There were some grand men who served as chaplains and they not only ministered to the soldiers in spiritual matters, but looked after the welfare of the men in many ways. Particularly were they of service to the wounded on the battlefield. I never heard of a cowardly chaplain and instances are not few in number where they were wounded or taken prisoner. There were also several killed in battle.
Speaking of a regiment not having a chaplain, reminds me of an old camp fire story about two New York regiments between which existed great rivalry. An earnest and eloquent chaplain was conducting a series of meetings among the regiments that were without chaplains and he went to the colonel of one of the regiments referred to and asked permission to hold divine services. The colonel told him it would do no good. “The truth is, chaplain, the boys are the devil’s own fighters, but I am afraid you would find it a tough job trying to make saints out of them.”
The chaplain insisted he should like to hold a service and mentioned incidentally that he had preached several times to the ----d New York and there had been a number of converts. “Why only last Sunday I baptized a dozen of them.”
At the mention of his rival the bluff old fighter was interested and immediately gave his consent.
The Sunday following the regiment was drawn up in a hollow square and the colonel told the men that he had invited chaplain “so-and-so” to preach to them and then added: “If one of you dares to make faces, laugh or even move I’ll order you to the guard house with ball and chain.”
The men were all attention during the preaching and when the chaplain had finished he was surprised to hear the colonel give the following order to the adjutant:
“Officer, detail 24 men for baptism immediately. I’ll be d--d if we are going to be beaten in anything by that dirty, cowardly --d New York.”
The lonely picket on an outpost between two vast contending armies occupies an important position. Great responsibilities rest upon him, hence the penalty of being found asleep on one’s post used to be death.
The situation is conducive to serious meditations. You stand in the shade of a tree which screens you from any reb who may be crawling about for a shot at some careless Yank.