The National tribune., 1882-05-13
AFORAGING CHAPLAIN,

The Twelfth Wisconsin regiment was ren-
dezvouzed at Camp Randall in 1861. Its colonel,
SAYS the Madison Telegraph was George L.
Bryant, captain in the First regiment, and
who has the record of being the first volunteer
officer from Wisconsin. Our chaplain was Rev.
Moran, a Unitarian minister who sickened in
1862 and was mustered out, came home to
Wisconsin and died; he was good man. The
ffer of company A was Walker, a theological
student an Englishman who had great affection
for his stomach, and but small gift for fling.
When Chaplain Moran resigned, the regiment,
having become acquainted with Fifer Walkers
good qualities as a forager, and, knowing he
was Methodist class leader, with one accord
petitioned the colonel to have Walker made
chaplain. The colonel said in reply that
Walker was not an ordained minister, but if
they insisted on his being the spiritual adviser
of the regiment he would get him furloughed,
sent home, and fixed up by the brethren; for
no one but Thoroughbred" could preach to
that regiment. Thereupon Walker went to
Wisconsin, had holy hands laid upon him,
and came back commissioned by Governor Salo-
man as chaplain. He was good one. He not
only foraged for himself, but literally for the
sick and wounded, and no chicken with seces-
sion proclivities could roost so high that the
chaplain could not reach it for a sick comrade;
and the way he had of finding onions, sweet
potatoes, new milk etc., was known only to the
elect Walker loved his colonel and his regi-
ment, although it was not noted as a God
fearing regiment; but he stuck to them,
preached to them, prayed for them, foraged for
them, and though he did not make them all his
way of thinking, in religious sense, they all
believed he was Christian patriot, and
soldier, and to-day, wherever he may be, they
wish hm Ged-speed. But to the story. In
1861, Lieutenant Thayer, of company
lortally wounded before Atlanta and
acl, To the hospital. The chaplain was
make HIS will, which done, Walker,
,;iaa minister should, bethought him
e. re spiritual needs OF the dying man.
80 u ;'rn-ccdcd, as ministers do, to pray and
exiio.i. 1 waxing warm and tender in the
presence ,. ,ath got as ministers will, excited,
lrsyi.." and rxhorting loud and long. The
sar@co u the regiment with more love for his
dying colnradc than he had fear for his God,
began to get mad rs the chaplain continued at
what he considered unreasonable length of time
in his exhortations Finally he could stand it
no longer, and laying hold of the chaplain,
brought him to a stop and ordered him out of
the hospital, saying: This is no place to wear
out dying man. but if you want to convert
the regiment you had better go out into the
trenches" The chaplain, seeing and appre-
ciating that he had been over jealous, meekly
put on his hat and started through the woods
for his command After he had gone little
way the surgeon began TO repent and to feel
that he had been too summary and too hasty
with the man of God, and following him, called
him back and said: Chaplain, told you you
had played the fool, that you had better be
praying in the trenches; said it, I still stick
to it, but just want to add-that the colonel
would be ead-d good man for you to commence
on" Thereupon the chaplain came to his colo
mel in the front of battle, told the whole story
as it occurred, and then said: Colonel, with
your permission, I'll see if 1 can forage few
sanitary stores, in the shape of vegetables for
the doctors hospital-for that man does try
awful hard to care for the sick and wounded
but 1 do wish you and he would Rot swear
when you get mad, notwithstanding tits said
George Washington did the same wicked thing
while in the army"