The tri-weekly standard., 1866-05-05
Miscellaneous Selections.
Confession and Death of an Army Chaplain.

La Cross (Wis) Democrat, gives the
following death-bed scene, which he
was called to visit in his recent visit to
Chicago:
The Rev. Henry Clannard, an ex-ar-
my chaplain who left off eNpounding
the Bible and recruiting for the Saviour,
and by indorsing the nigger and aboli-
tioDists became an army chaplain in one
of the Wisconsin regiments, passed
from life to home beyond blessed
Immortality, the other day, and thus
shuffied off this 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
boarding house in Chicago we found
! the invalid. The room was bare Of fur
niture except poor bed, a little dirty
washstand, two wood-bottom chairs, ain
old trunk, pine table, on which was
spread a newspaper on which lay an old
Bible, pair of old snutfers, some pill
boxes and such stuff. The dying man
was propped up in bed, while a faithful
negro woman sat on the foot OF the
bed. AS we entered, he rallied little,
asked the doctor who he had brought
with him. On being told that it was
Brick Pomeroy, he sank back, closed
his eyes-rallied a little and said =
| q ID l. =
we'll know it as any one"
And he proceeded to make his dying
statement, which was in these words,
as we took them in our memorandum
book as the physician requested:
My name Is Henry Clannard; l am
forty-one years old. l am Il Methodist
minister at least [ was one. was
once happy and contented, and loved
Christ, my Master, with all the zeal a
Christian ever had. At last l grew cold
in religion, selfish and envious of the
good fortunes of others. | wanted to
make money and to have some fun. /
had no particular education, so thought
| would be Republican politician. |
began by preaching politics from the
pulpit, and praying for the negro. 1t
paid me in money, but lost influence at
the Throne Of Grace. But | did not
care for that, if I could only have intiu-
ence with the Republican party. l for
got Christ and became interested in the
negro. had influence with a few mem
| bers 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 Chris
tians.
At last found politics paid better
than religion, and worked for the chap
laincy of a regiment and got it. Then
[ let religion 90 and went to war;
There L wrote letters home denouncing
Democrats as copperheads. Aud L stole
cotton, and silver ware, ant. pictures,
and books, and dresses for my wife and
sisters, and horses and mules for my
brothers, and piano for the Governor
who gave me my commission, and q
gold watch for my captain, and lot of
household furniture to send 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 the 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 l was not happy. [ drank
whiskey with the boys when away from
home, and induIged in some excesses
not worth mentioning, and laid up quite
a pile of money. And | was taken sick
while out stealing cotton from planta-
ton where a widow lady lived. l had
coaxed her niggers to run away, and
| they are all dead now. When the war
was ended l came home to Wisconsin,
but could not stay there. So L came to
Chicago. And l grew sick. And 1
have got to die. have called on Christ
i haye prayed to God, but somehow
/ cannot get relief for my soul. The
door Of mercy seems shut against me.
[ forsook religion for politics, and now
God has forsaken me. [ pray to my
Saviour, but he don't hear me. talk
to this faithful negro woman-she says,
C Y es, massa 20 and that is all | can get
out Of her. / know l can't live long.
[ feel that [ am dying. | feel certain
that [ am going to hell. Please give
me little piece more Of ice before |
go. | want these things written down
as Il warming to others who forget
Christ for politics. 1 feel that the se-
gro can't save-that Christ won't save
me. | was unfaithful to my religion
and am forgotten. Twas faithful to the
negro; but, alas the negro can't help
me where [ want help; he can't ease
my guilty soul. l am going to hell,
and know it. 1 expect to meet many
persons there who forgot religion for
politics. | do not expect to see you
again in this world or the next, but
want this confession printed. Please
give-me-a- -small-small- piece-of
! -of-of-of-ice!" !"
And thus died the Rev. Henry Clan
nard!
More than half the British House Of
Commons is composed Of University
men. One hundred and ffty-six are
graduates of Oxford, and one hundred
and thirteen of Cambridge. Christ
Church has the largest number from
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