Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-08-08
Christianity I'm the Army.
The Detroit Tribune of Tuesday says:

Inc Detroit IrtOune oil uesuay says:
Last evening Major General o. o. How
ard delivered lecture at Young Mems Hall
touching his experience of Christianity in
the army, for the benefit of the Young Mems
Christian Association at Washington and
the Westminster Church of this city. He
said, from his experience of Christianity in
the army, he was well aware that such
themes might be deemed somewhat personal
to the lecturer, and that in presenting in
cidents of Christian experience publicly the
speaker always incurred some danger of
bunting his sensibilities and diminishing
their value and keen enjoyment to himself
yet in such cause they might not be with.
held.
General Howard said that he entered
West Point as q cadet in 1850, where among
his comrades profanity was quite common,
and ridicule of religion and those protesting
religion the rule. Yet there were present
few Christian cadets, whose society and
companionship he invountarily sought.
Among them was the future General Nc
Pherson, who died 30 lamented July %,
1854, near Atlanta also, General Joshua
Sill, who was killed while gallantly fighting
at Stone River. Both men were at that
time distinguished by that same ability and
honor which afterward made their lives so
useful and glorious. General Howard trust
ed and believed that the condition of things
at West Point in regard to the moral stand
ing of the young cadets hae been greatly
changed since that time, and was now ma
terially improved.
"His first station in the army was a little
arsenal at Watervliet, where he saw sadden-
! ing evidences of the danger from and the
ruin caused by the love of strong drink,
and there he met an ofiicerwh afterwards
fell fighting for the rebellion, for whose wife
and children, as well as for the families
| of many soldiers who left these untortunates
guiltlcss of blame themselves, General How
ard made an eloquent appeal. His fourth
station was in Florida, at the little town
of Tampa, whittier he was ordered December
| 49, 1856. At the time of his arrival there
| he was not Christian, but experienced the
! truth and power of Christianity very soon
afterwards. The only church in existence
there was of the Methodist denomination
the pastor of which was an energetic, power
full man, but somewhat rude, whom, however
the General soon learned to love. He became
CO worker with this gentleman, Mr. Lyman,
after his conversion; and they !abored
among the Florida volunteers, whose sins
were chiefly drunkenness and gambling
| One of the gentlemen to whom he became
most attached was Colonel Loomis, of the
regular army, whose character as a Christian
and gentleman General Howard highly
| commended.
"From Florida he returned to West Point,
! where he remained as an instructor during
the years Immediately pending the war, and
sought to introduce religion and Christian
lite into the school. Prayer meetings were
established, young men attended them, who
have since generally become eminent, and
| though the results were not outwardly so
great as he desired, yet hc can now see Gods
hand in his course, training him and Others
for the trial that was so swiftly approach
ing. One Of the attendants at these prayer
meetings was General L. Kirby, at whose
! dying bed lie after wards stood another,
! General w. G. ITarker, who was killed at
the assault on Kenesaw Mountain. Both
were Christian gentlemen, who lived heroic
| lives and died gallant honorable deaths.
"Previous to the commencement of the
war, General Howard had seriously consider
ed the prcrriety of entering the ministry,
but at the breaking out of this conflict he
determined that his duty led him to the
field, and there, during all the positions
which he had, from that of colonel to that
| of major. general, he always maintained
| religious services at his headquarters and
| sought the salvation of his men. During
the Georgia campaign he was acquainted
with many noble Christian officers interested
! in the same great work, among them Gen.
| Ransom who killed himself by marching at
the head of his corps in pursuit of Hood
when he should have been lying in an hos
| pital; Lieut.. Col. II. NJ. Stinson and others.
In this portion of his lecture, Gen. Howard
depicted the feelings often experienced
when about to engage in a serious action
He himself he said, had often experienced
a great depression, which almost for the
moment paralyzed the mind and body, but
prayer to God invariably maintained his
courage and equanimity, and with the crash
of battle his spirits rose to buoyancy, and
even sometimes to feeling akin to gaiety
when the occasion demands the exercise OF
every faculty and no opportunity was left
for reflections on self. In times of great
danger, too, lie said that he had always
found Christian men truest and most relia
bic.
"In concluding, he stated that he believed
that the army had effected two great results
in this country, the breaking the bonds oi
oppression and the securing universal liberty
throughout the land. Therefore he besought
the people never to forget that army, but tc
strive to make it body of Christian officers
aud men, and glory and ornament of the
nation"