Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-02-10
LETTER FROM REV. +. BUSHNELL.

MEADE STATION, VA, Jan. 90 1865.
EDITOR JoURNAL:-I have almost fergotter
what wrote in my last but have thought
you might be interested in a more minute des.
cription OF our chapel. 1 am located al
the qealters of the Christian Commission
for the 9Th Corps. Within the limits oi
this corps there are eight or ten chapels, some
of them yet unfinished. Most of them have
been built by particular regiments of soldiers
| for their own use. Then we have one at our
station designed for general use: Each chanel
is covered with "fy," or canvass covering
| furnished by the Christian Commission. This
covering of course admits light, and so there is
no need of windows All that is necessary in
constructing chapel is 10 erect walls, and a
sufficient number of rafters to support the can
vass. Then the canvass is stretched over. and
the chapel is enclosed. Some of them are seat
ed with logs and some with boards The chap
ell of the 2O6th Pa. regiment was built with on
ly six pounds Off nails.
Our chapel is forty-three by twenty three
feet built in the following manner. A trench
was dug about two feet deep. In this were set
up logs about ten inches through, split in two
and hewed on the split side,-a regular stock
ade. The interstices are filed with the asacred
soil'' of Virginia, which in these parts is abund
ant, and in rainy weather becomes mud of won
derful depth. The stockade is about eight feet
high. The gable ends are built of poles, and the
fly drawn over the whole. At the entrance is
a vestibule about six feet by Seven, surmount-
ed by what would be belfy if we only had
the bell that some people might send us to hang
in it. Above this is spire about fifteen feet
high. Both belfry and spire are built of pine
poles four or five inches through fitted togeth-
er in forms both substantial and tasteful. In
ternally the gable end over the pulpit is covered
with white muslin decorated with the eorps
badge and the motto "God is love- wrought in
evergreen. The other gable end is entirely COW
cred with pine, cedar and holly boughs worked
together very beautifully The walls at the
side are crowned with an evergreen cornice and
the rafters are trimmed with the same, and
wreaths of pine and ceder and holly hang from
the ridge-pole. Between this are rods entwined
with evergreen from which hang lamps with
which the chapel is lighted in the evening.
The pulpit is very pretty specimen of
rustic work, made entirely of pine poles and |
rods. 1t is the work of a member of the 18th |
N. Y. battery. The pulpit chair was made by |
a delegate OF the Christian Commission, aged |
sixty years. Like the pulpit it is piece of |
rustic work.
The chapel has floor and seats of boards, and |
the best of it is that is filed full every evening
at religious worship.
This chapel was built under the superintend-
snce of Thomas Charters, Esq, of Brooklyn, L.
l., agent of the Christian Commission for this
,orps. 1t attractsa great deal of attention on
account of its tastefulness. About it are the
ents of the members of the Commission-all
'urrouded by a fence of pine boughs.
But the work of delegates of the Commission
Toes not lie wholly in the chapel We 60 into
he tents and huts and bomb-proofs where the
soldiers live into the forts, batteries and trench
IS, where the rebel bullets whistle over our
reads, and the shells occasionally drop down.
We hear all sorts of rumors here just as you
10 at home, and we know just about as little
bout their reliability as you do. So will not
undertake to enlighten you in that direction.-
t is generally very quiet along the lines. Yes
erday however there was spirited artillery
Iuel on the right. Part of the time watched
t from hill about mile distant, where could
ee the shells burst and hear the balls whistle
trough the air. These duels do not amountto
nything, and might as well be dispensed with.
The soldiers think the war will not last long.
ut probably they are poor judges. This morn
ng the mercury stood at l4o. 1t has been
ute cold for "a number of days. Hope it may
e warmer soon.