The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-15
"REMINISCENCES OF AN ARMY
CHAPLAIN.
A Most Interesting Lecture by Faith
er Boyle, of washing ton, %. &.

Luz OEoIlestp Joiiicss, iuHuieet dnu
pleassntest of men is Father Boyle, OF
Washington, d. T.. This was certainly
the opinion of the large audience which
assembled in the Opera House TO hear
him lecture last night. The very sight
of the reverend gentlemsn's jolly, good.
nstured face, and his manner, brim full OF
merriment. was enough to make one
laugh in spite OF oneself. His style of
delivery has all the best points OF Irish
eloquence without being extrsvsgant in
imagry. 1t ls purely coloquisl, and it Is
equally adapted to the ludicrous or pa
thetic, while the brogue in which the
Irish stories were delivered could not be
surpassed.
Bishop Kahn, Father Sullivan and sew
eral other priests and promin ent Catholic
gentlemen occupied the stage during
the lecture.
After few preliminary remarks the
lecture began.
~ went to President Lincoln" said
the speaker, sand told him that de.
sired to be appointed army chaplain in
some of the many departments. lie
told me that he would be glad to appoint
me, but that the organization OF The
army was very imperfect and no proVis-
ion had as yet been made for chaPlslns.
A short time afterwards l received my
commission and with it the grade OF
captain of cavalry. Just think of me
as a captain OF cavalry. had two horses
and fodder for them and as only
kent one | didn't exactly know
what to do with all the ted
der, so l sold it to the stable
keepers. | also had about $40 month
pay, but | assure you l had no
difficulty in disposlng of that. A
large number of needy people seemed a.
ways to know when l was paid oil, and
were perfectly willing to have me help
them. Some Of them set up as board
ing house keepers and some In other
kinds of business, while l sent their dead
home, Tor others who could not pay the
charges. Notwithstanding the fact that
| had all this money, how much do you
suppose l had when the war was over!
One very old horse and a still older bug
gy. My first duties OF Importance were
in tending the sick at the Clitiburg Hos
pital in Washington. The building was
a hastily constructed one, OF rough boards
and contained four or five wards, with
the usual iron bedstesds. The first fruits
of the war, which came under my care
were those soldiers OF both armies who
were wounded at Big Bethel. The
Confederate wounded were placed
in ward by themselves and
guard stationed over them. Orders
we're given that the delicacies or medi-
cines which were sent to them by their
friends should net be given to them,
while on the other hand contributions
were solicited throughout the city for tie
Union soldiers. l am not disposed TO
criticize those who gave this order, but L
do wish to praise the Northern soldiers in
the hospital. They sent a portion Of
whatever was given them that was espe-
cisl Y nice, to those with whom they had
so lately fought on the field of death.
This spirit of humanity Is always present
ia the bosoms of brave men. [ have
often thought that if the settlement OF
the questions aroused by the war had
been left to the men who fought
the battles, 1t would have been
brought to happy end
long ago. mad singular specimen Of
humanity in my charge who belonged to
3 regiment called the Louisisna Tigers
He was short, broad shouldered Irish
man, built for fighting, and had one of
his legs amputated. So strong was the
spirit of fight in him that even though
he WAS suffering intensely, he said: ave
got one leg to stand up on and shoot at
them yet"
The entire arrangement of the various
departments IN connection with the hos
pital were Of the most imperfect kind.
Nobody fairly understood their duties
for a long time. There were surgeons
who did not know anything about sur
gerry; doctors who were ignorant OF
doctoring, and lots of chaps like me who
were swiully scared at the idea OF what
they might be called upon to do.
A surgeon who knew nothing of his busl-
ness and was atterward made Inspector Of
Hospitals, much to my surprise, WAS IN
the company of some of lis professional
brethren one day, who were talking about
a certain kind of bsndage invented by a
DR.. SkulIy, which was called "skulletas."
The surgeon was asked what the bandage
would be called If it was put upon the
foot. ooh" said he "then it would be
u !ootetas.'
A mere skeleton of man who had
nearly been hung as q spy by the Con-
federates, sent for me one day and asked
how it was that l managed To make my
patients so cheerful. i began talking to
HIM about religious subjects and finally
quoted from the Bible the passage,
"Whose sins thou shall forgive, thou
shall thy own be forgiven" "Hold on"
said the sick man isn't that
standing order1" | said it was.
"Has it ever been revoked?"
"No." well, then, it must be still in
force, for standing order holds until it
is revokedw A German patient sent for
me, and as l have but very little knowl-
edge of German, | told him, as sup
posed, that he ought TO be Catholic.
He grew very angry, and L did not un-
derstsnd it, until brother priest told me
that what had said meant, "Gou ought
TO eat a Catholic" As the man had
bad fever, and | was portly sample OF
q Catholic, am not surprised at his not
desiring to take the dose. This life, of
course, had It's pathetic side, and l never
have known more solemn and touching |
moment, than when / wrote the dying |
words Of soldier to his far away wife |
and family. The soul and tenderness OF !
II their farewells were almost |
hesrt-rending.
The mos. cordial relations existed |
between the chsplsins OF the various re-
ligious denominations. The Protestant
clergymen were very kind to me, and |
would 90 out OF their way to tell me OF
any Catholic patient that l did know Of,
and who stood in need of my aid. Al
though some of US hsd not been very
cordial before this time, We were sll
brought SO closely together that each APP
precisted what was good IN the other,
and were more ready to overlook the
faults. The wsr broke down completely
the spirit Of religious hatred, and thank