was ; made. Yonder lies the rebel 'host on
he opposite side ofthe river! Yonder winds
Ihe 'Rapidan. Andhere I am in this look
out, the solentrwsight stillness, with the
now sleeping hosts lying all around me ! 0,
wbatlhoughts of the.past I 0, what thoughts
of the present I.• 10,s,•what thoughts of the
future, met me there,:and went through my
mindAind sunk into my heart ; and how I
knelt bey that board the:l, before I rolled my
self in a soldier's blanket, and prayed as I
never halve prayed before to the God of my
fathers, for my country? I wish I had every
man of you, every woman of you, every child
of you 'f l aw seven days in that hut. I wish I
could gn into Wall street and arrest by pow
er and : ,tuthority those greedy, grasping,
elutching,,7ervants of mammon, and set them
down among these solders that they might
learn a lessen, a nd come.back cured - of their
idolatry, lifted out of .the ,deei?.. abasement
and dark dtsradation of theii lot , e for gold.
I wish I could take," every -poor 'miserable,
. dyspeptic, clog-livered grumbler against the
C overnmen t- and against the army, and Plant
him there and let him learn a lesson from
those self-desiring, self-sacrificing, death-wel
coming soldiess about patriotism, about man
liness ; and he would' come hoine a soberer
and a stiller, if not n More, aCtively co-opera
ting man. •
There is no &ass of people, let me .say it;
as av;hole, thateo comprehends the present
crisis AS the private soldier in our army.
There is no class of people .in this land,
whose /mind is elevated to such broad views,
whose heart expands to grasp such large in
terests, .anyl open itself to pour out such
sacrifices as those of the private soldier in
our army to-dayl I could almost get down
on my knees before some of those scarred
regiments and worship the manhood thati
saw there, .and thank G-od for that Christi
anity that was also there, rising and tower
ing above the manhood; glorious, pure, di
vine.
I should much like to Lake you there to
night and endeavor to describe many of the
scenes I saw, but the time will not permit
it. I wish to.say a word about one subject,
in order to set the Christian Commission in
a true light in reference to the noble men
who are serving in the army as chaplains.
General Howard said that the — chaplaincy
system was a failure in the army. He did
not mean that the labors of the chaplains
were likely to result in failure, by any means,
but that the system by-which the govern
ment supplied the regiments with chaplains
is a failure. And so it is. We cannot have
a religious bereau ; and unless we have it we
cannot adequately take care of the religious
initeresta.of the army. If we should attempt
to plan such a bureau then the religions
views, and denciminations would come up,
and the government would be instantly
palsied! We niust take the regulations as
they are, and as far and as thoroughly as
they can go, and then out of the heart and
the hand and by the sons and daughters of
the church add the rest. That remark of
General Howard's has done good. Many.a
statement that a man does not mean to be
understood as it is, is just the thing God in
tended him to say. lam glad he said it.
While the sincere chaplain will understand
it the moment it is explained, there were
men who wanted to hear just that thing.
There were bad men in the army, who went
there for the salary of chaplain, and did not
discharge the duty of the office. But these
men have had a sifting. and they have fallen
through. A man who _has gone into the
chaplaincy of the army to take the critical
care of souls, imperilled always, appointed,
many of them, to die, when he comes to
stand under fire as a chaplain must, will
find that he has a conscience, and that con
sciencelwill not let him stay longer, or al
low hini to prostitute his place and neglect
his duty. God has been terribly shaking
the sieve, and it has dropped through these
evil men, and now a nobler class of Chris
tian ministers does not breathe or preach the
Gospel than the chaplains in our army.
They 4ie 00-operating heartily with the
Christian Commission. The Christian Com
naission is co-operating heartily with them;
and the very highest testimony I had for
the Christian Commission was the testi
mony of chaplains. Let, me show you an in
stance,
The,son of Dr. Eastman, Secretary of the
Tract Society, is a chaplain. His horse
plunging during a battle, struck him on the
knee-pan. His leg swelled and stiffened un
til the pain became almost unendurable.
When he could no longer stand he gave his
horse up to a servant, and had himself to lie
on the ground. The pain was intense..
Darkness settled over him. He had to take
a wounded soldier's, place alone, that night.
As he lay on his back suffering and thinking,
he heard a voice—" 0, my God." He thought,
can anybody be swearing in such a place as
this ? He listened again, and a prayer be
gan. It was a wounded soldier praying.
How can I get to him?' was his first impulse.
