The evening times., 1898-08-22
Prayed IN. 0VERALLS
A Rough Rider Chaplain's Ex-
periences at the Front.
TRIBUTE TO HIS COMRADES
The Rev. Henry w. Brown Tells
How the Men Fell ON Their Knees
in the Muddy Trenches at the
Burial Of IIamiitoa Fish Near SAM
tiagO.

Now 10TH, Au8. SSs---E uAiy hAtSCh hoh0
dred persons assembled in Grace Church
last evening to hear sermon preached
by the Rev. Henry w. Brown. chaplain
10 the regiment popularity known as
Roosevelt's Rough! Riders. Mr.. Brown
is the only minister who was present at
the whole OF the battles before Santiago.
and it was he who read the services for
the dead when Hamilton Fish and more
than forty other victims of the war were
placed in their hastily dug graves beside
the trenches in the hills around the be-
leaguered city.
Mr.. Brown selected as his texts two
verses from the Epistle to Timothy and
the Epistle of John: Fight the good
fight of faith" and This is the victory
that overcometh the world even our
faith In his sermon he did not tell
anything of his experiences in Cuba He
sought rather to point not that the fight
against sin can only be won by faith
and courage.
He is a young man, probably under
thirty years old. tall and athletic. with a
genial face and magnetic manner. He
is graduate of Oberon College. and
was successfully head master of Trinity
School and assistant rector Of st. Johns
Il
20 last MIR. Brown was the rector of the
Episcopal Church of the Advent in San
Antonio. Tex. On that date he resigned
his appointment to become chaplain of
the body of curiously variegated men
which was being gathered together for
fighting purposes. by Theodore Roose
welt.
When seen after last nights services
he was anxious frs of all to remove an
obtained prevalence to the effect that
RooseveltS famous regiment were
tough riders as well as Rough Rid
erS."
When first / went to the camp" said
Mr.. Brown, II was totally unknown, and
l wandered round in common soldier 5
uniform. lolling beside the camp fires and
listening to the soldiers songs and not
ing their conversation. And l want to
say right here that l never heard vui-
gar or indecent story told by one of these
men. l never saw any action not becom-
ing a gentleman and a soldier.
The Rough Riders as a body paid
more respect to religion and order than
others of the regular army or volunteers.
as was shown by the number who at
tended service. as many as so of our men
being at church service at the same time
Then. the way in which the Rough Rid
ers sung the hymns and followed the
service was remarked by all who visited
US.
Il will give you an instance of the pro-
found religious sentiment among those
big, burly. brave fellows" continued the
chaplain. when poor Hamilton Fish
was buried with many others on the hills
the moment l spoke :he words Let us
pray. without any further word every
man removed his hat and went down on
his knees in the mud. remaining kneeling
throughout the prayers. They needed no
word of command TO do that.
Within two days I read the burial
service over forty-four men. I did not
confine my nduties entirely ito those un-
lucky men who were killed while mem
bers of my own regiment. / was the
Bloody Ben of the army as they called
me. During the first battle and the fore
ed scrambling marches my vestments
We're scattered all rouAd. and official ed
at the funeral Of Hamilton Fish in COM
mon overalls and gray shirt. / paid
no attention TO the fringes of religion
and l rarely spoke I'M vestments even
when they were found after the fight
ing"
Mr.. Brown told an Interesting story CT
how he came near missing the first fight
at Las Guasimas.' Gen. Young's official
papers were on the Yucatan,' he said,
land there was no enetto fetch them. He
came to me and asked If / would mind
riding back, as l had a good mule. We
of the Rough Riders had quite habit
OF finding mules.
when / reached the coast there were
no boats to be got. and the Yucatan was
just steaming away. / eventually man
aged to get into a boat and ordered the
boatmen to take me to a press tug. Then
l commanded 1t to steam in pursuit OF
the Yucatan and those on board obeyed
my orders. not knowing that I was mere
ly a chaplain. l got the papers all right
and hurried back to Gen. Young. arriving
just as the first fight began.
From that time for three whole days
was within the firing lines. While we
were digging two trenches in which to
bury the dead two men were shot close
beside me, the bullets coming from Span
ish sharpshooters, who were hiding in the
trees.
After that / made myself useful by
packing rations. Three days in succession
/ rode sixteen miles to and from camp
carving ra tons. I took up 300 pounds OF
sugar and l50 pounds each of coffee and
beans. Col. Roosevelt and other officers
would give me their own personal money
TO get what the quartermaster's depart
ment calls sale rations' for their men.
and many of the men who had money
bought things and shared them with
their pocrer comrades. This graceful act
was particularly noticeable among those
rich New Workers who were of the regi-