The Irish standard., 1898-09-03
FATHER MURPHY, OF BOSTON, AT
THE BATTLE OF SANTIAGO.
GREAT FAVoaI1E WITH THE SOLDIERS
HE HAD THE FACULTY OF WINNING
THEIR AFFECTIONS.
HIS CROCHET WAS NATURAL HISTORY
HOW HE WORKED IN THE FIGHT
AND CARED FOR THEM.

James O'Donnell Bennett a cores
pondent Of one Of our leading papers,
with Gen. Skaters army before Sant-
ago, thus writes of army chaplains and
Father Murphy in particular:
At first he army chaplain seemed to
be little more than an ornamental ac-
QUESTION to his regiment.
In the days Of mobilization at Tampa
and at Springfield, too for the matter
of that, he was rather lost and super
fluous person with no weightier duties
than to have people introduced to him
and listen to their commonplaces-
which he returned in kind.
In fact, the army chaplain in those
days of preparation was looked upon
as kind of concession to a beautiful
idea, proper and welcome enough, Of
course, but not essential to the achieve
ment of material successes.
When the great days came and there
was battle and sudden death he was diff
ferently regarded and not an hour
passed but you would hear somebody
ask, "Where is the chaplain?" Somehow
he took the place of so much that had
been left behind. A man couldn't see his
wife or his mother or his sweetheart
but the chaplain was always about, and
always had cheerful word on his lips
that satisfied in measure the exiles
yearning for home and kin.
In an active campaign, when there is
as like to be battle or forced march
on Sunday as on any other day, the
chaplain isn't called upon for such rou-
tine matters as sermons and services.
But, bless you, the army chaplain, II
he knows his business, will be called up
on by his superior officer and by his
heart to do great many things not set
down In the department regulations
for guidance made and provided.
Upon occasions he will grab a rifle
and blaze away at the sharpshooters
who sit in the tops of palm trees and
thereby he will quiet, though he may
not hit, the sharpshooter until an am
bulance train has a chance to get safely
by that point with it's loads Of dead and
wounded.
Also a chaplain is very busy man
in an army hospital the night after
battle. Not so much that he goes
oroI,D,1 offoripo uord,, oo,co1,4;o,, -
the wounded, he's got too much tact
and common sense to do that. In
stead he throws off his coat and unlaccs
his leggings and tightens his belt, and
then jumps in to carry cruel, or hold
lanterns for the surgeons. In fact, he
does just what people in command tell
him to, even if it be cutting away a
wounded mans blood-stained shirt and
drawing it carefully-oh, very carefully
from the torn and broken body. Then
he moves cots and lifts wounded on to
them and gives drinks of water and
mends the fire and otherwise occupies
himself with light and heavy houseworl.
All he gets for his work, other than a
monthly wage, which can not altogether
compensate him for the peaceful study
and the rich parish he has left behind
is, "Oh, thank you, chaplain; I'm ever
so much Obliged" from some wounded
man whom the mere task of getting out
the words hurts dreadfully
He himself may be anything but a
solemn sight, wearing perhaps only un-
dershirt, trousers, lcggings, and much
worn shoes, but there is the glory of
militant goodness about him and he
needs no other insignia to make men
revere him.
When the troops take the field the
chaplain shuts his cars to good mauy
uttcrarces he doesn't approve Of, and he
keeps back his reproof because he
knows that to hold the soldier to him at
all he must DO a marching personiGca-
tion of adaptabilty, common sense, pa
thence, and piety-and if he has the
three qualities first named the fourth
doesn't matter so much for the time be-
ing.
There was dear old Father Murphy of
Boston-he'd cuff my ears, by the way
if he knew ! described him as "old'-
who went to Cuba with regiment of
Massachusetts volunteers. a fine put
up, gallant gentleman was he and a
great scholar both in sacred and lay
wisdom. His crotchot was natural his
tory and he used to delight in telling Of
the rare and interesting creatures he
had in the little zoo at his country
place near Boston. If he can lie will
come back from Cuba as Noah went in
to the ark followed by 4 train of every
kind Of beast and bird to be found in
the island. He would plump down un-
der tree anywhere to talk Cuban
fauna with those who were familiar with
the natural history Of the Antilles, and
you could learn with half an ear that
u n