He tried to draw up his stiffened limb, the
while setting his -teeth and clenching his
hands for the pain. But lie could not rise.
Then he drew his arm around a sapling, drew
up his well foot, and tried to lift the other
up and extend it without bending, that he
might walk ; but he fell back in the effort
with a heavy fall that jarred through him
like a stab 1 He then thought, " I can roll."
And over and over in pain he rolled in blood,
and over dead bodies, until he fell against a
dying man, and - there he preached Christ and
prayed. At. length one of the line officers
came Up and said, " Where's the chaplain ?
Where's the chaplain? .one of the staff offi
cers is dying ?" Here he is, here he is,"
cried: out the suffering hero. " Well, such an
officei. is dying, can't you come and see
him "1. cannot move. I haVe just rolled
up along side of this dying man to
: talk to
hun."- " I. detail two men to carry you;
shall they dO it r , Yes?' They took him
gently up and carried him. And that live
long night these two men rode him over the
battle-field, and laid him down ip blolid beside
bleeding, dying men—and he preached
Christ to them and He had to look.
up then, brethren ; he could look no other
way from that position, not even into the
face of the dying ; and with. God's stars shin-
Mg down on him, and heaven bending 'over
him, he had to preach Christ and pray?
And there are score:s of just such chaplains.
The Christian Commission has giVen them
this Winter fifiy : four chapels in connection
with their other iork in the brigades.
Let me khow you how the chapel system
operates. A chaplain in a regiment that
had. been without one, d is said to have
very an d •
boys in it, that nothing can reduce
to subjection and order, went around to these
boys and said, " Boys, we are going to have
a religious service to-night." " But where's
the place ? It is cold December. Where
shall we meet ?" " In the mess-tent; it is
all the place I have." He appointed a cer
tain .hotir. He went there. A little drum
mer-boy came in. He waited for half an
hound no one, else appeared, , By.and-hy
the drUmmer-boY . ' Said; "I guess I can get
one more.". He went ont., and brought in
another drUmmeAiiy.' :By' the light of the
fire he topk ,out his .Bible, knelt down and
prayed—first ho prayed, and then the other
twg. The next night five more came, mak
ing seven in all. The - five said that while le
was talking to the boys in the ine*tentfthey,
were arotind,• butt didn't dare to come in.
They had been prefeitors :df
- their troubled conscience would notlet them
rest while Ferviee was going on and they were
not there ; so they had come to confess. The
next night there were seAken. What should
they do now for room? The Christian Coin
miidon offered to cover their •chapel with
canvas ,if they would get the:legs together
and build the tent. They called up the men
and asked them to volunteer. They were
detailed by the Colonel for this work. They
went to the woods, cut down the trees,
dragged in the. logs, and made tent. that
would hold 250 to 300 men. The tents are
built just as the huts, only on a lawer scale,
with a camas roof that lets in the light
but no rain,.without windows, for they could
not be glazed, and warmed and made com
fortable as a AdepOt fOr the religious books
and papers ofae Christian Commission, and
for nightly preaching services. And what is
the result. :I,preached there twice kwith the
place so thronged that it was impossible for
a soldier to move out of his, position after . he
had 'once taken: it. , There 'was . a'prayer
meeting held the last hight in thatregiment,
which I did not attend, in order to test the
spontaneousness, of this interest. The chapel
was crowded again at the prayer-meeting, and
fort,yfive communicants arenow numbered in
that chapel, where - before were butfive
ing professors of religion on the outside l I
asked the history ,of chapel after chapel
of the fifty-four alluded to, and in each ;of
them there have been from ten to one hundred
and fifty donversiculssfrom the;preaching af
the Gospel this Whiter by faithful chaplains,
aided by the agents of the Christian Com
mission.
Said I to a chaplain,. "Do you think
the agent of the Christian 'Commission
can make his way in all .eases?" " Well,"
said he, " I will tell yon an instance that
happened in the experience of an agent of
the Tract Society, which willillustrate to you
I think satisfactorily, whether men with
true .Christian, heart, and .wi,th tact, can do
anything here. It was Uncle Johnny Vas
sar,' of Poughkeepsie: The chaplain said we
had a tough Colonel here, a hard, rough fel
low, with whom nothing could be done. So
it was thought best to set Uncly Johnny after
him to see if he might not succeed in breaking
down his hostility: The chaplain took him
to the colonel's tent and introduced him.
