The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1863-07-15

foh lhE LANCASTER LEDG Err.
TO the People Of my Pastoral Charge.
Camp 9TH s. G.. Regt., two miles Eas. of
Petersburg, Va. June ~, 1863.
There isa number Of persons among you,
with whom II would be my delight to core
spond, but the unsettled condition of this
Regt., has thus far made such correspon.
dence almost impossible. For the present
therefore, and perhaps in the future, will
have to write to you all through the Ledger,
hoping that each member Of my charge will
take this letter as a personal one and that
many Of you will respond. | entered on
duty in this Regiment on the 18th of Nav,
and for the next s or 6 weeks the Regiment
was IN camp only about 6 days found
il in line Of battle when came-brisk skir.
mishipg with the Yankees eusued. resulting
In the loss of 4 or 3 lives and one arm in
The Brigade, but not in this Regiment. The
Yankee loss, according to their own state.
ment was about In killed and wounded
About week later, wo were In line Of bat.
tls again, some 40 miles from camp, but
nothing came Of it. This Regiment then
went to Murfressboro' N. C.-thence back
TO observation-disclosures by Rail to Peters.
burg-bsck 10 Blackwster, and thence back
to Petersburg again, near which place we
are now encsmped.
This Brigade has Regimsnts-five of
these have Chaplains. Two Of our number
are BsPhst ministors-ths rest Prssbyte.
rians. A Methodist minister has been rs.
commended for tho vacant Regiment. We
have . Chsplsin's Association, which meets
when not prevented, every "Wednesday
evening at 4 o'clock. At these meeting,
We usually have three prayers, and each
Chaplain makes . weekly report of the Ger.
vicss held, and Of the state Of Religion in
bis Regiment. This Regiment seemed to
DO very anxious to have Chaplain. They
have had very few religious services Of any
kind since their organization. 7 have preach
Cd on two Sabbaths at our Bivouac-only
on one Sabbath in Camp. For the last 3
Sabbaths We have been on The march. AT
each sermon, except ones on . week night,
the congregation has numbered between
three and four hundred. We have Rspi
mental prayer (with singing. or reading Of
the Scripture--sometimes with comment
every night, whether 10 camp or on the
march, unless prevented by circumstance.
On Sunday morning At 8 o'clock tho Buple
sounds the church call to indicate that the
Sabbath has come, and 10 Bile the Reg.
iment Tor morning prayer. Then we try TO
have service early 10 the morning and late
In the afternoon, so ss to avoid the sun,
q few weeks sincs, notice was given that
aftsr preaching on Sabbath, the protesting
Christians would be requested TO come for.
ward and enrol their names. Seventy-six
responded TO tho eall--]O of them being
BaPtista-ths rost divided between the
Msshodist, Presbyterian. Associate Reform.
Cd and Lutheran Churches. The Other
Chaplains Of the Brigade reported from l27
70 200 rnsmbers-but all OF these (excspt
one, psEhspsJ got names by asking in the
different mssses who were church members
whilst here the protesting ch ristiaps were
asksd to come forward themselves befor,
she Regiment, and enrol their own Names
this may 10 some extent account for ths
d'nersnes. There arc also few more who
were absent at the time, whose names will
yes bs given 10. ! found 10 the Regiment
Ito men who bad neither Bible nor Tssts.
msnt--msny H them had lost their copies
at Hospitals, or on the march. A colIsction
wa then taken up for the purchass of Re.
Hgieus reading, which amounted TO soout
$50. With this sum Va havs bought Biblss
and Tsstsrnsnts, 400 Camp Hymn Books,
some Tracts, and have subscribed for six
different religious papers. The privates
gavs 81 each--as q general thisg-s few
gave more, even - high a. $40, and few
less. The officers gave o6 ssA SlO.-
There IL vast amount Of wicbsdnsss, Of
almost oil sorts 10 the army, bot no more
perhaps than the sams number Of human,
hsarA would bring forth in other plscss.-