The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-04-27

! to Ship Island, where, under the precept
and example of General Phelps, with all his
| eccentrcities, one of the best disciplinaians
of the army, they became one Of the best
! regiments in the department of the gulf
! Upon the occupation of the city of New
| Orleans the Ninth was encamped in Lafay-
! cite square, in the midst of the fashionable
! portion of the city, substantially as it would
! have been in Boston to have encamped them
| in Chester park. They remained there
encamped a part of the garrison of the
! town for several months, when it became
but just in the judgment of the command
! er to send them to the front and replace
them with regiments that had been worn
| down by labors before Ficksburg and fight
! ing at Baton Rogue. As the highest evil
/ dence of their discipline and the character
| they had established for soldierly bearing
J and for propriety of conduct, when the or
der was promulgated for the removal of
! the Ninth, to be replaced by another New
/ England regiment. a petition was presented
to the commanding general, signed by quite
! every householder of the dwellings sur
rounding the square, praying that the Ninth
! might be retained there because of their
| quiet behavior and sodierly conduct, ano
the safety the inhabitants felt for them
! selves and families in having them there,
| expressing fear that the commanding
! general could not fill their places with ar
equally acceptable regiment.
| The general then spoke of the rugged
/ health enjoyed by the Irish soldier, his
! light heartedness and his fervent religious
qualities, giving several amusing and pa
! thetic instances.
Without intending to institute any COM
parison between the chaplains of Catholic
! regiments and those of other denornina.
.ions, | may be permitted to say that the
! Catholic clergy were fully equal to the duty
+ imposed upon them, and in all their minis.
I trations seemed to show that they strove
| to do their whole duty to those whose souls
were intrusted to their care rather in obe.
/ dience to the ordinances of the Church of
which they were members, than with any
! regard to army regulations or the authOri-
/ ty of temporal power.
! There is good soldier, no observing
officer, no thoughtful man who has seen
( the effect of the administrations of the Irish
| Catholic priesthood in the armies of the
United States, who will not pay them high
honor and bear testimony that they were
ministers of good, and never of evil.
/ In this connection let Inc call to mind
! the services of another organization, large
! ly Irish, that aided us during the war, but
none of which were ever found against us;
! being soldiers of the Cross, they were en-
rolled under the banner of the Prince of
peace.
Frequently on the battlefield they carried
/ ne1tnef arms UI OIIenCe nor uefenCe.
! Wherever the suffering, the wounded or
| the dying lay, there was their duty, and
there they endeavored 10 soothe the one,
bind up and heal the other, and tenderly
care fer the last with love universal to hu-
/ manity with patience never faltering :;
With the single desire to do good To all men.
! They were found in every hospital doing
/ battle against disease and misery, aud in
J obedience TO the commands of their Master,
who said 'As ye do unto the least of
these, also We do unto Me-" Delicately
nurtuIed, holy women, they passed
harmed through every camp, scattering
blessings in their path, looking for their
reward in doing His work and adding to His
glory. Oh, it was wonderful to see strong
men become as little children in their bands
and put off the rough manners, and throw
aside the rougher and harsher language of
the camp, when these women came near.
| They brought to the bedside of the wound
ed and dying soldier at once the thought of
home, the mnistratiOns of relie ion and such
consolation as would seem only could come
from the hand of the great Saviour of man
kind.
Many a mother, many a sister, many
/ wife owe to their assduons care a son. a
! brother, husband restored to them alive.
who would otherwise have fillc0 one of the
unknown graves that dot the ills of Nir-
ginia, the plains of Georgia and Tennessee
and the swamps of Louisiana aud Missis-
sippi. These brave soldiers of the Cross
knew no creeu, recognized no nationality.
Their services were given, like those of
their Master, to the human kind. Was the
sufferer before them n private soldier or a
ommanding general, to them there was
no difference. Confederate or Federal, he
Was their brother.
No bulletin heralded their exploits no
general order gave them honorable mention
Z hx,n f,p cl,,l ia 70
one of them, but to the order, to the faith
I they possess. To the Church they honor
! they bring great honor and renown- And
| i'll every Southern prison, on many bat
tle-field and in every hospital, they were
hailed by all men, without regard to creed,
as well by the infidel as the Christian, as
well by he eiucate as the ignorant, from
/ all whom blessings followed these Catholic
women with reverent and endearing names,
as Sisters ot Charity, Angels of Mercy,
Daughters Of God.
After reciting .he serv ices of the Massa-
chusetts Ninth in glowing terms the G. en-
eral alluded to the scene at Malvern Hill
in 1862, where Porter's corps was acting
as rear guard, as follows
Is it wonderful, then, that men of the
same religious faith, with such examples
of heroism and self, sacrifice before them,
went to do battle for their country, re-
gardless of pe'ils and dangers Of the battle
field, and met death as calmly they
would lay down To a nigh3's repose, like
flowers at set Of sun2
The Ninth, with two supporting regi.
ments, are ordered to take position to hold
! in check the advancing enemy and gain
time for the rest of the army. The Ninth
advanced to their position as ordered by
some mistake or misconception of orders
the other twoireg iments do not go forward
1t is now midday. The advance of jack
sons corps Is seen winding out OF the
wood which had concealed his brigades.
He turns the head of his column TO ''sweep
away" as he sees that green flag, which
meets his eye as the monday sun gilds the
snnburst. Looking around them the so-
diers of the Ninth see the whole of our
in and they Left alOna