" Colonel, this is Uncle Johnny Vassar, of
Poughkeepsie, who 'ha.s,conie doWn here to
preach the Gospel to the soldiers." He look
ed at him from head to foot, but did not offer
him a seat. His staff was around him, but
they did not move from their places, Uncle
John, to the astonishment of the chaplain,
moved to take a seat. " Get out of that !"
growled the Colonel ; " don't sit on that bed.!'
Well, now," said John meekly, "you
wouldn't make an old man stand while you.
youngsters there are sitting, would you?" -
" Orderly, go get a benchi grumbled -the
colonel. Uncle John sat, down. "COlonel,
I am not down here , on my, own business, at
all. I have come down 'to do these boys
good. Some of these boys have got to die
this Spring. You know it. You know that
if you tell them to go and charge that bat
tery they will go, and:you know that as sure
as they go some of them will fall. Don't you
want them prepared to die ? I wonder if you
are prepared. You know a great many offi
cers are killed—More in proportion that the
men—are you prepared to die, colonel ? I
have come down to help you in this matter,
to help prepare your boys for death. Now,
colonel' you won't be hard on an old man
who comes. on: such an. errand as this. I, am
going to . ask God 'to help you • and me ,
now,
let
.is pray !" lie didn't wait for the colonel
to say yes or no ; he had his eyes shut from
the begining, that he might not 'see the ex
pression of assent or dis.sen4, and there
kneelinv down he prayed fervently, spread
it tall out before the Lord. What was his
surprise 'hen he opened his eyes to find that
the colonel and every one of his staff were on
their knees. The colonel got up took Uncle
John by both hands, and said to him, " Come
to my mess-tent and eat your meals, and I
will give you a place to sleep, and do every-:
thing I can to, help you; if you say so, I will
order the men out to hear you preach.";
And he was the fast friend of Uncle John to.
the end of his mission there.
The young officers in the next regiment
thought they would not let the old man off
so easily • so one night after a weary day full
spent in distributing tracts, and in remaining
at an inquiry meeting in the evening, being
very tired, and eager for the rest of pil
low, they sent an orderly to rouse him from
his tent and bring him to their mess-room.
The poor man thought it was the case of
some convicted , sinner in great distress of
mind to whom he must go as soon as possible,
He got up and went out, shivering in the
cold, for it is terribly cold under the Blue
Ridge with the snow piled up on the, moun
tain. He got .to the tent. As he opened
the door there stood on two logs of wood a
keg of beer i One of the officers said,
"Uncle Johnny, we have just got a keg of
beer, and we didn't want,to be selfish, so be
fore we tapped it we thought we would send
for your " Well, now, ain't you ashamed,
to get an old man out of his bed at this hour
of the night to play such a trick as this ?
But just remember, young men, you sent for
me, didn't you ? I didn't send for you.:
Very well, I will go now when I am ready;
and you will get out—stepping back to the
door of the tent,—when I am ready to let
you. Now we will have a little meeting ; I
have got you here, I am going to preach.
Let us pray." Uncle John knelt down and
prayed solemnly, earnestly, and pointedly
for these wicked men. Their faces were long
when he got. up again. Now Uncle Johnny
will sing, and if you know the tune you will
join in, " Thereis,afountain filled with blood."
With heart and 'soul the old- man sung it,_
some of them humming the tune quite audi
bly. Then he preached to them; and if he
,didn't, tell them,what they were . ; and what.
GO& thought Of them, andhr . hat their .1 - itL
would be if they didn't repent and believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ, then Paul never told
the truth. Then he got down by his pulpit
—not an, orthodox one by, any -means—and
prayed againAind said God : bleSs you boys,
and went off., There
,wasii;t, anything said
about; that beer'bairel 'inYnno• the elher regi
ments—not a word ! After Uncle John went
back they got up a subscription forlim and
sent a splendid testimonial to his wife, and
to the. Tract Society, a petition that he
might be sent back again. And there he is
distributing books and papers and co-opera
ting with the Christian Commission and
chaplains to-day.
•You see then that you can be heard in
preaching the Gospel. No man is so icorri
gible in the army but you can break him
'down. And I tell you, when it comes along
towards March and April they are very sober.
I passed along a regiment that had been : in
twenty or twenty-one battles. I slept over
night in their 'tent. Geri. Patrick sent for
me to come to headquarters. Right in sight
was the house of 'Gen. Carr, an old friend,
Whered was at liberty to stay - whenever I
.
wanted in—but X wanted . if 'l' lived long
enough to tell my grandchildren that in this
war, I laid on a soldier's bed, that I ate a
soldier's rations, that I kneeled down in' , a
soldier's tent, that for one blessed week God
let me take what he ,was taking, and endure
what he was enduring. And I feel that it is
one of the brightest spots in - this' dark era
[ that l have been enabled in any way to iden-
Aify ,mpelf with the. arrny lk There_iiiihat
tent among those men.J. have Telt,.olg,what
ztvehtitibe for God.; and for souls 1., Can ; I visit
a tli!bit:sind 'Men' in inyillikee congregatiens
in less than three, four, five or six-months?
