"I'm not ashamed of Christ now; but I am ashamed of myself for having been so long ashamed of Him."

Some months later, on opening my morning paper, I read a brief account of "A skirmish yesterday in Virginia. Ten persons killed." Glancing over the list of names, I stopped at this one,-" John Waugh, Co. G, 10th Regt. P. R."

It was a comfort to me to lay down my paper, take up the little tract, then and now in my possession, and read once more the pencilled pledge on its margin,-"By the grace of God I will try to go."

Since then, the faithful Chaplain, who laid the printed page upon the soldier's cot, has been called from earth; and there is good reason for believing that, now, both Chaplain Henries and Private John Waugh know, much better than we, the full import of these other lines of that hymn:

"We're going to walk the plains of light;
Will you go?

Far, far from death, and curse, and night;
Will you go?

The crown of life we then shall wear,

The conqueror's palm we then shall bear,
And all the joys of heaven share;

Will you go?"

Rev. Geo. Bringhurst,' writing from Annapolis, October 27th, 1862, gives an incident which illustrates the power of the cross to quell even the worst human passions:

Arriving at Parole Camp, I found a scene of fearful insubordination, caused by the recklessness of a few inebriated soldiers. Several buildings had been fired, others threatened with destruction. Fiendish yells, accompanied with bitter oaths, rent the air, while six companies of the 131st New York and three of a Maryland Cavalry Regiment, made desperate efforts to restore order. In the midst of the confusion, I as

Riot Quelled by the Cross.

1 See p. 24.

sembled about fifty men around me, and began singing, "Say, brothers, will you meet us?" Hundreds replied practically, and soon I was surrounded by a large audience. After singing, we united in prayer, and then with earnestness they listened to my brief address, -the simple story of Jesus. Order was restored, not by the sword, but by the cross, which is "the power of God."

I was gratified to hear subsequently from the Colonel in command, that a quieter night had not been experienced in the camp, although it then contained seven thousand six hundred and sixty-two soldiers.

CHAPTER III.

THE WESTERN ARMIES.

UNTIL AFTER THE STONE RIVER BATTLES.

April, 1861-January, 1863.

THE first Delegation to the West, from the central office, was to the Cumberland Army, immediately after the Stone River battles, December 31st, 1862. Earlier in the war, much valuable work was done in the Western armies, upon every principal battle-field, by the various "Army Committees," organized in Chicago, Peoria, St. Louis, &c.

The war in Missouri was a succession of forced marches, toilsome retreats, and desperate battles between comparatively small armies. Gens. Frémont and Hunter were successively displaced from the chief command, and Gen. Halleck, in November, 1861, assumed charge of the Department.

Among the troops campaigning in Missouri was the famous "Normal School" regiment, the 33d Illinois. Mr. B. F. Jacobs,2 of Chicago, gives the story of a

1 These "Army Committees" were appointed by the Young Men's Christian Associations of the places named. A particular account of their origin is given in the Annals of the U. S. Christian Commission, chap. vi.

2 The faithful and devoted Secretary of the Chicago Army Committee, and of the Northwestern Branch of the Christian Commission, until the close of the

war.

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Friday evening prayer-meeting, held in the First Baptist Church of that city, in the Fall of 1861, which is connected with the history of the regiment:

Towards the close of the meeting, an officer rose and said—

A Hymn Leading to Christ.

"I am a stranger to you, and in this city. My reason for speaking is that I have a trust to execute. Our regiment,—the 33d Illi nois, in the early part of its campaigns, at a town in Missouri, received a box containing a few hymn-books and Testaments, some papers, housewives, and other soldier comforts. A little ticket within the box informed us that it came from a lady of the First Baptist Church, Chicago. So anxious were the men for the hymn-books that on account of the short supply, they loaned the precious volumes to each other, and more than one hundred committed to memory the principal hymns, that they might be able to sing readily at the meetings. The books penetrated into the hospital. One of my men sent for me to visit a dying soldier there. His words were few but full and precious:

"Captain, I am dying: I long to see my wife and children, but I know I shall die without that. I've been trying to think what I could send my wife. I have nothing except these books,' and taking one of the Testaments and hymn books from under his head, he added 'Send these; and Captain, if you are ever in Chicago, I want you to go to the First Baptist Church, and tell the lady who sent those hymn books that the 27th hymn has led me to Jesus. I am going home to wait for her.'

The story of the stranger Captain deeply impressed the audience. There was a pause in his talk for a moment, when he went on again:

"Little Piety."

"Among others in the regiment, there was a little boy, the servant of one of the Captains, who on account of his known religious principles was nicknamed 'Little Piety.' The Christian soldiers of the regiment organized a prayer meeting; and were holding it one evening in a tent, near the quarters of the officer of the day, a very profane man, who hearing the singing, started out, exclaiming with an oath, 'I'll stop that noise.' As he approached the tent, the fly-door was up; 'Little Piety' was speaking, standing near the cracker-box which served as a desk, so

that the light of the only candle in the tent lit up his face. The little fellow was telling of his mother's last counsel to him as he went away from home: 'My son, there are a great many men who don't love Christ, and who will tempt you to swerve from your fidelity and purpose. You may be subjected to trials on account of your faith; but, my son, I want you to promise that whatever else you forget, you will not forget your mother's Saviour.' With tears in his eyes the little fellow told how he was trying not to forget Him. The sight of the boy and the tone of his voice stopped the Captain. He listened till the meeting closed, when the leader asked

"Where shall we hold our next meeting?'

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Stepping forward out of the darkness, the Captain responded, 'In my tent.'

"That Captain was afterwards converted to Christ, and since that time has been one of the most earnest Christians in the regiment."

The stranger sat down; and we felt in our prayer meeting, that night, our hearts somehow knit closer to the men who had gone out from our midst, and that we owed them thenceforth more of prayer and more of work.

During the desultory operations in Missouri, Gen. Grant was in command at Cairo. He moved down the Mississippi, and, on Nov. 7th, fought the battle of Belmont, opposite Columbus, the Confederate General Polk's headquarters. The Chicago Army Committee sent a Delegate1 to Cairo, to care for the wounded from the battle-field. Rev. G. S. F. Savage, District Secretary in Chicago of the American Tract Society, was at Cairo on a similar errand. He writes:

A Lieutenant in an Iowa regiment, wounded by a ball in the shoulder, was brought into the hospital. At first, it was thought that he would recover, but after a few days, he rapidly declined. Just before his death a lady nurse said to him

"Not a Cloud."

Lieutenant, you have but a few moments to live;

1 Mr. D. L. Moody, of Chicago.