The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-10-09
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.



To the Editors Of the Independent:
send some things that | have seen and
known during three months experience as.
chaplain OF an army hospital.
The questions that are often asked, OF what
use are chaplains in hospital? what are their
duties !? how much time is devoted to the work
could not the same labor be performed by vol
unteer servants? will all be answered by the
simple statement of facts. Whether the Of
flee be efficiently filed, or whether its duties
be truly interpreted, depends, of course, upon
the individual; but one thing is certain, that
never was there sphere Of greater usefulness
and more varied opportunity than that of the
army or hospital chaplain. There have been
inefficient, lazy, and unworthy chaplains dur
ing this war, as there have been generals and
officers incompetent TO command, but let not
the whole corps be judged by few or !
many; let each be known by his fruits.
Here have parish of SICK and wounded,
and convalcscent men, gathered from all ma
tions and states, and comprising all the differ
ent forms of religious belief Young men of
eighteen and old men of sixty, and those of
every intermediate age. are here. Some are
religious and some are irrelgious. Some have
reached the highest places ofrespectability and
trust, and others are poor and ignorant
Here, as elsewhere, pearls are cast before
swine, and good seed falls upon stony ground.
Among the six hundred, l have found only
three who can not read or write.
am furnished with what is indispensable to
the usefulness of every chaplain-a room, in
central and convenient part of the building,
which is my headquarters. In the middle of it
stands large round table, with writing mate
rials, not only for myself but for others. Pa
per and envelopes and postage stamps are in
great demand. No sooner do enter my room
in the morning than | am followed by men
having various questions and wants to be sup
piled. This one wishes me to write to the
captain of his company for his descriptive list,
without which he cannot receive his pay and
which, by recent law, he cannot apply for for
himself That one wants me TO write to his
wife, or mother, or father, or friend. Others
want to write themselves at my table.
Against one side of the room stands book
case, the contents of which are constantly 60
ing from ward to ward. There is a variety of
taste here to comprehend every description of
book or magazine, from Wild Woods Stories
and Sea Adventures to the Atlantic Monthly
and BtdckWood and works on Geology and
Chemistry. A most proselike looking man as
tonishes you with the demand for poetry, and
those who would be thought by outward ap-
pearance to be quite illterate, surprise You
with their familiarity with books and authors.
The generosity of my friends ia New England
has supplied me some new books, but, TO my
astonishment, these have already been heard
of by many of the men, and the criticisms that
are often passed upon them are clever, instruc-
tive, and amusing. Anthony Trollope is dis
cussed by a bright German, commended here
and set down there. The "Golden Hour finds
admirers the "Pearl of Orr's Island" is relish
ed by appreciative minds, while one man, who
is lover of piratica and murderous tales, said
that he liked something more romantic than
that! This charming book, by the way, found
one reader from Maine who was familiar with
the scenery and the actors, aud he said .he
would lay wager that some of those folks
lived, and he knew them" What will Mrs.
Stowe say to that
Against the opposite walls stand shelves
filled with things sent me by the same New
England friends, clothing of all sorts, articles
OF toilet use, wines, preserves, jelIies, and del
icacies of every description. These are dis
trlbuted as they are most wanted. by my own
hands, or by the matrons and nurses. Beside
this my room is the retreat sometimes of the
mothers and wives who come to watch over
their sick and wounded. Twice have had
the funeral service here, in private, with only
kindred mourners. The first instance was
the funeral of DIR. Charles Z. Halsey, assistant
surgeon Of the 40th tMozartl regiment of New
York Volunteers, who died at this hospital on
the Both of July, of typhoid fever, contracted
upon the Peninsula. This man excited great
iuicftcl at ODCt Ill all VINO attflucQ nm. lOr
we felt that he had come here TO die. There
was a gentleness, refinement, and sweetness
in his whole aspect and manner, and we were
not surprised TO learn that Ire had acted brave
ly, and had stood at his post when friends be-
sought him to seek rest A widowed sister
who was deeply acquainted with sorrow, and
a faithful nurse, were his constant attendants
and the whole air of his sick room was that of
tenderest love, and deepest pain at the thought
Of L. Il. a..
weaker, and only brief moments of conscious
ness came TO his mind, until the spirit went
out A little group of sympathizing friends
came TO my room, and the sister, sitting alone
by the cherished body, touched our hearts by
her silent grief, as we prayed together. /
have just read an extract from letter 10 his
sister, written before the expected battle at
Yorktown, in which he thus bravey reveals
the nobility of his heart: "If the path TO glo-
ry leads us TO the grave, let us die at our post,
and never finch while duty calls though the
leaden hail fall thick and fast" No wonder
that she loved and clung to such a brother
The other instance was that of Capt. Sam
uel j. Thompson, of Woburn, Mass whose
wife came to spend, Unexpectedly, the last days
with him. Listening TO the call of his coun-
try, he left behind him fourishing business,
large family Of children, and beautiful
home, all Tor the sake of principle. "What
will become of our army If we all stay at
home who can make good excuses ?' he said
This is the cause that have been sustaining
with my voice and my VOTE and now | will
give my life for it," And he did give it, cheer
fully and heroically. He was wounded in bat
tie, and soon after brought to this hospital,
where his leg was amputated, but that could
not save his life, and he died without mur-
mur.
In recording these incidents of hospital life,
II ...rs .
interest of such place will center in certain
men and their experiences. But there are also
experiences here Of that sacred and contiden-
tial nature that could be revealed only thro'
the veil of ilnpersonality. will mention some
of them at another time Independent