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MAT 12, 1864
tt would take me's.. year to :reach. them all ;
and yet in five hours I came , with my tracts
and visited a thousand men Wand said some
thing face to face, with every soul, and pray
ethwith the most de the n ' - An.one day I
could do more ameing these isen than any
pastor here could do in a- year among his
people—because the men are .there in the
company street before me by tens and hun
dreds, and in a single acre .by ,thousands.
Just look at the field!
Now I should like to tell .:ycku how the.
Christian Commission has supplemented the
work , of thechaplains,ly its-Varicins stations.
There is Bristow Station, and Brandy Sta
tion, awl Warrenton Station, and±Culpepper
Station, And Mitchell Staten, away o'ut two
miles beyond, our piekets, where.two chapels
have been built. L would like to tell you
the records I have - here; of 100 conversions
in one station, 200 in Bristow - Station, 150 to
200 .at%Warrenton Station, 200 odd at Cul
peper Station—in all over .two thousand con.'
versions in , 00nnection with fifteen stations of
the Christian. Commission alone; and 1,500 of
these are registered, with the regiment, h ome
and :address ,of the man and his. family. This
widening influence, oh, how great it will be!
I would like for a moment also to call
your attention to another item: Three men
lived thirty-three clays at one of these sta
tions, for $24,30, and lived as well as they
wanted to, and received no other compensa
tion but their living. Six stations under the
care of Mr. Jenkins were subsisted six weeks
for $360, that is $6O a station, and $lO a week.
During these six weeks, there were 400 con
s'ersions in these various stations—/ess than
one dollar a man ! It cOsts a dollar to get a ,
good bottle of brandy for sanitary purposes,
andit didn't cost a dollar here to save an im
mortal soul forever-! Compare the two
things and see where llie Christian Church
has been lacking in the past—pouring 'its
gifts in upon those who care for' the body,
and withholdiwi in too great a measure from
those who care for the soul.
In conelusion let me give you briefly three
reasons why I think we ought to raise the
million dollars called for. One is the reason
which the Jews gave to our Saviour when
they' asked him on one occasion to work a
miracle. They said, ." this man is worthy,
for he loveth our nation," for he loveth our na.
Lion. I say these soldiers are worthy for they
loNie our nation. They do not any of them
love war ; 'but they do love the nation ; and
they are turning their hearts to the fatal
stroke that they may testify their love to the
nation. 'La me tell you an incident here.
They were commanded to take a battery at
'Mine Run. At night they approached the
battery and saw its strength.. It was one of"
the strongest of the rebel earthworks. I rode,
under it myself, and wondered: at it'. As day
:light came, the men began to count the guns,
to estimate the strength of the embrasures,
and to scan those deadly weapons that were
frowning down on them threatening to dis
stroy them; Nine o'clock came and they
were expecting the order to fall into line of
battle. They crept up the hill; in .the clear
Morning light and looked over the top of the
formidable works once more, then went down
and clustered around the chaplain,' and
around Christians, and began to talk about
the solemn things that were before them. A
colonel came up and said, " Chaplain, put
me on the „surgeon's board, and take that
arm.off, and then excuse me for the rest of
the day, and think it a fair bargain."
The cry came to form in line of battle.
Not ready yet to Move.. Stack arms?
And then the boys—let's have one more look
at the fort. They crept up again, saw the
guns frowning and bayonets bristling behind .
the fortification. They came back and began
to empty their pockets, handing the contents
of value, to the chaplain—a mother's picture,
a wife's picture, a little group of sweet faced
children. The chaplain took them all until
he was loaded down and had to put them in
the ambulance: Then he got paper and pen
and wrote the ,boys' names on slips and
pinned them fast to their ,shirts. They
buckled up again and came 4gether in line
of battle. There they stood ! Noble men !
And if Gen. Meade had said the word, they
would have walked into that earthwork, and
over it ! For they are worthy, they love our
nation.
