clermont
Contrast ..
Cart's Holland .
Northern Summed f
■—- France
Dominican, a Romance
Danger in Delay \ ; ;
Dyer’s Assistant .
Epistles on Woman
Franklin's Works ■%
Georgia Speculatio n; .
Ferielon on Eloquence
Goldsmith’s England
Ditto Greece
Ditto Rome
The Illiad of Homer ~ % . t
Immortal Mentor ‘ < f ■
Letters of Junius
Life of Kotzebu#’ ; f/,’
I Lay of an Irish Harp
Moral Sketches .
Moderti Europe Abridged
Ossian's Poems
Will’s Philosophy
Park's Travels
Half's Distiller
American Preceptor
Ditto Tutor
Ditto Orthographer
Ditto Selections * ‘
Columbian Orator
: Essay on Punctuation . >
-Murray’s Introduction
Ditto English Head©
Ditto Grammar«v v
Ditto Introductidn
Ditto Grammar Abridged
Parish’s Geography
Ditto Ditto Abridged
Webster’s Elements ;•?,<
Walkers Dictionary \ y* J
j Webster's Spelling,Book*
I Ditto Grammar ’ i
Ditto Philosophy v
Roman History Abridged
Prlmmers, Toy Books, Sc Stafr*A Ary,
February 17, 1814.
FEMALE AC \MDEY,
AT ATM KNS.
BY the first of April nekt Mr*
Smith will open a
SCHOOL,
irt this town for the instruction of
m TOUNG LADIES. j
She will teach all the com mo*
’ brandies ol an English education, \ti
eluding English Grammar. Ge6*
graph* and History*—the French
Language,, grammatically-“-Needle
Work, Embroidery, Drawing, &c»’
A Music Master of unquestionable**
abilities will be employed to give
lessons on the Forte Piano, three
times a week* Board and tuiiioi
from 100 dollars to I*o.
February 24, 1814.
GEORGIA , Clark Counts
WHEREAS Matilda Durham hat’
applied to me for letters of adminis*
trusion on the estate and effects of
John Durham late of said count#
deceased.
These are therefore to cite an 4
admonish all and singular the km*
dred and creditors of #aid deceased
to file their objections; in my office,
if any they have, within the timk
prescribed by law or said letters will
be granted. .
Given upder my hand and seal £9
office ihis 1 7th dav February , 1814 k
john Hodge , a c. a.
GEORGIA , Clark County.
* W’ HE REAS Avery Roberts har
applied to me for letters of adminis
tration on the estate and effects of
John Roberts, late of said county,
deceased.
f These are therefore to cite and
admonish all and singular the kin*
Ahed and creditors of the said de
ceased, to, file their objections in my
office, if any they have, within th«
time prescribed by law, or said let#
ters will be grafted. , r
Given uuder my hand and seal aB
office this*2sth of January, 1814#
JOHN HODGE y Q. C. O.
GEORGIA , Clark Cousrr .
1 WHEREAS Ezekiel Stanley an£
Richard Stuart have applied to m*
for letters of administration on th*
estate and effects of John Rutledge,
late of. said county, deceased.
These are therefore to cite and
admonish all and singular the kin
dred and creditors of said deceased
to file their objections in my office,
if any they, have, within the tim*
prescribed by law or said letters will
be granted.
Given under my hand and seal at
office this 17 th day of February , 1814*.
JOB N JIOD GE y C/C. O. m
’ » ■ ■ i ■’ i
GEORGIA. ‘Clark county.
WHEREAS Jesse Roberts hai
applied to me for letters of adminis*
tration on the estate and effects of
James Hagons late of said ebuntf
deceased. *. * v-^-;■. f\’
These are therefore to cite and
admonish all and singular the kin*
dre'd and creditors,of said deceased,
file their objections in my office#
qaany they have, within the time
if escribed by law of said letters will
jpr granted. . - . -
Given und'en my hand and seal
office this i7th day of February, 1814
JOHN HODGE C. C. 0 .
Georgia, pacts™ county. ■ , ■
At an Inferior Court held sot o r*
‘dinary purposes, in for the counjX
foresaid, on Tuesday the fish day of
February , 1814. %*.
1 Present David Witt, Charles Vcnajtjf
and Joseph Davis y Esqrs. - > ,
UPON the petition , of Samuel
Henderson assignee of Hoimai\Free-
man stating that Thomas M’C.aitf
in his life time executed his bonds
to make titles to a certain bounty of
of land containing two hundred ~aftd
eighty seven ancl half acres, and tfie
said Thofnas departed this life in
testate and without executing titles
to the said bounty oflandand praying
the Court to direct the administra
tor of the estate of the said Thomas:
M’Cain to execute titles in terror
of the law. It is therefore ordered
that, the administrator of the, iaid
deceased will at the Court of Ordi
nary to be held in and for this coun
ty on the first Monday in'July, be
directed to execute titles to the said
tract of land in terms of the
law unless cause be shewn to the
contrary, and that this rule be pub.
lished in one of the public gazetted
of this state at least three months
before the sitting of said court and
advertised in two or more public
places in this county,
A true copy from the minutes ,
EDWARD ADAMS, C.C.O
‘ ‘ .
~~ NOTICE.,
I roawARX all persona from
trading for a note given by me
Moses Gowen for seventy-seven dal.
Tara & thirty eight cents, oh
which note I have paid, and am’ de->
iter ro* »o’nay again, as I call
i pAvrsent by - sreral
: L -l 5 WtP :; W• . • ••; ‘ ‘•’ W
.«y£3jl |