The victories of General Burnside have been among the most important of the war. No one has been more enterprising or uniformly successful than he. It is well known that where he pitches a tent, there he erects an altar, and prayer and worship are among the daily occupations. When he was planning his expedition to Newbern and Roanoke, "It was my fortune," says Bishop Clarke, of Rhode Island, "to occupy the same room with him in Washington, and every morning and every evening, we used to kneel down together, and pray for the blessing of God on his solemn work." That blessing ensures success, and without it all man's efforts may be baffled. That blessing this noble commander seeks, and desires that others should seek for him. There is not a right-thinking man in the land who does not respect him for that trait of character, and feel the more confidence in him, or any one like him, for such reliance on the strength of the Mighty One. : THE PURITAN SPIRIT. 185 IV. THE PURITAN SPIRIT. The religious element has always been acknowledged as a great power in military success. The more intelligent. that principle is, the more efficient it must be in securing this result. There is every reason, natural as well as rational, why those who hold their lives in their hand should acknowledge the God of battles, and pray for themselves and their country in the midst of danger. The simplest expression of the relations of "praying and fighting" was, perhaps, the blunt order of the Puritan chief: "Put your trust in God and keep your powder dry." Cromwell and his praying Puritans were dangerous men to meet in battle. The "sword of the Lord and of Gideon," was exceeding sharp, tempered as it was with hourly prayers.1 The Cavaliers affected to despise, but feared the "cant" of the Roundheads, and imitated them as they repeated their Collects for church and King. "O Lord," said one of them, "if I forget Thee, as in the press of battle I may, do not thou forget me." There is something sublime in the spectacle of Gustavus Adolphus and his vast army, on the eve of the battle of Lutzen, in which he fell, praying on bended knee, and then chanting,— "Be of good cheer; your cause belongs To Him who can avenge your wrongs; The king fell, but the battle was gloriously won. 1 "That which chiefly distinguished the army of Cromwell," says Macaulay, "from other armies was the austere morality and the fear of God which pervaded their ranks." Hence, though "often surrounded by difficulties, sometimes contending against threefold odds, they not only never failed to conquer, but never failed to destroy and break in pieces whatever force was opposed to them. And so, unless we are untrue to our better nature, it must ever be. Before going into battle the foolish, wicked, unmeaning oath is silent. With the bracing of the nerves, there goes up a silent prayer for strength and valor and deliverance. The wounded pray to be saved from death; the dying recall the words of old petitions learned in their childhood, and in these broken accents commit their souls to God. On the battle-field of Gettysburg, where the morale of the Northern troops was put to the severest test, were found, broad-strewn, Bibles and prayer-books. Carried in coat-bosoms or pockets, they came forth in the bitter moment, a solace to the wounded and dying, and a proof that soldiers pray as well as fight. All honor and thanks to the worthy chaplains who foster this noble spirit, and to the philanthropic men who care for the soldier's interest at home, taking with them, in timely visits on battle-fields, and in crowded hospitals, comforts for the poor suffering mortal bodies, and holy books and words of prayer for the well-being of the immortal souls.1 V. A REGIMENT ON THEIR KNEES. A letter, written from our army while in pursuit of the rebels in Maryland, says, The troops march with alacrity, and seem in good spirits. Last evening, I beheld a sight that might well remind one of a scene in Cromwell's camp; it was that of a whole company attached to a Philadelphia regiment, kneeling They at length came to regard the day of battle as a day of certain triumph, and marched against the most renowned battalions of Europe with disdainful confidence." Never be ashamed of the Puritan spirit. 1 Mostly an extract, but at this moment I have lost the reference. NATIONAL FAST IN THE ARMY. 187 upon the ground with every mark of reverence, at the hour of their worship. They had just bivouacked for the night after a weary and dusty march. It was in a grove of majestic trees, which resounded with strains of sacred music and the voice of prayer intermingled. The bright beams of a full moon fell upon the forms of the prostrate soldiers through the branches. It seemed at the moment like a symbol of the beaming face of Deity, giving answers of peace to suppliants for his grace and protection. Some entire companies in the army are made up of men who belong to churches. The impression was unique, and no description can convey it to another. VI. NATIONAL FAST IN THE ARMY. A joint committee of both Houses of Congress waited on the President and requested him "to recommend a day of public humiliation, prayer and fasting, to be observed by the people of the United States with religious solemnities, and the offering of fervent supplications to Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these States, his blessing on their armies, and a speedy restoration of peace." The President, in compliance with this request, appointed the last Thursday in September, 1861, as a day in which we should "recognize the hand of God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation, and as individuals, humble ourselves before him, and pray for his mercy, pray that we may be spared further punishment, though most justly deserved; that our arms may be blessed and made effectual for the rëestablishment of law and order and peace, throughout the wide extent of our country; and that the boon of civil and religious liberty, earned under his guidance, may be restored in all its original excellence." It may be worth while to record an example of the manner in which this fast was kept in the army, at that critical moment in the prosecution of the war, A correspondent of the "Traveller " thus describes its observance in General Banks's. Division, then stationed on the Upper Potomac: Yesterday, the fast-day appointed by the President was observed in this Division in a marked method. All drill was omitted of course. Public services were held in a rare manner. In accordance with a general order, all the regiments in the immediate locality assembled in a beautiful field at the entrance of Darnestown village, with full bands, and the artillery and cavalry. The Major-General, Brigadiers, and other high officers, attended in full uniform. A march, varying from a very short distance to a mile and a half, brought all together, when the infantry formed in mass, flanked by artillery and cavalry. Six chaplains officiated. Assistant Adjutant-General Drake read the General's order. Chaplain Gaylord, of the Twelfth Massachusetts, read the President's Proclamation in a most impressive manner. Chaplain Reed, of the Thirtieth Pennsylvania, offered the opening prayer. Chaplain Sewall, of the Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania, read selections of Scripture, and the hymn, "My country, 'tis of thee." Chaplain Phillips, of the Ninth New York, offered prayer. Chaplain Quint, of the Second Massachusetts, read the Army Hymn, and also made the address of the day; and Chaplain Lasher, of the Fifth Connecticut, offered the con |