Another reason. ,Their friends at home
are worthy. I passed by the Herald office
one night on my way to the Fulton Church
just after a - battle had been fought. I shall
never forget a face I saw there. They had
just received the list of wounded. There I
was a woman bending over the counter, !
talkingwith the, man who stood behind the
desk, who was running his fingers carefully
down a, column of names. The woman's
eyes were set upon that finger, as if her whole
soul were concentrated there. Her eye fol
lowed as it reached the bottom of the column
and turned to the top with still more eager,
breathless intenseness. 0, I thought, here is
one who is making a sacrifice. What sacrifice
am I making ?
. Again, one evening I went with my wife to
the Five: Points to talk to the little mis
sion children gathered there. As I was
telling Of the work in the army and speaking
of the work liefore us, I saw the handker
chiefs come out and ,the tears fall ; and one
rose to get a tumbler of water. Ah ! it
flashed upon me, you have come down no*
into the neighborhood -from Which many
boys have gone. As soon as I had pronounced
the benediction, I went down from the desk
to a poor girl in black, and said, " My child,
have you a friend inthe army ?" "Yes, my
father, so and so, is in the army, sick." I
could tell her I knew the agent of the
Christian CommieSion therei and would tell
him of the case. Another said, My boy is at
Such a place, and another; - my brother is
there • and I could promise them that -I
would write to the COmmission's agents and
they, would take a note'ef then : and do what
they could in time of need. 'Then the poOr
woman that fainted came 'up :to me, and
said, "I wish. to show yousomething, sir:"
It was a bundle of letters she clasped to her
breast. And they clustered all around me,
and asked, " Had I been to this part of the:
army and to that, Was I at Vicksburg, at
Newbern, at Chickamauga; and did I see
their dear ones ?" .Ah 1 here were . lowly
hearts fainting and ready, to fall, when the
telegram comes . to • then" with stunning,
crushing weight, •'that May delight - sow.
speculators in stocks and gold 1 For the sake
of the Ones at-home I plead.
One reason more. My heart aches for re
venge. My soul 'burns for revenge. Since
reading of that terrible massacre at Fort
Pillow I want revenge! and God gives me a,
chance to plead for it. I want this kind of
,revenge—a million of dollars for the Christ=
:Jan Commission to do what they have done
in the past) pick up the Union soldier and
the rebel soldier side by side, in God's name,
and for the dear sake of Christ, do them the
sanie • loving, tender office. Stieh revenge
will be sweet now and sweet forever.
I went into the house of some rebel:folks.
In one which Tentered, the people stood off
and looked at me. I commenced to talk.
They said, "our.cause" and "your cause,"
"our army"'and your army." "Stop a,bit,"
said. 1..• I inn.a chriatian here, I am rot a
soldier. I come from the Christian-C.6'mis
sion, who were,on that dreadful fied of
Gettysburg: Do: you' knew Who fough that
Yes,. Gen. Meade," was tlie gruff
a b ris att w le el . : 7 :Well; Gen.„;.Meade4 :414. • was
them , ,teo„ taking , cam of ,)reur' we 'rided
!•,461diers2f_: , :" What doyonittay?" ". -' metal*
Meade's nephew was thee, tenderly ,armg
for 'your' soldiers, carrying ice. cveam to a
whole car load of them, .end putting it to.
their: feeble lips. Do yeit understand us
now ? You will by-and-hv " talked in
that strain. Before I left I was ;aSkted to get:
clown on my knees and have family worship
with them. They took my name and resi
dence and said, !` God bless you!" This was
two miles away frcim our pickets. I went
into the house of a Baptist Minister and told
him, for my introduction, what theiChristian
Commission had clone and were skiing, and
he melted down and wept. His wife grasped
me by the :hand: lie said, " When 'Ton go
home don't-forgh us. Reineuiber us. Pray
for us." I .cay we want to lay up za volcano
pf coals of fire to pour down ein the leads:of
these men, and conquer them in this way.
Witt You 1 - ,,oar in the coals--a of
aent' e We'll pour theni out •
The yene,ribie Chairman, in a few words;
here exhOrtek!! the 'audience to remeinber
their , negro brethren, 'in their sympathies'
an prayers, in the light of !the fire's' of Fart'
.P.illOw; and willit'Ged had been 41.iji.i.i g -i n .
i r
thellast year in the way of-a,'wenderfuLenian
,cipation, in the breaking of the chains of the
.oppressed, and to Oresent a thank-wire - tag for
this merciful prorldence to the nation.. ' '• .
