The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-24
THE FIGHTING CHAPLAINS.
DIN. TAN DE WATER rs 4 TYPE or
THESE BRAVE MEN.
Lieut.. Trull Tells Of the Invaluable Work of
the BoVenty-nrst's Chaplain on the Field
and Elsewhere - His Words of Cour~
"a Ill. u-n.nnIa ~ nrnnnrr.

INC hoNeuNlNuEbEb OhbRAAAA Vn So NeS
and Elsewhere - His Words of cour-
age and His Example of Bravery.
Evidently the modern, up-toAdate army chap
lain thinks that the prophet Isaiah was tn error
when he foretold that the people would beat
their swords into ploughshares hndtheir spears
Into pruning hooks, that nation shall not lift
up a sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more" This preaching soldier.
or better yet. soldering preacher-it he can be
judged by his actions in the present
war-believes that all such talk Ia moth
ing moro than tommyrot- Great stories
have come from the front Of the herolsm Of the
army chaplains. They know how to fight as
we'll as preach and pray. The time was when
the American Army chaplain dealt only with
the souls Of the soldiers. 1t would BIO untrue
and unjust to say that he was q mere figure
head. for he did q lot Of good in his way.
The modern army chaplain Is younger man.
very strong OF body rs well as mind, and he be-
lieves that there are limos for war as we'll as
peace. and that this IL one OF them. Tho Rev.
George Van De Water. chaplain Of the Seventy
first Regiment, serves az q fair type Of the up
to-date fighting preacher. DR.. Van De Water 10
rector Of st, Andrews Episcopal Churchin Har-
lem and is very large man and an athletic one.
No wounded member Of the Seventy-1rst
Regiment who has returned homo can say
enough OF his deeds in the field. Of his bravery
and OF, his devotion to the soldiers.
Second Lieut.. William E. Trull. Jr. Of Com
pany G.. Seventy-lrst Volunteers. was the first
member OF his regiment to get home, He can't
speak OF DR.. Van De Water even now without
showing some emotion. When q Sun reporter
visited him at his home In Fordham he at first
declared that he wouldn't talk for publication
about anything.
II haven't done anything TO deserve oil this
notice." he said with magnificent modesty.
land I don't want to see my name In print
again. Between being interviewed and an
swering hundreds OF letters and kilograms and
receiving scores and scores Of visitors I feel
that I'm entirely too much to the front. and I
don care -
But can't you tell how much your chaplain
has done for your regiment and something of
the duties Of army chaplains.?" interrupted the
reporter.
1t was like applying a lighted match to kero-
sene,
brave To begin With. before the seSenty;hrst
lain; II your REGIMENT is sent to the 'front.' I
sy TFRi! YY SS ao @!P dS SSFE yo 9nFV T;si fn soa b. s s@-
saS%be1e t KIN e Il T Is GeSSTed ny E ESSlS6 e has goes toes.
IAN army chaplain enters the service. as Q
commissioned officer; A recent regulation. l
DclleHe, puts MIN right IN Win the rank OF cap
own, parish and are largely left to himself; In
deed should say that an army chaplain's du.
them very onerous or very light. and Dr.. Van De
Water c%eftainIy Pursues the former course: He
has held religious services every Sunday
since we, started out. never missing once. even
under the most trying circumstance. and
men and encouraged them and kept their
spirits up, The first Sunday after we settled
at Camp Black was one OF the worst days l ever
|. saw, A great many tents were blown down
and the rain poured IN torrents. Dr. Van De
tai tent. IAN and. as / said. he Ell hasn't missed a time i'm
since. On our way South we passed through
Washington in the early morning. We were
divided into three sections. you remember. and
our chaplain held services on the, train for the
boys with whom he happened TO be.
while we were in camp at Lakeland q mem
Der of the Twepty-second Massachusetts Regi-
ment died. and. instead q his own chaplain
so in, the little, Episcopal church there. Our
it would be hard to make them believe that It
wasn't because Of the love that every one feels
by long odds the most Impressive service
was the one that our chaplain conducted the
t% aqnit t9 S SSiSdpi a me SshGTe in mt the oi afte ngoe; but biG
the m men were too q bSsy with with tn. their PREPARATIONS
f fRem 9ntt aed a tofd So them ne only 9o go soid aS { ieT T S1G s to
services in the evening. He did 50 IN a Big en-;
g stand up, and nearly ali 0 f,them turned out.
The only light that wo had came from
S {Sis On o r. G Sn3}ss ts s6taP lain f ESSSr Us !, a : 5T IEd
next few days. He urged us to bravery and
GilSd US IS FL fun b Of hop hope ,or He begged begged each Tbat in 3Hn5
the kind Of religion he gave US. he said in con-
elusion that he hoped we'd all be there next
SB siHE &d ant there and T esen R RGlflsetdP, aSd o f. Sq %as
quite right. That was the last service for many
Of the, heroes. The whole service hardly kept
n thirty minntng hnf AVnrV man Jvnnf aNu -
THAT wasn't all. From the time we landed
place and would begin to talk to one man, when
t them he q s sof In T his str Eau9s Wor dEpuHHs He d hiRi t sif
sentimental religion. but laughed and joked
hope. patience, patriotism. and bravery. Then
he, looked out most carefully for those who
S you're IL H. n Sasst them t aS%eo 9ad SGa'nE what he
Do not an army chaplain's duties end
th.sEEf n ar anEG cb s4S fisREsGdt duty might very proper
a fGish i%as Ris Sleafb 6 Hrs s. eve Sb that bo R%St 6tSI5s The dH,S SOL 4
himself, as the man that he is, did not allow
him to stop there. Al army chaplain bears no
sacred in the eyes Of the enemy. But the
set.a aPd it s0H Is i pOsit fsf 0 truss t That t iSE7
t ed' Dr. TING Van af Da W SssiP On DUTY 01 Ss a wS sSaS.
lain did not .Pequire him to charge with with
the regiment. but he was right there in the
fighting line with us, alongside OF Major Bell.
And. by the way, too much can never DO said
Of Major Bells heroism. In the charge. on San
very much in evidence at all times. Where the
men were falling, fastest there he was. for he
wounded. Major Bell was dressing a mans
wounds 80 near the firing line that another
wounded man who was waiting to be attended
to was hit.
THE scene In the First Division hospital
Water a" Was sA entirely PRACTICAL In e e1erythiSR he
did. When no wasn't out on the line cheering
those who were fighting and removing, the
ranging the men so that the worst wounded
ones would receive first attention. and, he
after the battle he labored night and day with
, II has been said that many n, the man cav.