Evening journal., 1914-03-11
NEW MEMS OF YESTERDAY
KOW Great Generals Prayed
on the Eve of BATTLE
------------
ny Holland.


81 have occasionally alluded in
some of my addresses to Christian m
dcavor organizations and to Other
evangelical bodies to an anecdote
which l had from excellent authority
telling of a little address delivered
by General Frederick d. Grant at a
gathering on Governors Island, New
York harbor, a rev years ago." said
William p. Hall, widely recognized as
one Of the leading lay preachers OF
the United States and vice-president
OF the Christian Endeavor organlza-
tion
IL was told,' said Mr. Hall, "by a
gentleman who was present at this
gathering that one of the speakers
had referred to General U. S. Grant
as an ardent lover of peace and as a
profound believer in the efficacy of
the Christian religion in securing ul-
timately worldwide peace.
General Fred Grant, replying to
this statement, said that he knew
that his father looked for the estab-
lishment of peace throughout the
world chiefly through the spread of
religion. He then said that only the
most intimate friends Of his father
knew that the latter was OF a deep
religious nature. that he was a man
of prayer and that as he grew older
he became more and more convinced
of the truth which is the basis of the
Christian religion.
"Curios,y enough" said Mr.. Hall
81 have recently had an unusual and
really strange confirmation of the
statement made by General ''red
Grant, respecting his fathers religious
nature My business relations brought
me not long, ago into rather close as
sociation with a man of the name Of
Koebee. / don't recall his first name.
but l knew him not only as a good
business man, but also as a man Of
profound religious convictions.
81 was chatting with him one day
when I happened to mention the an
ecdote relating to General Grant.
which | have just told you.
II saw that what | was saying was
making a deep impression upon Mr..
koebee. | realized that he had some
thing TO tell me as soon as | had
finished the anecdote. and this was
the case. He said to me that at one
time before the Civil War ended his
father had been detailed for duty as
an orderly at General Grants head
quarters. His position made IL DOS
sible, in fact inevitable, that he at
times be very near General Grant.
In that way he became familiar with
some of the generals personal habits.
zone invariable practice of General
Grant which the orderly observed was
that OF praying. He frequently re-
tired to the inner compartment OF
his tent and then prayed aloud and
very earnestly.
"My father could not help hearing
some of these prayers, and he noticed
that, so far as he heard General
Grant never prayed for success IN
battle. But he earnestly prayed for
divine guidance, and was especially
earnest on the eve of some great en-
gagement
81 happened TO mention this to a
friend" said Mr. Hail. "and was told
that a good many of the leading Of
hNtib III tit (lNll war on ilutT blues
conspicuously General Stonewall
Jackson, of the Confederate army,
and General o. o. Howard, of the
Union forces. prayed every day and
on the eve Of a great engagement
very earnestly. not asking for sue
cess, but for divine guidance, and, OF
course, you will remember the state
ment made by Gideon Welles in his
diary that President Lincoln, on the
eve of the Battle of Antietam, spent
a long while in fervent prayer, and
later acknowledged TO his cabinet
that he had done So"