{ -
'
( , Dr. Mewtdn. now Announced ",the collee
tion " as theiculminating point of interest in
he whole Meeting. The sum alotted. to
,Philadeignalfor the -tpresent effort was fifty
i '
thonSand dollars. It - was all to be raised that
night. A god beginning had already been
made in the,sitbscriptima of thirty-five. thousand
,dollars, ' A Ow of the more prominent do
nors' names Were read, as follows :. , . ,
Jay Cooke & Cd, $5.000; John P. Crozer, $5.000: Capt.
B. F. Loper, $50110; George H. Stuart, $5,000; M. W.
Baldwin & CO., $3„000 ; Thomas Brake, $2500; James
Graham, s 2,ooo;William BuCknell. $l,OOO Evans &
Hassell, $1,000; WilliSlM S. Hansa!! &Bons, $1,000; S. & J.
M. Flanagan, $1,000 ; ; A. J. Drexel, $1.000; John A. Brown,
$1,000; William Mann. $600; Miss Elia: P. Shields4,Boo-;
with thirteen subscriptions of prominent individuals,.
firms, and corporations, for $5OO each. A large number
of smaller sums make up the amount. Several sums
hive been received since the meeting. The total sub
scription 4rom Philadelphia, it is expected, will reach at
least one hundred thousand dollars.
We have it in our power, continued the
Doctor, to send forth an influence from this
meeting that shall be feft upon the hearts of
our soldiers, that' shall make them more of
men and heroes to face the difficulties and
dangers before them, and to do the great
work which God in his providence has called
them to do. Let the response be worthy of
these noble men and of the cause and coun
try they serve.
The meeting was now open for receiving
subscriptions. The most spirited and earnest.
exercises of the evening had .been reached.
As it was, growing late, the two distinguished
speakers, Bishop Simon, and •Dr. Smith, of
Philadelphia, who had been promised in the
programme, very properly yielded their set
addresses to the spontaneous expressions of
the hour from any who felt moved to add a.
;word or a subscription in behalf of the good
'cause. Under this course, which the meeting
unpremeditatedly took, from the promptings
of a benevolent : instinct and patriotic and
Christian impulse, now thoroughly aroused,
some of the most fervent and telling speeches
lido matte. . - We counted ten of these Short
appeals, each of which was estimated by the
Chairman, in his own inimitable way, at its
cash value. The utmost enthusiasm was ex
cited, and before the meeting was closed Mr.
Stuart had the pleasure to announce that the
full amount, fifty thousand dollars, had 'been
pledged. We shall give the outline of some
of these remarks; as showing the tenor of
them all.
The Blind Widow's ]bite.
In the first place, the Rev. Dr. Junkin
stood expectant for some minutes, exciting
the very dulcet ring of some silver pieces
which he held in his hand and watching his
opportunity, to offer them. The musical
sound catching Mr. 'Stuart's ear, the DoctOr
was called forth, and announced to the audi
ence as the father-in-law of the late Stonewall
Jackson.
He said I tbinlis I have in my hand the
largest contribution that will be given to
night. This afternoon I addressed a very
interesting congregation in the Widows'
Asylum of this city; a large family of very
venerable and beloved old ladies, many of
whom are instant in prayer and supplication
for ,the blessing of God upon the cause.
While I was addressing them a young' man
in regimentals came in, fresh from Fortress
Monroe. His grandmother was in a little
room in the rear of where I stood. She was
not aware of his presence. In the course of
my remarks I told the old ladies that there
was to be a glorious meeting in behalf of the
soldiers at Epiphany church to-night. After
I had done speaking I went into the little
room and saw the old grandmother •embrac
ing over and over again her boy. Are you
to go back, my son ? she asked. Yes ma'am,
in three days more. Her eyes filled, her
bosom heaved. I said to her, mother, you
will have to submit, he is serving God' and
his country, and you do well in giving up.
You may do more. Fifty years ago, when I
was .a student of theology,in the city of New
York, my beloved teacher, Dr. Mason, used
to say that one old woman that knew the
way to the throne of. GOd's grace could do
more to save the nation than twenty blas
pheming Generals. understand you,
sir," she said. I can pray. I will pray.
I will.". And the tears rolled down her
•venerable cheeks. But I passed on around
the circle of aged ones. I stopped in front
of a poor blind widow. She said to me do
you expect to attend the meeting to-night?
God permitting I do. Ah ! I• am blind, or
I would go, too. But will you please to give
this to the proper officers ? and. she handed
me these silver pieces, four half dollars, all
coined before the insurrection, the last dol
lar of it coined during the administration of
Pennsylvania's favored son ! (Laughter.)
