Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-02-05
Charlr, Chnpin,. Te.iamenl.

drill. 4 member of William S College, PASS
I ing his vacation there, was chosen chaplain
/ Of the Company. A gentleman from New
/ York connected with the city Bible Society,
sent bundle of Testaments 10 distribute
among its members. One Sabbath after
noon, they were presented, with an address
/ by the Chaplain upon 81 The Christian Sol
der"
One Of those testameuts lies before me BOW,
a worn battered volume On the fv-leaf
| opposite the imprinted Stars and Stripes, is
the inscription, In the Chaplain's handwrit-
/ ing, '' Williston, Cav. Co. sept. 1901. and
beneath it. in pencil, the name Of Charles B.
/ Chaplin. Charles B. Chaplin enlisted in the
summer Of 1852, in Co. L., of the lst Vt.
B Cavalry, and the little Testament went into
/ his kuapsack. 1t shared the fortunes of the
regiment, marched and countermarched over
/ all Virginia, from Ilarper's Ferry to Peters
burg. rode within the defenses Of Richmond
/ under the dashing lead Of Fitzpatrick, and
on the 9TH day Of May, 1864 fell into the
hands Of the enemy Meanwhile it, owner
/ had been learning It's value. During those
busy campaigns, in which he had proved
himself one of the best Of soldiers, cool,
/ courageous and capable Of great endurance.
there had sprung up in bis heart new life.
lie could never trace its history or Tx IT.
date, vet said be, .' | could not 20 into action
without committing myselt 10 tod in silent
prayer, and presently came to feel that my
PRAYER. were answered. ~ lie knew not
when, hut he had learned the secret of faith
in God The broken communication between
his soul and It's Author was restored.
And s1 the lttle Testament became price
less treasure TO him in the long days at An
dersonville When De was captured bv a
rebel in our uniform. hi- watch was taken
from him. his money and even his pocket
knife. but the Testament and memorandum
book he was permitted To retain. Together
these volumes tell the tale Of prison life. civ
ms, hints and brief suggestions OF -ufering-
which c,ulI NOT be fullv told. and of iovs.
which oven that life Of horror could not
wholly 5arten The diarv ra1nts the dark
side Of the picture. sentence. here and
tber. brin,in,, out viviJlv the inje.erihalle
fltb orI ,yretrbeine-. Of the rri-ln. the in
t,le-,lla bea+ tho ever incret-tn, insufie-
iencv of ratian.. the ur1-re., of disease. the
MIN. of b.o--a. t,.a 1-,,,,. ,r,y ~, desrair
and ,,,r7,r,- amy tio ,,ra =. o t;1r mil iEl-r
,,rsr h. an ,r-tr1ge The well worn te,ta.
ment tell. an we know of the inner life dur
;r-, -b..-s ts-rif,le month. There i.a ba1r-
Ii-t5r, In The ,narkinr of ra..ares here and
rhe-s tbrourb the volume A large class of
tbeu v.re e,i.lentfv made ef,-riile hv the sur
r1.,riir,. and eyrerisncs. of rri-,n life FOR
s,,r,,is rI,-;.t-- dis.,,rv-s ur,n tb. LIVING
L-s95 in .r,bn NJ many of Paul'. aIu.-
Ian. r, hi. oyn uniu.t inrrisonment and
rb,. ,,,rf,-.i.,.,. a- S.srf,.n Orhsrs st-r,', a
l.e,.r ,isri a- ntri.t's prsve- t,r his dis
ci,ie- after tI,o assurance In fins world.
~ tbou have r-ib9Ia-ia0 90 tbe CLOSING ra.-
NC or Romans y commencing e. Who shall
s.Tor,-e ,,- f-,r the love of Christi shall
tribnrati,r mp di-tre-s. mp rer.ecution. or ia
mine or ,, ta.irfss arreril drirhe sword 2'' Pc
tor. Injunction b.. Think # not s--lura CON-
co-ni,., tHefa~r trial ,rhi,.l, is -9 t-v,o9 and
PeuI's rrinmriapt urter.n.e 10 Timothy from
our tbe .B klare-t,,.a 3,,n-e,r M Rome.
