The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-11-27
WAR MEMORIES
OF A CHAPLAIN
Continued from first page,

privileges, station where the home mail
came regularly and with promptness.
During the last year of the war. when
interest centered in the operations in Nir-
ginia, under Gen. Grants eye, the great
Northern mail came daily by steamer
from Washington to Fortress Monroe,
and thence up the James River to City
Point, to be distributed by military rail
road to the Army of the Potomac, and by
boat to Deep Bottom for the Army of the
James-far out to the right and to the
left. A delay of the maii-boat on Win
ter's day, by reason of ice in the James,
seemed a small matter, as it was tele-
graphed nOrthward from City Point; but
it meant Il great deal to the waiting sol
diers at the front.
"NO MAIL TONIGHT"
The different commands usually re-
ceived their portion of the mail in the
earlysevening. But when there was moth
ing for them, it was bitter disappoint-
ment, as the word went out along the
extending lines.
mo mail tonight, SIR" said score of
orderlies to a score Of division command
ers, after they had visited corps head
quarters, and learned of the mail failure.
mo mail tonight, sir" said 90 order
lies to 80 brigade commanders, on their
mo mail tonight, sir" said hundreds
of orderlies to hundreds of resimental
commanders, as they came back from
brigade headquarters.
NO mail tonight, boys said thousands
of First SergeantS to the men of their COM
panies, when they learned the truth from
regimental headquarters.
No mail tonight was the word passed
along the lines from City Point, up the
road toward Petersburg, and into the
bomb-proofs and trenches there, and away
South Side, at Meade's extreme left; and
again up to Bermuda Hundred, and to
Deep Bottom, and to Chaffin's Bluff, and
to the very gates of Richmond, on
Meade's extreme right.
mo mail last night" was the message
that went out, the next morning, with the
coffee, to the picket lines from farthest
right to farthest left.
And wherever that message was heard,
there was heaviness of heart. From
corps commander to solitary sentry, an
added burden was on every lonely longing
soul. The night shut in more gfcomiiy,
and the morning was less bright, now that
there were no home words of love and
cheer to give fresh courage and hope.
The hours dragged heavily.
Mail come yetY was repeated a my
Rad Of times anxlOuSiy, until the missing
mail was at last at che front, and was
distributed along the picket ii:,es. and the
home letters were read with added glad
ness and gratitude.
Thirty four years have passed since
then. Many a home from which those
longed-for letters came regularly to the
army is now broken up. Father and
mother and sister and brother and wife,
who then wrote lovingly, have ceased
their labors. But their works do follow
them. The influence of the home mail is
precious and hallowed in the hearts of
the veteran soldiers of the army of the
Union, wherever they are found on duty
today. And many an old soldier who
stands by himself on the picket front of
life's war lines, longing for fresh word
from his loved ones in their final home,
hears family the old refrain, mo mail to-
night" as the evening shadows close in
about him.
ITO he continued