The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-02
Confession and Death Of an Army
Chaplain.

NJ. NJ POmeToy, the able editor of
the La Cross (Wis) Democrat, gives
the following death bed scene, which
he WAS called 10 visit in his recent visit
10 Chicago:
The Rev. Henry Clannard, an ex
army chaplain, who left off expound-
ing Bible and recruiting for the savior,
and by endorsing the niger and abo-
litionists became an army chaplain in
one of the Wisconsin regiments passed
from life 10 a home beyond a blessed
Immortality, the other day, and thus
shutiled Of his mortal coil.
A physician had called on him two
or three times day for a month, doc
toring him for an ague brought on
while stealing cotton IN Arkansas while
with Gen. Curtis On learning that
the ex minister and ex-chaplain would
hardly live the night out, we called
with the physician.
In little wooden looking room not
over twelve feet square, in an obscure
boarding house in Chicago we found
the invalid. The room was bare OF
furniture except a poor bed, little
dirty washstand, two wood bottom
chairs, an old trunk, a pine table, on
which was spread a newspaper on
which lay an cid bible, pair of old
shutters, some pill boxes and such
stuff The dying man was propped up
in bed while q faithful negro woman
sat on the foot of the bed AS we en-
tered, he rallied little and asked the
doctor who he had brought with him
On being told that it was Brick
Pomeroy, he sank back, closed his eyes
rallied little and said Perhaps it
is as we'll. He might as well know it
as any one.
And he proceeded to make his dying
statement, which was in these words,
"a we took them down in our memo
randum book as the physician request
ed
Ny name is Henry Clannard ! am
forty one years old. ] am a Methodist
ministerial least / was one was
once happy and contented, and loved
Christ, my Master, with all the zeal
Christian ever had At last grew cold
in religion, selfish and envious of the
good fortunes Of others. ] wanted to
make money and have some fun.
had no particular education, so /
thought would be a Republican poll
ticisn. began by preaching politics
from the pulpit, and praying for the
negro. II paid me IN money, but | lost
influence at the throne of Grace. But
| did not care for that, if | could
only have influence with the Republi
can party. l forgot Christ and became
interested in the negro l had infu-
ence with few members of my
church, and talked politics to them. l |
was paid by Office seekers to influence |
Christians. Sometimes | have made as |
high as fifteen dollars at an election |
for my influence with Christians
At last / four d politics paid better
than religion, and ! worked for the |
chaplaincy of regiment and got it. |
Then let religion 60 and went to war. |
There | wrote letters home denouncing |
Democrats as copperheads. And l stole |
cotton, and silver ware, and pictures, |
and books, and dresses for my wife /
and sisters, and horses and mules for /
my brothers and piano for the Gov
ernor who gave me my commission
and gold watch for my captain, and
lot of household furniture TO send to
my colonel And | robbed the soldiers
of Jelly and such stuff sent down to
them to use while in hospital, and /
had my share of goods stolen from
Sanitary fairs, and made lots of money.
Please give me little piece of that
pounded ice
The physician gave it TO him, when
he continued:
"But I was not happy. I drank
whisky with the boys when away from
home, and INDUCED in some excuses
not worth mentioning, and laid UP
quite pile of money. And was taken
while out stealing cotton from planta-
ton where q widow lady lived. ! had
cOaxed her negroes to run away, and
they are all dead now. When the war
was ended came home to Wisconsin,
and could not stay there. So came
70 Chicago. And l grew sick And
have got to die 1 have called on
Christ have prayed 20 God, but
somehow l cannot get relief for my
soul The door of mercy seemed shut
against me, forsOok religion for poll
tics, and now God has forsaken me l
pray 10 my Saviour, but he don't hesr
me. i talk to this faithful negro wo-
man-she says yes, masss r. and that
is all l can get out of her | know
can't live long feel that l am dying.
feel eertsin that | am going to hell.
Please give me little piece more Of
ice before | go. l want these things
written down, as q warning to others
who forget Christ for politics. ! feel
that the negro can't save-that Christ
won't save me. Twas unfaithful to my
religion and am forgotten l was faith
full TO the negro but alas, the negro
cant help me where ! want help-he
can't ease my guilty soul am going
10 hell, and J know it ! expect 10
meet many persons there who forgot
religion for politics. ] do not expect
70 see you again in this world or the
next, but ] want this confession print
ed. Please-give-me- a-small-
smsll-piece-Of-- r.
And thus died the Rev. Henry Clan