The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-07-06
From the Louisville Courier. Jouruyl.1
UNDRR DIBRICULTIRs.
a Confederate story of tho aebe,,ron.


A Confederate story OF tho Rebellion.
1t was in the golden prime of the
August of 1862. 1t was at Chat
tanooag.. It was under the guardianship
Of that beautiful brown peak from whose
fair lookout not note, save notes OF
love, had yet been sent. 1t WAS on the
banks of that great stream whose silver,
many multiplying horse shoe had never
known hostile poutoon bridge. 1t
was day Of thanksgiving, for We
thought wo had something to be thank.
fal about. Nay, in those days We we're
easy to please, and, withal, somewhat
genial, if not jocose, in our dsaliugs
with Providence. Be this as it may, it
was day of thanks giving, and a great
number of officers and soldiers had come
up from tho front to do little church
going and little oourting, and more
especially, after this combination of
piety and sentiment, to hear the ia.
nous DR.. Palmer, of New Orleans.
The church was crowded. Not a
pew was vacant, not a seat unoccupied,
and chairs had been placed up and down
tho aislcs. Gold lace aud cooked hats
and cavalry boots and prettily mounted
sabres we're mixed up indiscriminately
with ribbons and muslins and the pro-
fuse whimsics, jim oraks and fal.lals
that enter into tho mysterious and am.
bilious fnery Of a woman's, of many
women's, summer dressing. 1t was, Of
truth sight to see. Without, FIVE
hundred horses hitched carclessly to
trees, and dusty streets and quite pas
ture lands fankcd round about by the
picturesque Tennessee hills. Within,
a tropical flower garden, quite peaceful
in its lovelincss and warlikc in its splen.
dor. BE sure the per6dious thought of
the hated Yankee perished before it
cntcrcd there. 30 sure there was not
in the mind of all that multitude 80
much US tho echo of the idea of an ad-
vance of the enemy.
DIR. Palmer was in the pulpit. The
congregation had been looking and
listening with curious attention while
he read some announcements and gave
out hymn. The hymn was sung sen.
toriously and then began the long pray
er, everybody standing, aud not the
rustic OF trock nor the clank Of spur
disturbing the serenity of the moment.
80, Lord" the good man was saying,
"give us grace iu the midst OF war, to
do Gods service on earth Of peace and
good will to men make us, amid the
tumult find rack Of arms, as still and
GGSScd in the service Of God as the evor-
lasting hi-(bang D--hills"--(whcw y
1t was the ringing report of cannon,
and it came from over the river, fetchs
ing twelve pound schrapnel with it.
This it deposited in the centre of
group, who were watching the horses
and carriages. Two more followed be-
fore the preacher had time to complete
his sentence. Me did complete it,
h owcyer, in very measured and solemn
way. But the spirit of the Lord could
not wholly and on the instant subdue
the impulse Of poor weak human na
ture. The CONSERVATION was immediate
aud intense, and yet, strange to say,
not noisy. There was single cry Of
alarm. A number of officers, who had
posts of duty to fll, quilted the place
two or three ladies approached the door,
but DR.. Palmer did not bulge muscle
nor alter his tone. He proceeded with
his prayer as tho shells came faster and
the din grew louder. There was just
never such prayer prayed out of q pull
pit. The man stood up there glowing
in the summer light and answering
every hostile shot with a message of
Christian love, and the noise, great US
it was, did not drown q word. lie
prayed for everything, aud for every.
body. At one time it seemed that he
was about to turn his attention to tho
gentlemen on the other side ofthe water,
and pray for their poor souls, too. 1t
was, indeed, "long prayer AS the
lcaden devils came whizzing over tho
roof and cracking through tho trees
the ungodly rascals had got the range
of the church cxactly-as they buried
themselves sullenly in the ground under
the windows or exploded frightfully
among the beams or against the stone
work, tho hearers might have thought
the preacher would never come to ON end.
To be sure, this was we'll enough for DIR.
Palmer. He had an uncommon good
thing, albeit the pulpit was the most
exposed position, and every one expect,
ed to see him drop any moment; for,
praying he wa, ho had only to die and
20 to heaven straightway in hand
basket, OF any other ready conveyance,
sure of blessed immortality for his
fame in this world, and his apirit in the
world to como. Tho rest were, however
not so sure, and it will hardly surprise
the reader to learn that they waited
nervously. They may be said to have
been very nervous. But, finally, after,
cxhausting the catalogue, after strotch-
ing the long prayer to its longest, after
praying for all sorts and conditions of
men, beasts, birds and things, tho
preacher sounded the ready words {:
"And tho grace Of our Lord, and the
love of God, and tho fellowship of tho
Holy Ghost, be with you all now and
forever. Amen" Then quietly de-
scending from the pulpit, ho added
"The congregation is dismissed :" and