D.. ann NOW ready t5 b. .ffsre4 and -be time
Of nv derartrrs is M hand have Gnobt a
GOOD -f-bf. have finished INV c5,,r.e. have
Kent de faith heDcef1-tb tbere +. ,aid nm
for me crown of rirbte,u,nes- With
what interest o., bi. f-,.-.i. find hi- r,art mn
an PM. 1921. and read. e. But would
tbot ve .b,ul5 understand h-erbcru. tbati-b.
o,,t rather rnto tho f1-tborance or -he -o.fel
f,r / know that tbi. shall turn 10
my salvation. tb-ouob vour uravcrs.
After reading such entries in bi- journal ss
these e. Cannot get half enough TO eat. -
T.. yerv rsr,, hot -. Do moi draw hardly
anv ritions. 49,. Had no blanket. ard -o lay
in the dirt. 60. Water moor. Washed a
rair of drawers. for he first time in two
months there +, .1me-binr iueyr-e,.iblv
toucbin, in fnJlnr bi- marx uroa such n
,,,s.a,,s n rbis =. 'Vbe-s are tbet tI,- came
ont of treat tribulstion. and have washed
their robe- and made tbsm white in the blood
If tho Io-nb The sbon bunccr n, ,n,re
neither thirst arr more re;tber sbou tbe
sun Iirbt on them nor onv beat For tbe
ToTnb wbi,b i in tho rnijs. NJ the Throne
Shall ise5 tbsm and sbsIl Is,d tber, urt5
livirs, fountains or votsrs and God shall
VIM AVA. an te,rs fr,n their eyes
Sot only was the Testament read and re-
read duri6, the seven months of imrrisoD-
ment but lent to Others. The dav of OK
chance - earnestly. ,,r,ved f,r came NJ losr.
aud yrbar rho wasted f,-,n dr,,,rsi it.elf out
If the s,o.toj. n. EttIe v,I,,Ta could NOT
bo f,nr5 II y-,- +, Tho hard. IF so,ne f.l-
low Tris,rer and cbeerfnIIv lefr that if
,,,,bt c,,,t;,,,,o g., .,,,r,~+ lin, Its o,rner
reaebo5 Nnn,,.1;s sent a cLoorf,l Letter
nome and b;s h,tber went down os he bored
=, lrin,, Li,, o,,,;r ~ ,I,s Ali homestead II
was NOT s1 +, he Starvation md cruelty had
lone tbair VII He had e. Gou,bt a c-ad
f,b+ rho t;r,o of b;s 5eDart,Sre ,,as at
hand g,
T-nder the b,rdsbirs of nrison-Iifs into
woicb was crowded tbe discinline IF a score
,c c,r,,,o,, ,.e,rs ho bod r;,ere5 f,- bs,ver,
:. Fatbor :, soiJ be :. III dun h- mo .
,r,rt - teU ,,,, how / fol 5on.+ lro,r A.
II is inst rigbt feel 81 nerfectlv satisfied
With ali ca hos don 7 would NOT bave
one Thin, cbonced would he Glad to On
home and SOC mother a,-ain bpt r Cod ar-
ronr,es otherwise n i iii rigbt I w,uld have
il i1st as he rIeases Toll Fddie and Allie
and Nfilie IN meet mo in Heaven And tell
Mr. II toteU all n, vopn,, friends in " IN
be spre and meet me in Heaven
The last entrv m his ;ournal roads =. Nus-
tered ior rav.7'' lie ,Soe beipe :. mustered
for nav The Contaip Of his salvation was ev-
on then savin, !. Rebold conc opictlv and
nv reward il with me : Peacefully even
c,odlv be entered ;nfo rest let those who
can IMAGINE the contrast between ander-
sonviIIe and Heaven
Dnr;n, tho webs that bo Iircered bnsi-
moss caIIed bis f,tbor ono do,, - Wasbinr.
ton In tbe Wasb;nc.ton DoIot yroa cro1n
one of the number was a released prisoner
from Andersonville. 4" Did YOU know Char I
lev Chapin ?" he INQUIRED. 80 Charley
Chapin. ruess | did" was the quick reply.
Fxnianations followed and tbe,soldier exrre:s- I
cd b;s snrrr;so that bs was VET alive
:. H. ~ IA ba suddonIv oren;rg bis
49, ',iI - - trnstar,oIst ',i H., ~
hna lSaoHi u. w sot - d,Jflid,,. ani 1u~i
lohgs 70 ninl' he ieii' 1t 70 ile a,'u l oOuiuh