Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-03-24
Charley Chapin's Testament.

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Cavalry Co., or home Guards, was form
ed iu Wlliston, half in sport, half for the
sake of the drill A member Of Williams
College, passing his vacation there, was
chosen chaplain of the Company. A
gentleman from New York connected
with the city Bible Society, sent bundle
of Testaments to distribute among its
members. One Sabbath afternoon, they
were presented, with an address, by the
Chaplain upon "The Christian Soldier"
One of those testaments lies before
me now, worn, battered, volume. On
the fy' leaf, opposite the imprinted Stars
and Stripes, is the inscription, in the
Chaplain's handwriting, "Willston, Cav.
Co. Sept. 1851" and beneath it, in pencil,
the name Of Charles B. Chaplin. Charles
B. Chaplin enlisted in the summer Of
1862, in Co. L. of the 1st VI. Cavalry,
and the little testament went into his
knapsack 1t shared the fortunes Of the
regiment, marched and countermarched
over all Virginia, from Harper's Ferry
to Petersburg, rode within the defsnses
of Richmond under the dashing lead Of
Fitzpatrick, and on the 9th day of May,
last, fell into the hands of the enemy
Meanwhile its owner had been learning
its value. During those busy campaigns,
in which he had proved himself one of
the best of soldiers, cool, courageous, and
capable of great endurance, there had
sprung up in his heart a new life. He
could never trace its history or fix its
date, yet said he, u could not 60 into
action without committing myself to God
in silent prayer, and presently / came to
feel that my prayers were answered. -
He knew not when, but he had learned
the secre; of faith in God. The broken
communication between his soul and its
Author was restored.
And so the little testament became a
priceless treasure to him in the long days
at Andersonvile. When he was captured,
by rebel in our uniform, his watch was
taken from him, his money and even his
knife, but the testament and a memorand-
um book he was permitted to retain
Together these volumes tell the tale of
prison life, giving hints and brief sug-
gestions of sufferings which could not be
fully told, and of joys, which even that
life of horror could not wholly darken.-
The diary paints the dark side Of the
picture, a sentence here and there, bring
ing out vividly, the indescribable filth
and wretcbedness of the prison, the in
tolerable heat, the ever Increasing insult
icieney Of rations, the progress of disease,
the sinking of heart as hope gave away
to despair, and wrung out the groan, 80
God, viii there never be an exchanged? p
The well-worn testament tells all we
know of the inner life during those
terrible months. There is heart history
in the marking of passages here and
there through the volume. A large
class of them were evidently made forcible
by the surroundings and experiences OF
prison life, for example, Christs dis
course upon the living bread in John
vi; many of Paul's illusions to his
unjust Imprisonment and the martyrdom
Of Stephen. Others struck a deeper
chord, as Christ's prayer for his disciples,
after the assurance "In this world ye
shall have tribulaiion;" the closing pas
age of Romans 5, commencing, "Who
shall separate US from the love>of Christ ?
Shall lribulalion, or distress, or perse-
cution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword p Peters injunction "Think it
not strange concerning the fiery trial
which is TO try you; and Paul's triumph
ant utterance 20 Timothy from out the
old Mamerline dungeon at Rome, 81 am
now ready to be offered, and the time of
my departure is at hand, I have fought
good fight, l have finished my course, |
have kept the faith henceforth there is
laid up for me crown Of righteousness"
With what interest do his friends find his
mark upon Phil. l 1921, and read,
"But | would that ye should understand
brethren, that the things, which happen
ed unto me, have fallen out rather unto
the furtherance of the gospel
for / know that this shall turn to my
salvation, through your prayers"
After reading such entries in bis journal
as these; "Cannot get half enouge to
eat,'--"Yery, very. hot,"-"Do not draw
hardly any rations, ,"-"Had no blanket,
SO lay in the dirt" poor
"Washed pair of drawers, for the first
time in two months, there is some
thing inexpressibly touching in finding
his mark upou such n massage as this