You can do more than this. Yes; said she,
I do. My country has my prayers, This
then (handing the money to Bishop lan
vaine) is the poor old blind widow's mite.
It'is much in the Spirit of power with whin];
it•comes. Hall who are here were to give
proportionately as much, Mr. Chairman,
your fity thousand dollars would be doabled
before to-morrow's sun goes down. I told
the ladies that there would be a gloiious
meeting• at the Epiphany to-night, and I
have not been disappointed. But if the
lwily cause that has been here eo eloquently
pleaded shall, be worthily sustained, there
will be a glorious Epiphany for the army, a
glorious Epiphany for the whole land, and
a far more glorious Epiphany amid the
throngs of angels rejoicing over the thou
sands of souls converted unto God through
the truth dispensed by the United States
Christian Cqtumission.
A Valuable 'Life' Preseiveo.. '
One of the most striking testimonies to
to the work mad worth of the Commission,
'I is the case of.a young soldier of Dr. Shaw's
church, in Rochester, who was wounded in
i the lungs at the battle of %Gettysburg, and
left on the field to die. The surgeon declar_
ed his wound:to 'be fatal. ke was sought
-out by a delegate of the Clizistian Commis
.sion, tenderly .cared for, was restored to
health, and has since been elected a chap_
•lain of volunteers. This young chaplain,
,- thus snatched from the jaws of death, was
;present at the meeting, and delivered 'his
(short, simple and touching testimony, and
this heartfelt thanks to the friends of the in
tstitutiOn that, runder God, had been the
.means of saving:his life. He said.:
• " iiy case is only one of hundreds, 'I Cali
, tc.uly Say with gs'atitude to• God, that had it
, not been for the. Christian Commission's
agent I must havezierished on that field of
-battle;'and `I "can echo the:prayer that goes
up to- k night. 'from thougands of soldiers'
hearts throughout:the army, 'God bless the
;Christian Commission l' I anire4ly now,to
go forth to serve them in carrying on their
blessed work in .behalf of, others." '
Mr. ,Stuart here spoke of the work Of
.grace at Ringgold, 'Georgia, where within
two aniles of the rebel, ickets over one hun
:dred souls had in ten days enlisted under
the , banner of Jesus. A worker in another
station was so engaged in caring for souls
that although his eloqoAnt pleadings were
needed in our cities to ask for gold to carry
on the work of the Commission, yet it was
felt to'she wicked to draw him away - from the
religious interest in the , midst of which God
was blessing him so richly. Souls at i more
precious than gold.
A Surgeon's Testimony.
The Rev. Dr. Buddington, of Brooklyn,
. •
presented the following testimony from the
surgeon-in-chief of the artillery brigade of
the fifth corps. After the doctor had
preached to the Brooklyn 14th regiment in
the Episcopal' church at Culpepper, not two
weeks ago, this surgeon came to him and
said that from his personal observation he
wished to bear testimony to the indispensa
ble value of the Christian Commissicth in the
army. "If I had," said he, " money to any
amount, every dollar that I had to give to
the cause of Christ I would pay into the
treasury of the Christian Commission, and I
say this not from any knowledge of the offi
cers of the institution, but simply from my
knowledge and observation of its work in
my own brigade and throughout the army/
The speaker also stated the fact that Gen.
Burnside had invited an agent of the Chris
tian Commission to accompany his army to
do the holy work in the coming campaign ,
but that they were in instant need of two
thotkaand dollars to raise a
, horse and team
before this offer could be accepted.
Speech of Colonel Gregory.
Colonel Gregory, of the 91st Pennsylvania
volunteers, being called upon, responded
as follows :
I and certainly astonished, Mr. "Chairman,
that you should call for a candle when there
is so much light. I am happy, exceedingly
happy in this meeting to night, never in my
life more so. And I have reason to be. I
wish to say now that 'I know what Dr. Kirk
and the other gentlemen have related is true.
I have seen it, I have felt it. I know all
about the camp, how the soldier feels, hoW
he feels when he lies on his back on the
fields arid look 3 up to heaven, for I have lain
there. Ali, we have the true spirit here to
night. I thank God for it. It is just what
the soldier wants. He wants just such sym
pathy as has been , seen and expressed here
for him. He wants your money. He wants
your prayers. And he has them all, I see.
