Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-07-17
Christianity in the Army-Leoture
by General HoWard-lnteresting
"Reminiscences of War and Distin-
guished Soldiers

"reminiscences OF w ar ana uIstln-
guished Soldiers
The Detroit Tribune of Tuesday says:
Last evening, Major-GeueFaI o. o.
Howard delivered a lecture at Young
Mems Hall touching his experience of
Christianity in the army, for the benefit
of the Young Mems Christian AssOcia-
ton at Washington and the Westmin-
lister Church of this city. He said, from
his experience of Christianity in the
army, he was wen aware that such
themes might be deemed somewhat
personal to the lecturer, and that in
presenting incidents of Christian eXpe-
rience publicly the speaker always in
Cured some danger of bunting his
sensibilities and diminishing their wall
ne and keen enjoyment to himself; yet
in such cause they might not be with
held.
"General Howard said that he enter
ed West Point as a cadet in 1850, where
among his comrades profanity was
quite common, and ridicule of religion
and those protesting religion the rule.
Yet there were preseIs. few Christian
cadets, whose society and companions
ship he involuntarily sought Among
them was the future General McPher-
son. who died so lamented July q, '64,
near Atlanta also, General Joshua
Sill, who was killed while galluntly
fighting at Stone River. Both men
were at the time distinguished by that
same ability and honor which aiter-
ward made their lives SO useful and
glorious. General Howard trusted and
believed that the condition of things at
West Point in regard 20 the mOral
standing OF the young cadets had been
greatly changed since that time, and
WAS now materially improved.
"His first stat.uIt ia the army was a
1ittle arsenal at WaterVtrer, wnere he
a
from and the ruin caused by the love Of
Strong drink, and there met an officer
who afterwards fell fighting for the
rebellion, for whose wife and children,
as we'll as for the families of many
soldiers who left these unfoTtunates,
guiItless to blame themselves, General
Howard made an eloquent appeal. His
fourth station was in Florida, at the
little town of Tampa, whittier he was
ordered December Is, 1856. AT the time
of his arrival there he was not Chris
tian, but experienced the truth and
power of Christianity very soon alter
wards. The only church in existence
there was of the Methodist denOmina-
tion, the pastor of which was al. ener-
getic, powerful mau, but somewhat
rude, whom, however, the General soon
learned to love. He became a cO-wOrk-
er with this gentleman, Mr.. Lyman, at
ter his conversion and they labored
among the Florida volunteers, whose
sins were chiefely drunkenness and gam
bling. One of the gentlemen TO whom
he became most attached was Colonel
LOOmis, of the regular army, whose
character as a Christian and gentle
men General Howard highly commend--
ed. ~.
"From Florida he returned to West
Point, where he remained as an instruo-
tor during the years immediately pend
ing the war, and sought to introduce
religion and Christian life into the
school. Prayer meetings were estab-
tablished, young men attended them,
who have since generally become emil.
nent, and though the results were not
outWardly so great as he desired, yet.
he can now see Gods hard in his course
training him and others for the trial
that was SO swiftly approaching. One
Of the attendants at these prayer meet
ings was General e. Kirby, at whose
dying bed he afterwards stood anoth-
er, General w. q. HarkeT, who was
killed at the assault on KenesaW Noun
tain. Both We're Christian gentleman,
who lived heroic lives and died gallant,
honorable deaths.
"Previous to the commencement ofthe
war General Howard had seriously con-
sidered the propriety of entering the
ministry, but at the breaking out of
this conflict he determined thai his du-
ty led him to the field, and there, DUR
ing all the positions which he had, from
that of colonel to that of InaiOr-g'emeral,
he always maintained religious Services
at his headquarters and sought the sal
Yation of his men. During the Georgia
campaign he was acquainted with
many noble Christian officers interest
ed in the same great work, among
them General Ransom, who killed
himself by marching at the head Of his
corps in pursuit of Hood when he
should have been lying in a hospital
Lieutenant-Colonel H. NJ. Stinson and
others. In this portion of his lecture,
General Howard depicted the feeling
ofcgn experienced when about to engage
in a serious action. He himself, he
said, had often experienced great de-
preston, almost for the moment par
alyzing the mind and body, but prayer
to God invariably maintained his cOur-
age and equanimity, and with the crash
of battle his spirits rose to buoyaney,
and even sometimes to a feeling akin TO
gaiety, when the occasion demands the
exercise of every faculty and no oppor-
tunity was left for reflections on SELF
In times of great danger, too, he had
always found Christian men the truest
and most reliable.
'tIn concluding he stated that be be-
HeVed that the army had effected two
great results in this country, the break
ing the bonds of oppression and the
securing universal liberty throughout
the land. Therefore he besOught the
people never to forget that army, but
to strive to make it a body of Christian
officers and men, and a glory and orna-
~