The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-11-18
SOLDIERS THAT PRAY.
;eEcIMENs OF sUPPLIcATloNS MADE
IN TIME OF BATTLE.

d the Frontier Land the "Praying" man
IA Considered Better Fighter Than
the "Bad' Man-An Affecting Burial
at Montauk-A Chaplain Ostracized'
It was the sneering comment OF
British generals in the early days OF
he Revolutionary War that the
American soldiers prayed before bat
lie. The instances were numeroue
Turing the Civil War where both Con-
ederate and Union forces were halted
,efore the strife for all invocation.
Thomas, like jackson, rode with his
Bible.
Aside from my own slight expert
nee with the army which entered
Juba I have been soliciting nurses
md surgeons for stories of the pray
NO soldier. In the frontier land
shere I was reared the "praying"
nan was moro feared as fighter,
.hen necessity demanded fight, than
vas the so-called "bad" man. One
# Sibley's captains in that famous '6o
pursuit after the Sioux always sent
lis men into battle with the inlunc-
ion:
"Pray and fight. ~
This story came out during the
Rough Riders reunion at Las Vegas.
One of the regiment, an Indian Terri
tory man, was slightly wounded at
Las Guasimas. On his way to the
ear he was wounded again and came
20 the sheltering bluf OF creek feel
.ng that death was near at hand. Try
"a he would, his strength was not SUI.
icient to carry him under the lee OF
he bluff. To stay where he was
seemed at that moment an lmpossloh-
|jty. In his struggles and endeavor
% get over the bank there came 10
him dim recollection OF something
hat had been taught him when 10
was boy:
"God bless me and help me to do
right-God make me . good boy
God keep me-"
A loosened bit of earth gave way
md down the bank into safety he
vent. He lay on his. back there, his
reet in the water Of the stream, MS
yves feed on the face of his adjutant,
who through fright had deserted his
cost and hidden. The trooper appre-
slated the situation, for his prayer
ended:
"And kill that blasted maverick
now"
One of the Chicago Red Cross
nurses sent to Siboney had in charge
|, Nebraska boy who was wounded nm
der the colors of the Fourth Infantry.
lone afternoon when he was GONZALES
cent he was describing to her bis sem
sation when first under fire. She
asked him:
"Did you feel like praying9"
His answer was:
"I prayel for five minutes after the
firing commenced"
Much interested, the nurse asked
him the nature of his prayer. He re-
piled with o laugh:
"All that I could say was ooh, Lord,
Oh, Lord over ard over again, but
guess He understood it, for it was
meant for prayer.
I was in the cemetery at Montauk,
the pitiful waste of sand where the
soldier dead were laid, searching fol
trace of young Marshall, a Chicago
boy who was missing, when the bury
Ing squad brought up the body OF an
unknown soldier for interment. Nc
minister was present, no one to holo
Inv kind of service over this body
that was going to the grave without
the slightest mark Of Identification.
The rough laborers charged with the
duty of burial did not think this was
suite right. Hardened as they were
to their duties, they still wished fol
bit of prayer over every body before
the sand was shoveled in upon 1t
they appealed to young lieutenan
, who was crossing the ground. IL
! the surprise of us all he came, stoot
, by the rude box in which lay the dead
.. Ind uncovering his head, prayed. Al
, prayers 90, it was not much, ant
could not be under the circumstances
.. but the act of the unknown office
! praying over the unknown dead hat
r 10 much of the divine in it that not
! man present but felt his eyes moistel
md that tightening of the throa
/ which comes when emotions surg
l lnl rise.
Quite generally the character OF tn
|. shaplains who entered Cuba with tn
n army was high. Here and there
though, one would crop out who di
. hot understand men. Such chaplain
9 usually found himself ostracized ate
J. The men discovered his angles. .
= chaplain of an Illinois regiment cam
i upon the men while they were cuttin
d down one of the fine trees near tn
8 tegimental camp in Florida. d
). watched them at their work for mt
% ment, and then exclaimed
10 "What pity to cut that tree dowr
% It will take q hundred years to r.
). place it while you can be replaced
a- any time"
r. This same chaplain, returning frol
:. Santiago on transport with the reg
q ment, looked over rail into the hol
s. where the horses were crowded, an
IN exclaimed
70 "Poor horses"
AS the condition OF the men W,
IS worse than that OF the horses, and
st had nothing to say for the former, Il
Nc regiment was furious and scorned hi
Of numerically. Hewas we'll meanil
lr; .haplain. but his PRAYERS and Bib