Our cause is' the cause of God. It is the
cause of truth. I can speak but little. Sol
diershavebufilittle to say, but they have a great 1 :
work to do. I feel to-night as many thou
sands perhaps in the land feel. My jewels
are in the front. My sons—all that. God has
given me are there. I know not what they
are doing to-night. But I trust in the living
God they are doing their duty to their
country. If they fall, let them go. God
has them. They are in his charge. He will
keep them.
My friends, this Christian Commission has
done a wonderful work in the army. P have
seen their zeal; their efficiency. I have seen
their labors result in good. I sent up are
quest from my brigade for a covering for a
chapel the day before I left. It came, and
now the chaplain has reported a number of
converted men there, and I bowed myself
before God in thanksgiving, that the Com
mission had covered our log tent and God
had come down from on high and given us
salvation.
The American Army is well supplied as
far as the body is concerned. Our noble
Government gives us all the food we want,
all the clothes we want, end every' comfort
in the hospitals it can reach. But there is a
mission for the Church of Christ ; it is to
give us the gospel. Do this and all will be
right. And to-night if Christians. in this
country -shall do their duty, and our armies
should go, forward to-morrow, - Gen. Grant
will complier. If the Lord is with him he
will conquer. If God is against us, and- we
have yet •to suffer more, we must bow our
selves still lower in the
,dust before our Maker. A wicked commanding general said
to me once, "We shall never triumph, Col.
Gregory, until We pray more." .1 believed
him. Though he was a profane man,- he
pointed out- our only trust, n where. all our.
help must come. If God shall be against
us because of our past iniquity, and our con
nection with the sin of the nation, our com
plicity and co-partnership with the cursed sys
tem of oppression, we may have-to suffer more.
If we are called upon to bear 'yet this, let us
get still lower loefore God, and do more for
the cause of Christ, in sending the gospel to
our, soldiers, and maintaining a purer Chris
tian Government, then all in the end will be
thank Goa no doubtbaS ever crossed
My mind as to the final result of t'hi's great
struggle for our *nation's life. We shall
triumph. • God: will give us victory. Only
let us do our duty.
I hope the fifty thousand 'dollars will be
raised. I myself,- brethren, 'have been: a
merohant. I know we . are prosperous in
this country, as no other country ever was
under such cireumstances God has given
us great prosperity. On this account I fear.
There is, I fear, More danger at home than
in front to day. • The extravagance and sel
fishness and vanity. at home may destroy us.
Our own wickedness may destroy us, .the
rebel army never can. Our principle in this
War is right. It is Inst. We are fighting the
battles of truth and of :liberty. • I should be
at the front to-night, but for the Secretary of
War who has. chained me down hereto take
case
: of the soldiers I - feel 'iiii r eaSy,.not be
1 - have all 'Sons tat; the) ':fiont; and
many ffi'ends there; but- becanie I l',eiel,Gcid
has called me to this service, and I want to
see no other service till we have conquered
and the nation is free and the world shall
send up a universal shout of " Glory to God
and Freedom to every living soul!"
A Neat Speech.
James Graham, Esq., a merchant of the
city, now rose and said: •
" I felt like responding to the speech of the
gentleman from Boston, Mr. Tobey. He
has given us evidence o the solidity of the
solid men of Boston,' of whom I have often
heard : but he has given us proof of the
better solidity of the Christian religion. In
response to his speech, and to that of Col.
Gregory, who has aiven'evicfence that he is a
true soldier and given
you may, Mr.
Chairman, double my subscription"—"which
was $l,OOO, before," reniarked Mr. Stuart.
• r- Closing Speeches.
The Bev. J. Wheaten Smith, D. D., now
made a short, happy speech, detailing some
of his intensely interesting experience of a
few days' labor in the army in behalf of the
Commission: He spoke in terms of peculiar
gratitude for the personalisenefits he had
received from the mission. He felt he had
been blessed as a minister of Christ. Such
audiences he had - never before Preached to,
such appreciation, such attention, such so
lemnity ! In eight days he had preached
eighteen times, and was not tired or hoarse.
At home he should have had the bronchitis
under such terrible hard usage; and his
people would have been. compelled to send
him on a voyage to Europe!
Others followed in hopeful, thankful, pa
triotic remarks. The hour was fast approach
ing half-past eleven. The audience did not
seem wearied, but patient and expectant to
the last. Dr. Kirk offered up from a full
heart a prayer, which breathed the desire of
every - Christian patriot. and which seemed
as if it must prevail with- the God of battles.
The doxology. " Praise God- from whom all.
blessings flow" was sung, the congregation
bowed to receive the benediction from the
venerable chairman, and then slowly retired.
.tirtrtistmtnts.
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