Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-12
Corporal Dick.

In June, 1868, while the confederate
army was marching into PENNSYLVANIA.
one of its chaplains received = letter
from a lady living in South Carolina
who had known him when small hoy.
1t was a letter OF mother. anxious
about the religious welfare of her only
son. the chaplain's former plavmate
then a corporal in 4 regiment of
Rhodes brigade, in the army OF North
ern Virginia.
Corporal Dick, the chaplain learned,
was Il great favorite in the regiment,
the lille OF the squad which gathered at
night about the camp fire, and the
| most reckless Of those who charged Il
battery or mounted a breastwork. His
| comrades looked TO him to cheer them
with his contagious laugh or to stimu-
late them in battle with his resounding
yell.
But Corporal Dick had fallen into
bad habits. and his mother knew it
Her letter expressed her great fear
lest he should suddenly be Shot down
an impenitent sinner
| 1t was not until after GETTYSBURG
that the chaplain found the opportu-
nifty, which he had anxiodSly Sought.
OF seeing Corporal Dick During the
retreat through the Shenandoah val
| ley, as the chaplain, at dusk. was rid
ing mp the road, he found himself near
Rhodes brigade, inquired his way to
| the regiment to which Corporal Dick
belonged, and speedily found his
friend
Though the two men had not met
for ten years, yet each greeted the
other as an old cOmrade. They walked
away from the camp fire, and, after
talking over hoyhood days and the in
cidents of the recent battle, the chap
| lain told the corporal of the anxious
letter he had received from his moth
er.
''Dick," said he, putting his hands
on the corporars shoulders, don't
YOU think you ought to become a
Christian?"
II think I have become one,
George" answered the corporal with
intense feeling.
Then he told the chaplain of the
wicked life he had led in the army, and
of his shame and pain, when he re-
ceived his mothers prayers and warn
ing words. A few nights before he
had attended soldiers prayer meet
ing, and then and there he became a
Christian soldier. Drawing from his
breast the bible his mother had given
him, he said: Il seldom looked into
it until after Gettysburg, but now |
read it every day and it helps me to
live as Christian"
The two friends knelt in prayer and
then parted, hoping to meet again in
a few days. But it was long time
before the friends again met. A bat
tie had begun, and the chaplain's regi-
ment was ordered up. As it came I'M
der fire the chaplain noticed a wound
ed man, whom comrades were proping
up against tree.
Turning aside to see if he could aid
the poor fellow, he recognized his
friend. 1t was Corporal Dick, terri
bly, torn by piece of a shell. Seeing
that his friend would in few minutes
be dead, the chaplain said: ''Dick, my
old friend, what can do for you?"
George, take my bible from my
blanket, whispered the dying cor
poral.
The blanket was unrolled, and the
bible given him by his mother WAS
placed in his hands.
George" he whispered, ''send this
book back to mother. Tell her | found
these verses a great comfort to me in
my last moments. Tell her marked
them with my blood"
Opening the bible the corporal
turned to passage after passage and
stamped them with his bloody finger
amid the roar of the battle. The
chaplain administered no consolation;
ne was silent before this testimony of
the gospels power.
When that bible with its bloody fin
ger prints, was given into the hands
of the mother, she, sorrowing for the
bereavement, thanked God who had
heard a mothers prayers.-Yo YOUTHS
Companion.