A PLEA FOR THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. 249 And the spirit of kindness and love, of which the religion of Jesus has borne so many fruits in this struggle. They have been astonished at the kindness which has been shown to them when they have fallen into our hands. It was this that demoralized them at Vicksburg. In the West the rebels are not so violent as they were. When they come into our lines now, they say they were forced to fight, that they are Union men, and always were Union men. they are coming in every day. We have just heard that since General Rosecrans took command of the Cumberland. Army, eight thousand have delivered themselves up to us. And do they hate us? No! We have melted them down by Christian kindness and love. And, my friends, this is the way to disarm them. I believe, and say it with emphatic assurance, that if we all have the spirit of the Master in our hearts we shall demoralize them wherever we find them! I do not advocate any shrinking back, or checking of the terrible steeds of war. No! Fill up the ranks. Make them full. Make the next campaign more vigorous than any that has gone before it, so that it shall be, by the divine help, perfectly impossible for the rebels to keep the field. But let us wield this power along with the alleviating and saving influences of the religion of Christ. Let these, as diffused by the Christian Commission, and in other ways, follow our armies everywhere, blessing friend and foe alike, and we shall then cause the enemy to come into our lines, not only by the eight thousand, but by the sixteen and the sixty thousand. It is this that will ruin their cause, and finally break down their opposition. This terrible revolution has been brought upon us, by the overruling hand of a wise Providence, among its other ef fects, to tear out from among us the roots of prejudice, — prejudice of the bitterest kind, that of races. But noth ing is too hard in the end for Christian love and charity and truth; and that spirit assuredly will prevail, and we shall yet come together and be one people, whose God is the Lord. Let us resolve anew, as we go hence, that, as for us, we will all do what we can for our country, our soldiers, and the cause of Christ. INDEX. SOME matters are set forth here not represented in the general Table of Adams, an Illinois soldier, 166. 242. Allen, C. A., chaplain from Indiana, 138. Alvord, Rev. J. W., Secretary of the Tract Society, communications Andrew, B-, of Brooklyn, N. Y., 79. Angel of the hospital, 150. April 19th, henceforth doubly memora- Army Hymn, why so popular, 109. B-, Rev. Mr., one of the chaplains, 161. Ball's Bluff, an exploit in the battle of, 196. Barrows, W., Rev., interesting letter of, 44. "Banner of the Covenant" quoted, 26. Baptism, the nation's, 33. Bealton Station, where the chaplains Bentley, Wm. C., of Rhode Island, 111. Billings, Captain, of Maine, his death Billy, the drummer-boy, 162. Conscience of the country aroused, 15. Broadhead, Colonel, his last words, 31. Cross how made easy, 82. Brown, Robert A., chaplain, 28. Cumberland, fate of that vessel, 102. Buford, Colonel, 90; his last words, 231. Currier, Oliver S., his diary, 227. Chain bridge, on the Potomac, 74. Charley, how he died, 117. D. Eagerness for religious reading, 141. Chase, John W., and his brother, of Eckington Hospital, 224. Rhode Island, 25. Chase, Chaplain, of Maine, 151. Elkhart, Michigan, home of a brave sol- Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, let Ellsworth's avengers, 51. ter of, 194. Chicago Sanitary Commission, 67. Church members in the army, 22. "Cincinnati Gazette," referred to, 37. 95. Evans, Rev. Mr., of Connecticut, 30. Example, personal, power of, 79. F. Faith in Christ, its power, 42, 119, 122. Fifty-fourth Mass., colored troops, 113. Clark, Rev. Bishop, of Rhode Island, Flag, next to the cross, 18. statement of, 184. Collins, quotation from, 99. Flag, which way it points, 213; used as Flag-raising at Sumter, 183. Flag-ship Benton, scene on board of, 54. INDEX. Foote, Admiral, his death, 57; a pray- ing commander, 89. G. Gaylord, —, chaplain of the Mass. Gettysburg, battle of, 186. Gilder, Chaplain, New York, 151. Gospel, ameliorating spirit of, 91. Gough, Mr., his speech, 100. J. 249 Jackson, Stonewall, in the Shenandoah, James, Rev. Mr., chaplain, Mass., 143. K. Graton, Edward R., of Clapville, Mass., Keepsakes of the dead, 226. 142. Graves, "lonely," 99. Griffith, Captain, his peaceful end, 61. H. Kenyon College, Ohio, its patriotic Kilpatrick, General, his color-bearer, 233. Kindness, effect of, 210, 249. King, Captain, of Roxbury, Mass., his Harrison, Colonel, of the Seventieth Knapsack, its contents, 157; sent home Indiana, 138. Hagerstown, Md., a funeral there, 235. dren, 201. Hampton Roads, sea-fight there, 102. Henry, John, of Indiana, the Sabbath- Hero, the true one, 219. Holmes, Dr. O. W., his "Hymn," 189. Houses of Congress, their vote for a fast, 187. Howard, General, of Maine, his char- I. Illinois Eighty-third Regiment, bravery Iowa First Regiment, drummer-boy of, 106. as the last gift, 244. L. Lasher, chaplain of the Connecticut Leasure, D., Colonel of the Ninth Lee, Edward, the Tennessee drummer- Lee's Mill, battle of, 75. nate, 180; proceeds to Washington, Long Bridge, station of the Mass. Thir- Indiana Thirteenth, an experience of Lord's Prayer, how expressive, 98. their chaplain, 27. Ironsides, who they were, 27. Lutzen, in Germany, battle of, 185. |