Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-10-01
Choice @sisfellaHg.
ES4t. Ju.s Etks Hin

The following incident, illustrating
the true manliHess of q Christian soldier
.he power of right early training. the
constant solicitude OF friends al home,
and the way in which he Christian
Commission was,lIDtl UnfreGuentiy. the
direct channel OF good R5ws has Seen
preserved by aa agent oi Iaet On aiiS-ig5,-
who was:for shasi ttale on dUJE
Vieksbufg- t4 SO
The night scenes We're some 4il.ss
grand inSeeti; shells ufSesfaTss=fs i..-s
the land batteries tTsocea tiieir n'-. -tl'.Is
fiery paths nigh into the ar .."Ovr l..c
beleaguered- city, and meeting tueIe lie
missiles ascending on the same ef4sl,s.
from Commodore PorteE,s Iieeli csoss-u
them in brilliant curves, making tae
beholder almost iorgetiul o the mission
on which the monsters were sent On
one of these brilliant nights, I came up
ON a regimental prayer meeting, uuoer
a bluff Within short mucket. range of the
ehenly,s works. Whenever there was
discharge from our batteries, the rebel
sharpshooters along their lines would
reply by shower of minnie balls, which
cut the leaves over our heads, and oc-
casionally glanced down to the ground
at our feet. By order of the Brigade
commander, to prevent drawing the
attention, and perhaps the fire of the
.,enemy the hymns were sung in low
muffied voice, but loud enough to''make
melody in our hearts," The meeting
was led by one of the Captains of the
regiment. There was something genuine
and manly in the piety of the leader,
which seemed to win the affection and
attention of the soldiers. was so much
struck with it thatI could not forbear
l.. aSy,4o IN
ton, meeting him the the next day, We
walked over to the Colonel's tent.
AS the custom was, we were court
eously offered drink from the ubiquit-
Gus bottle. As the single glass passed
round the circle, nearing me every
moment, / questioned in my own mind
what tefhasI should use in declining /:
but was yet more interested to see
what course my Christian Captain would
take. When the Colonel called upon
him, he declined was invited again and
again declined and the third time did
it SO decidedly, and yet respectfully, as
not to give offense, nor to be further
importuned. I said to him .afterward: /:
"Captaip, ,,do you always do that ?b
"Yes," said he.
do you mean that you have never
taken any intoxicating iquor?p Fad
es, just tnat.
"What, not even to correct this
Yazoo water ?"
Never" "a ,ae4
"You must have belonged to the cold
water army in your boyhood?"
'sKes, but learned something better
than that my mother taught me this
one thingl'what is right, is right, and
coming to Mississippi don't make any
difference, 1t wouldnot be right for me
to accept an invitation to drink at home;
don't believe it's right here-therefore
1 don't drink 80
A few weeks afferward, passing up the
Mississippi river. 1 addressed sabbath
evening congregation. After the service,
a lady: came to. inquire about her boy
''foolishlyn she said, for it was not likely
that in an army of 4O, 600 men Ihad seen
her boy but still she wanted to ask me
if 1 had met him. She told me Of her
anxiety for his welfare-how she feared
that the bad influences of the camp
would lead him astray.
"He promised me that he would do
well,u said she, "and I've no reason TO
think he doesn't do we'll; but if could
only see somebody who could tell me
form actual knowledge how he is doing,
it would be such a relief,e