The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-04
RELIGION IN LEES ARMY
Colonel G. NJ. Saussy, in The Macon Telegraph

one OF the most graphic and moving
talks ] ever listened 10. IIe said in
substance:
Brethren. want you 10 know what
4 merciful forgivin' bein' thu Lord is
and what a mcan-spirited liar | am
You remember that tight place the
brigade got into down yonder at --
and you know tho life lived up to that
day. Well, as soon as ever tho Mlnies
began a-singln' and the shells n-burst-
IN around me, ] up an told tho Lord
that l was sorry an shamed of my
self. an II He'd cover my head this time
we'd settle the thing az soon as ] got
out. Then l got to flatin' an forgot
all about 1T, an never thought OF my
promise no more at all till we got into
that other place up yonder at -; you
remember IL, tighter than the first one
Then, when the bullets began 10 hiss
like rain and the shell was fairly tear
ing the woods TO pie .es, my broken
promise come back to me. Brethren
my coward heart stopped bcatin' an I
pretty nigh tainted. l tried to parry an
1T first l couldn't; but ] said, Look
here. Lord. II you will look, ! feel I
have lied to you. an you won't believe
mo again, an maybe you oughtnt to:
but l don't want to so to hell, an I'm
serious an honest this time an if
you do hear me now. we'll meet just
as soon as / get out suft nm we GER
VIII sctIie
".Well, brethren, He did all asked
of Iiim--the Lord did, and what did
do? Brethren, I'm ashamed to say
IT, but l lied again, an never thought
wo was showed into tho very hottest
place any OF us over was in. He'll
Eaped for me! An hero comes the
TWO lies 1 had told an sat right down
upon nay heart an my tongue. OF
course. ! couldn't pray. but at. last
se MANAGE ~, to say Lord! Lord Lord de,
now, an can't pray an ! won't lie
any more You can do as you please,
Lord; but if you debut no. i won't
lilo any more. an won't promise. for
hands. Lord-hell or mercy. I've got
no time 10 talk any more about it..
oh Lord! Oh Lord,-no. / darescn't, |
daresents. for l won't lie any more;
! won't so down there with a fresh
lie on my lips; but, oh Lord. oh Lord"
Am go. brethren, lie did 1t; He did
it; an the moment the thing was over
| wouldn't give myself time to lie
hard as ever | could into the deep.
dark woods, where God an me was
alone together, an threw my musket
down on The ground an went right
THANK you. Lord; thank you. Lord:
put I'm not goin' to get up on my
tween u.s. An neither didn't breth-
rem. The Lord never hold II over me
at all, an we settled it right there"
1T is said more. than 500 mon pro
fessed conversion in these Fredericks-
burg meetings, and this statement is
based upon careful figures made by
regimen,ai chaplains. and particularly
by tho Rev. William owen.
Some Of these chaplains were very
uncommon mon. My futher, who was
In the ministry more than fifty years
and had Il wide experience with MEN,
expressed the highest estimate of
them.
Easily the most marked man among
them, however, was the Rev William
Denton Owen. chaplain of the seven
teenth Mississippi Infantry. My recol-
lection is that lie had been = private
soldier and had been commissioned
chaplain because he was already doing
the work OF onc-yes. OF half "a Dozen
without the commission or all men
ever knew. ] think he was tho most
consecrated, the most unselhsh and the
most energetic. and that he accom-
plished more that was really worthy OF
grateful recognition and commenda-
ton than any other man / ever knew
of his ability. Brother William MS